This article first appeared in the June 2022 digital edition of Equestrian Life. To see what’s in the current issue, click here. 

Breaker Morant (1980) chronicles the trial of three Australian soldiers for executing prisoners during the Boer War in 1901.

The brilliance of ‘Breaker Morant’

By Suzy Jarratt

Starring Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson and Bryan Brown, Breaker Morant to this day is regarded as one of this country’s finest films.

Breaker Morant (1980) chronicles the trial of three Australian soldiers for executing prisoners during the Boer War in 1901. It cost just $700,000, won Oscar nominations and umpteen film awards and led to director Bruce Beresford establishing a career in Hollywood.

With the exception of Woodward – whose name sounded like a “fart in a bath” according to Laurence Olivier – Breaker had an all-Australian cast and crew. The principal horses were supplied by Heath and Evanne Harris, and others came from South Australia where the picture was filmed.

All horse action took place in Burra, a historic mining town two hours from Adelaide. This location represented the Transvaal region of South Africa, where much of the fighting had taken place. Many of the picture’s riding extras were locals on their own mounts.

‘Margaret’, ‘Gwen’ and two dark brown stockhorses were the Harris’s experienced equine specialists who could fall, rear, hit their marks and do close-ups…
 

Read the full article in the June 2022 issue of Equestrian Life magazine.