Equestrian guild blasts Dis' 'Hidalgo'

 

The Long Riders' Guild, an international association of equestrian explorers and long-distance travelers, has claimed that the Walt Disney Co.'s upcoming historical horse-racing film "Hidalgo" falsely depicts the life of Frank T. Hopkins, on whom it is based. John Fusco, the film's writer and recent winner of his second Western Heritage Research Award, disputes the claims. "I've been researching Hopkins life for more than 12 years now and compiled research from more than 15 well-respected historians that verify this story," Fusco said. "Their comments sound like saloon tales to me."