Advert on H&C wins award at EQUUS Film Festival

An agricultural store in Devon has won an award at EQUUS Film Festival in New York for its advert, which appeared on Horse & Country TV.

Not Your Average Store

The commercial for Mole Vale Farmers was inspired by the film a Night At The Museum and features a range of very clever animals who secretly take over a branch of the agricultural company.

Not Your Average Store was made by Equine Productions, with the help of liberty horse trainer and former H&C blogger Emma Massingdale. Emma trained the animals to pose as mannequins, move sacks of feed and push trollies.

This is the second year Emma and Equine Productions have been recognised at the prestigious festival, as they won awards for The Island Project and The Midnight race last year.

‘Crazy ideas’

“It’s absolutely brilliant to win another award in New York,” said Emma. “Working with Equine Productions is always great fun and we knew from the cast of horses, ponies, a duck, a chicken, a dog and two Shetlands, that it would be a challenging but entertaining shoot.

“I love thinking of crazy ideas and then seeing the horses’ amazing ability to bring them to life. You can teach horses and other animals pretty much anything, but only when they make it their own does it look truly magical on screen.”

Andy Skarzynski at Mole Valley Farmers said they were “delighted” to be involved in such an exciting and creative production.

“We’re thrilled that it has been recognised on a global stage,” said Andy. “The combination of Emma Massingale’s brilliant ability with animals, and Equine Productions’ film know-how, created something really special, and we couldn’t be happier with the reaction the film continues to receive.”

Moving tribute

Equine Productions also won an award for a moving tribute to Grand National winner Many Clouds.

The film was directed by the horse’s former work rider Nathan Horrocks, and follows Many Clouds’ incredible career, which ended with his tragic death after winning at Cheltenham in January 2017.

“I entered the film into the festival to share the Many Clouds story with an American audience, to show how much he was loved, but I never expected to win,” said Nathan. “This is my tribute to him to say thank-you for what he has done for me, both personally and professionally, he literally changed my life.”