Frank T. Hopkins and Hidalgo : True American Legends
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From the rocky roads of Arabia to the fiery sands of Syria, Frank T. Hopkins and his painted mustang, Hidalgo, suffered over 60 days of torturous riding in 1890 to claim victory in the greatest long-distance endurance race of the time.

The son of an Army scout and a Sioux mother, Hopkins was born in Wyoming with the love of horses in his blood. As time went on, Hopkins would grow to love the mustang most of all. Hopkins had served as a courier for General George Crook, riding many Indian ponies long and hard along the way. He instinctively understood exactly how powerful and strong mustangs were and loved them for it.

In 1877, a group of captured Sioux ponies was about to be destroyed, as a way to break spirit of the Sioux warriors. Upon urging from Red Calf, a Sioux chief who was a boyhood friend, Hopkins bought one of the ponies for three dollars—a small white-eyed mare that could run all day without tiring. He later bought a pinto stallion from an Apache and bred the two. This pair would form the basis of Hopkins’ beloved White-y line of mustang endurance horses, which would eventually yield the impressive Hidalgo.

Hopkins was a famed endurance rider who rode his mustangs to victory in at least four hundred long-distance races. In 1890, while competing at the Worlds Fair in Paris, Hopkins was invited to enter a 3,000-mile endurance race like none other. This elite race had taken place in Arabia each year for at least a thousand years—a non-Arab rider had never competed before, let alone won. But that was soon to change.

Hopkins learned of the race from Ras Rasmussen, an Arab who was showing some of his horses at the fair and had taken a great fondness to the American rider. As an endurance rider, the opportunity to take part in such a challenge was irresistible to Hopkins and he eagerly agreed to join the race. Hopkins chose to ride Hidalgo, his favorite mustang. A cream and white pinto stallion, Hidalgo was eight years old at the time of the race.

The race started in Arabia and wound around the Gulf of Syria, then jagged inward along the borders of the two countries. Much of the ride was over treacherous limestone where food and water were scarce. Over one hundred horses started the race but many quit during the first week.

A seasoned rider, Hopkins had a habit of staying back and conserving his horse’s energy during the first leg of any race and this one was no different. By day fourteen, Hopkins and Hidalgo began passing the competition and gradually became the race’s leaders. They reached the finish line an incredible 68 days later, more than a full day ahead of the next rider. A lack of proper food had caused Hidalgo to lose a lot of weight over the course of the race, but he finished strong nonetheless.

Against all odds, Hidalgo had beaten the best of the best. Brutal conditions couldn’t keep him down. A lack of food couldn’t stop him. It seemed as though the tougher the environment, the better Hidalgo performed. As a distant relative to the Arabian horses he had competed against, Hidalgo had finally come home at last. Knowing this in his gut, Hopkins decided to leave Hidalgo in Arabia with Ras Rasmussen so that he could breed with the horses of his ancestry.

A true legend, Frank T. Hopkins and his mighty Hidalgo live on in American horse history as the greatest pair of endurance racers ever. Over a hundred years have passed since that infamous race, but their memory lives on even today. When we need to reach out to our heroes for inspiration, Hopkins and Hidalgo are still there—proving once again that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough.

* Editors Note: Accounts of Frank Hopkins and Hidalgo are filled with disputed and often conflicting information. This article gathers information from various sources and pieces together a popular account. By labeling it as a "True American Legend", we are acknowledging that this account, whether true or not, has become a legend, and that Hopkins and Hidalgo have had a major contribution in that capacity. We understand that details in this account may differ from the Disney movie Hidalgo, but unfortunately, we cannot verify the details of either.

Related Links

• Official tribute site to Frank Hopkins
• Hidalgo -- The Official Movie Website

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