Famous Horses in Media

BoJack Horseman

admin July 20, 2025

As his name suggests, BoJack Horseman is a bipedal, anthropomorhic horse, who is the titular character of the animated television of the same name, created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. A Netflix original series, BoJack Horseman was screened exclusively on that platform for six seasons, comprising 76 episodes in total, between 2014 and 2020.

Voiced by Canadian-American actor and comedian Will Arnett, BoJack Horseman had previously portrayed ‘The Horse’, a young, bachelor horse in the popular situation comedy ‘Horsin’ Around’, which purportedly premiered on ABC in 1987 and lasted for nine seasons. However, in the wake of the show, living mainly on royalties rather than new projects, he has become a bitter, misanthropic, curmudgeon, self-loathing and, often, self-destructive, yet nonetheless prone to wallowing in self-pity.

Arnett once said that he was drawn to the BoJack Horseman character because of his ability to be “lovable and unloveable at the same time”. A largely unrepentent narcissist, depressive, alcholic and drug addict, BoJack struggles to form, and maintain, positive relationships with the people around them. Indeed, he is frequently guilty of selfish, cowardly, and wicked acts that make him easy to hate. However, even so often, despite his struggles, Bojack demonstrates that he is, at heart, an intelligent, throughtful and sympathetic person, who does actually care deeply about the few people he calls friends.

Bojack Horseman deals with dark, adult themes, as well as sexual content, but balances the gloomier moments with outrageous, often hilarious, humour. The stark reality of its existential narrative is tempered by a genuinely satirical look at the city of Hollywood, California and its culture, celebrity status, or lack of it, and so on. Indeed, the series has been critically acclaimed for all these reasons, plus its character development, animation style and the profundity of the voice performances, not least that by Arnett.

Various real-lif celebrities, including Matthew Perry, Chris Farley, Bog Saget, Tim Allen and David Letterman, have been suggested as providing inspiration for the BoJack Horseman character. However, Bob-Waksberg has said that he is, in fact, a composite archetype, based on numerous celebrities who found fame during the era in which the fictional ‘Horsin’ Around’ series was set, in the late eighties and early nineties.

Mr. Horse

admin July 20, 2025

As his name suggests, Mr. Horse is an anthropomorphic horse, who makes various cameo appearances in the ‘Ren & Stimpy Show’, an animated comedy television series that was created by John Kricfalusi and originally screened on Nickleodeon for five seasons, and 52 episodes, between 1991 and 1995. For the uninititiated, the titular characters are Ren Hoek, a neurotic chihuahua, and Stimpson ‘Stimpy’ J. Cat, a dopy, but obliviously joyful, and harmless Manx cat. Mr. Horse was voiced by series creator John Kricfalusi for the first two seasons and thereafter by Billy West, who also took over the role of Ren Hoek.

Routinely bipedal, but occasionally quadrupedal – when depicting a regular horse – Mr. Horse is a rather eccentric, but nonetheless straight-talking, thoughtful character, who acts as a foil for Ren and Stimpy in some of the diverse, often bizarre, plotlines. The Ren & Stimpy Show is characterised by surreal, often disturbing, content, dark humour and satirical themes. However, Mr. Horse appears in a wide variety of smaller, intermittent roles, often unconnected to the main plot, in which his dry, sarcastic wit and deadpan delivery provide provide a perfect contrast to the main protagonists, thereby emphasising their absurdity. His oft-repeated catchphrase, “No sir, I don’t like it,” usually uttered after weighing up a product, or situation, is a recurring joke throughout his various appearances.

As such, Mr. Horse is one of the most popular recurring, supporting players in The Ren & Stimpy Show. His various roles include a tester for kitty litter, a soldier, a spokesman for the United Nations, a dog show judge, a pilot and a party guest, to name but a few. In ‘Rubber Nipple Salesmen’, which is the fifth episode of the second season, Mr. Horse plays a prospective customer who, it is strongly implied, keeps a captive walrus as a sexual slave. In the break with the norm, he displays panick-stricken paranoia, believing that Ren and Stimpy are, in fact, FBI agents. Having realised his mistake, and turned down the offer of rubber nipples, Mr. Horse produces a distressed walrus from behind his back, who implores the pair, “Call the police.”

Most Famous Horses in the UK

admin March 28, 2025

Horse racing is one of the oldest professional sports in the United Kingdom, dating back to the reign of Richard I in the twelfth century. Modern, organised horse racing became popular during the reign of the ‘Father of the English Turf’, Charles II, and continued to flourish in the eighteenth century, leading to the establishment of the Jockey Club in 1750.

When it comes to famous horses, ‘the daddy of them all’, quite literally, was Eclipse. Named after the annular eclipse that coincided with his birth on April 1, 1764 – dubbed ‘The Great Eclipse’ – Eclipse dominated British racing for two seasons, in 1769 and 1770, and retired unbeaten in 18 starts. He subsequently stood at Clay Hill Stud, Epsom and later at Cannons Stud, Edgware until his death, during a bout of colic, on February 27, 1789. His name appears in the pedigree of 95% of modern throughbreds and his direct bloodline includes Arkle and Desert Orchid, to name but two.

Foaled at Ballymacoll Stud in Co. Meath, northeastern Ireland on April 19, 1957, Arkle is widely regarded as the greatest steeplechaser of all time. All told, he won 27 of his 35 races, but 22 of his 26 steeplechases between November 1962 and December 1966. He is best remembered for winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup three years running, in 1964, 1965 and 1966, but also won the Irish Grand National (1964), the Hennessy Gold Cup twice (1964, 1965), the Whitbread Gold Cup (1965) and the King George VI Chase (1965).

Although not quite on a par with Arkle, Desert Orchid was nonetheless a hugely popular steeplechaser during the eighties and nineties. Instantly recognisable by his grey, almost white, coat and his bold, front-running style, he won 34 of his 70 starts, including the King George VI Chase four times (1986, 1988, 1989, 1990), the Cheltenham Gold Cup (1989) and the Irish Grand National (1990).

On the Flat, Nijinsky, trained by Vincent O’Brien, remains famous as the last horse to win the Triple Crown – that is, the 2,000 Guineas, Derby and St. Leger – which he did in 1970. So, too, does the ill-fated Shergar, best known on the track for his record 10-length win in the Derby in 1981 and off it for his subsequent kidnap and disappearance two years later.

Most Famous Racehorses in American History

admin March 28, 2025

Horse racing in North America inevitably revolves around the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, which are staged in May and early June and collectively constitute the Triple Crown, and the Breeders’ Cup, which is staged in late October or early November.

That said, one of the most famous racehorses in American history, Man O’War, did not win the Triple Crown, for the simple reason that he did not even contest the Kentucky Derby. Owned by Samuel D. Riddle and trained by Louis C. Feustel, he did, however, win both the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes during his three-year-old campaign in 1920 and, as a four-year-old, easily beat the first ever Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton, by seven lengths in the Kenilworth Park Gold Cup at Kenilworth Park in Windsor, Ontario. All told, he won 20 of his 21 races.

By any metric, the only horse that can rival Man O’War as the greatest horse in American history is Secretariat, who did win the Triple Crown, in 1973, and still holds the record for the fastest time in each of the constituent races. Owned by Christopher Chenery and his daughter, Penny, under the Meadow Stable banner, and trained by Lucien Laurin, ‘Big Red’, as the horse was popularly known, beat Twice A Prince by an eye-watering 31 lengths in the Belmont Stakes and, in so doing, took more than two seconds off the previous American record for a mile and a half on dirt.

Although not in the same league as Man O’War or Secretariat, the talented, but enigmatic, John Henry was another to capture the attention of racing enthusiasts, not least because of his rags-to-riches story. A $25,000 purchase as a three-year-old, the unfashionably-bred gelding went on to win 39 of his 83 starts, including 17 at Grade 1 level, and just over $6.5 million in prize money. He was Horse of the Year twice, in 1981 and 1984.

Fast forward three decades and the 2010 Horse of the Year, Zenyatta, may have failed, by a head, to retire unbeaten, but won 19 consecutive races between November 2007 and October 2010 and over $4.7 million in prize money. Her most notable victories came in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic in 2008 and the Breeders’ Cup in 2009, both at Santa Anita Park in California.

For our broader top ten famous racehorses list, visit this page.

Famous Horses in Mythology

admin March 27, 2025

Horses feature prominently in the mythology and folklore of cultures worldwide, symbolising strength, courage and freedom and, often, being blessed with mystical powers, such as flight, speech or the ability to transcend heaven and hell. Arguably the most famous mythological horse of all was Pegasus, the winged white stallion of Greek mythlogy. He sprang from the blood that spurted from the neck of Medusa, the only mortal Gordon, when she was decapitated by Perseus. Later tamed by Bellepheron, who used him defeat the fire-breathing Chimera – part lion, part goat and part dragon – Pegasus eventually became a servant of Zeus, the chief Greek deity.

Less well-known, perhaps, is Pegasus’ counterpart in Turkic mythology, the Heavenly Horse, or Tulpar. A magnficient black or white horse, he, too, has a a pair of feathered wings and epitomises speed, strength and loyalty. A mainstay of Kazakh oral tradition – indeed the Emblem of Kazakhstan featues two winged horses – the Tulpar is often the companion of epic heroes, such as Alpamis.

Horses are also prevalent in Old Norse mythology. Sleipnir, the magical eight-legged horse ridden by Odin, the supreme god and creator, was purportedly born of the union between the stallion Svaðilfari and the shape-shifting Loki, the god of mischief, in the form of a mare. Described
“the best horse among gods and men”, Sleipnir is blessed with the ability to gallop through the air and over the sea. Elsewhere in Norse mythology, the Sun was created by sparks from Muspelheim, the realm of fire and heat, but required the sun deity, Sól, to drive it across the sky each day in a chariot. The chariot was pulled by two horses, Árvakr and Alsviðr, fitted with bellows beneath their shoulders to protect them from the heat.

Speaking of chariot horses, in the Ulster, or Red Branch, Cycle of Irish mythology, Liath Macha and Dub Sainglend are two such horses belonging to hero and demigod Cú Chulainn. A divine gift, from Macha, goddess of war, or her sister, the Morrigan, goddess of death, they supposedly sprang from Linn Laith in Sliabh Fuait, a mountain range in Co. Armagh, and were subsequently tamed by Cúchulainn.