‘Harry & Snowman’ Screening to Benefit Horsemen’s Association
Any long-time devotees of the annual Cleveland Grand Prix held every July at the Polo Field in Moreland Hills would remember watching Harry deLeyer ride multiple horses at the popular event.
DeLeyer, also known as The Flying Dutchman, may have been best known for his story about Snowman, the grey Amish plow horse he rescued at an auction in Pennsylvania decades ago and turned into a show jumping wonder.
Walt Disney made hay out of the story and a book, “The Eighty Dollar Champion,” by Elizabeth Letts, was published in 2011.
Area residents will have a chance to view the newly-released documentary, “Harry & Snowman,” at 4 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Chagrin Cinema, 8200 E. Washington St. in Chagrin Falls.
The Chagrin Valley Professional Horsemen’s Association arranged the special showing. Money raised from the event will be used to help cover costs of the CVPHA’s annual Cleveland Grand Prix in 2017 and the Chagrin Hunter Jumper Classic that precedes it.
Right now, Chagrin Cinema is the only venue in Ohio showing the documentary. Sugar Me Desserterie, of Chagrin Falls, and Java on Wheels, of Chester Township, are donating refreshments for a reception after the screening.
Schneider Saddlery also has ticket forms and information about the event. Chagrin Cinema is not selling the tickets.
Snowman, who became an international show jumping star with deLeyer aboard, is once again in the spotlight in “Harry & Snowman,” which was filmed by Ron Davis featuring the deLeyer family.
Gary Goldstein of the L.A. Times wrote about the film: “The movie enjoyably blends archival photos and footage, plus chats with 86-year-old Harry and other equine experts and observers, to track how Harry and his “Cinderella horse” took the competitive circuit by storm. Clips of Snowman’s heyday show jumping are a thrill.”
DeLeyer came to the U.S. from Holland after World War II to teach riding at a girl’s academy in New York, Goldstein said.
When he arrived late at the auction, only the horses bound for slaughter were left, so he rescued a big grey horse and the rest is history.
Snowman lived to be 26 at the deLeyer farm in Virginia where deLeyer, 86, still trains show jumpers.
Local Cleveland Grand Prix winner Megan Bash, of Cleveland Equestrian Stables, said the film is scheduled for one showing, but could be stretched to two if enough people decide to attend and support the annual event.
A ticket and a Chagrin Hunter Jumper Classic pin costs $30; a ticket, pin, popcorn and drink is $40; adding on a 2016 CHJC T-shirt brings the price to $60; a family four-pack including four tickets, four pins, four small refreshment combos and four T-shirts costs $150; and the Snowman Special, including two tickets, two CHJC pins, two combs, two T-shirts, a Rebecca Ray tote and a stall for the CHJC Schneider Saddlery opening week show (July 7-9, 2017) is $400.
A check or credit card payments can be mailed to Harry & Snowman, c/o CVPHA, Box 23552, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023.
