The lighthorseman

[barra]

I have been looking for a copy of this painting for 22 years and finally found a link last night. It is called the lighthorseman and is by an Australian artist called Cathleen Elizabeth Edkins. She studied under one of Australia's official war artists from WW1, H Septimus Power and both artists specialised in horses. The reason I am excited about finding a copy of the Lighthorseman is because I was the model for the portrait. I had to sit on a UP (Military/Trooper) saddle lashed to a 44 Gal drum with my arm outstretched for hours.

http://www.artnet.com/Artists/LotDetailPag...57C43958FC48716

Some of H Septimus Power's work

http://images.google.com/images?q=h%20sept...sa=N&tab=wi

Barra

Edited September 6, 2008 by barra

[rawhide1]

Barra

Thats pretty cool. I'm glad ya found it.

Mike

[Luke Hatley]

Barra, good bit of information, thanks for sharing.....

one of my favorite movies is "THE LIGHTHORSEMEN" THEM WAS SOME KINDA BLOKS !

[TwinOaks]

Funny, I always pictured you as being in color....:wtf:

[barra]

Funny, I always pictured you as being in color....:wtf:

Twinoaks.

Funny you mention that. All I got after the sitting was a polaroid photo of the finished work and it was in colour and had other horses charging in the back ground. The mystery yet to be solved is why has this version appeared.

Luke Hately.

Barra, good bit of information, thanks for sharing.....

one of my favorite movies is "THE LIGHTHORSEMEN" THEM WAS SOME KINDA BLOKS !

A couple of little bits of trivia stem from your post.

The Army Officer who asked me to contact Ms Edkins was our Company 2IC, Capt. Hately.

The Lighthorsemen was originally going to be made around 1983 ish. I was contacted by Mr. Simon Wincer who was the producer off the top of my head and asked If I wanted to be the movies official Saddler. I was in a Cavalry Regiment at that time and had developed a decent knowledge of Lighthorse equipment. Simon Wincer went on to do a lot of horse related movies like Lonesome Dove, Crossfire trail, Comanche moon, Quigley down under and Phar Lap.

I think money issues stopped Lighthorsemen in 83 and when they finally got to make it they no longer wanted an official Saddler. There lieth my only chance to get my name on the big screen gone. My mate got his name in the credits as he was the technical advisor. I was however in the movie as an extra.

The Lighthorsemen was the 2nd telling of the Lighthorse story that focused on the Beersheba charge. The original was 40 000 Horsemen, released in 1940. I have attached a clip from that movie that is the charge scene. I still think it is well filmed considering it's age.

http://australianscreen.com.au/titles/fort...horsemen/clip3/

I might fire up my Lighthorsemen DVD for old times sake.

Barra

[tonyc1]

Barra,

I notice in your picture there is a rifle bucket. I do some work for our local Lighthorse blokes and when I first watched the movie some years ago and asked one of them why they carried their rifles across their back, which is very uncomfortable, he said that they didn't use rifle buckets as there were not enough to be a general issue in those days of WW1. Is this true?

Cathleen Edkins can't be a spring chicken these days!

Kind regards, Tony.

[barra]

Tonyc1. Good question. I will investigate further. One reason I can think of is you have to withdraw the rifle from the bucket to dismount. While this was an official part of the mount/dismount drill, I can see how on operations and in practice this would be a pain. The Aussie soldier being well Aussie might have gone, stuff this for a joke.Also If thrown with the rifle still in the bucket your up s hitter's ditch. So I guess some blokes just found it easier to sling it.

If you go to the australianscreen link and click on the why we fight caption you will see the segment from 40 000 horsemen of the column in the desert. Bear in mind the guys used for those scenes were real inter wars Lighthorsemen. 6th LH Regiment I think. Most of them have the rifle slung.

Barra

Edited September 7, 2008 by barra