Looking For Billy
Casting Billy And Blaze
Over the years, we've made so many friends as we kept looking for our 'Billy'. This last year we were so happy to have found several riders who could have been seriously considered for the part.
It was, first and foremost, that whoever would be Billy would have to be a very good rider. All of these boys fit that requirement. Henry Lesko, was always there, in the background. A champion rider but we simply thought he wasn't able to handle a spirited horse because of his size.
On a serendipitous day, Henry was out there again with all of his friends who were performing for us, and after the session they all got together and were 'horsing around', literally. That's when we saw Henry manage a horse through a dust-up and just keep going. He had demonstrated to us that he was a very real rider and that we had misjudged him.
It also helped that he was cute and confident. It's been a treat to watch him open up and really become Billy on camera. That's probably because he and all of his friends really are 'Billy'. They love horses more than anything in the world and they've all grown to be become expert horsemen and riders.
Are there Olympic dreams in this group of riders.
We think so.
Henry Lesko, who plays the part of Billy.
Henry in the Director's tent, waiting for his next scene.
Henry and Banbury Cross Abu in the iconic Billy & Blaze profile.
Henry growing up with horses. He really has won silver cups half his size, just like Billy.