The Reel Review
A beat-up, white-and-grey plow horse was already loaded onto a auction house truck bound for a Pennsylvania slaughterhouse in February 1956, when he locked eyes with Harry deLeyer, who would spend the last $80 in his pocket to bring the horse, later named Snowman, back to his Long Island, New York farm to help train children riders. Snowman, however, had other plans, and would become the U.S. champion show jumper just two years later. This 2016 documentary is their incredible, inspiring Cinderella story.
With a stirring score as the backdrop to a fascinating treasure trove of 1950s and 60s home videos and interviews with deLeyer, his family and colleagues, Harry & Snowman captures the beautiful, loving bond between man and horse and the difference just one person in one moment can make. deLeyer discovered he had a potential show jumper on his hands when he tried to sell Snowman shortly after rescuing him, with a determined Snowman repeatedly jumping six miles of fences to return to his rescuer. deLeyer says Snowman always had a calm, friendly and willing demeanor. Outside of the ring, Snowman became part of the deLeyer family, lake-swimming with the children in the summer and pulling them on sleighs through the snow in winter.
In addition to the inspiring glimpse into the horse that captured worldwide attention, writer/director Ron Davis (I Am We, Miss You Can Do It) also explores the origins of deLeyer’s impressive backstory. As a young man, deLeyer was a member of the Dutch resistance during World War II, hiding downed Allied pilots and Jews trying to flee the Nazi occupation. Those good deeds are what led him to the U.S. and his incredible life. The details of Snowman’s final moments will leave you in tears.
REEL FACTS
• Snowman died of kidney failure in 1974 at the age of 26. Harry deLeyer, who later moved to a farm in Virginia, died at an assisted living facility in Richmond in 2021 at the age of 93.
• Harry & Snowman was a crowd favorite the year of its release, winning nine Audience Awards at film festivals across the U.S.
• The Omega Horse Rescue & Rehabilitation Center has placed more than 1200 horses since its foundation in 1997, rescuing horses from the very auction house where Harry deLeyer rescued Snowman in 1956. Click the link to donate or learn more about rescued horses available for adoption.
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