Stormy, the Thoroughbred (1954)

A live-action featurette made for Walt Disney by Larry Lansburgh who directed, produced and also served as one of the cameramen, along with Floyd Crosby and Hal Ramser. It is the story of how a scrawny young colt grows up to be a highly-prized polo pony, and the cast includes Texan Cecil Smith who, for many years, was the highest rated Polo Player in the world. The story begins on the stormy night the colt was born on a horse farm in Kentucky, seven months after the farm's intended crop of yearlings. He is far behind the other colts and is regarded as a misfit. The other colts are sold off into the racing world, but the under-age and scrawny Stormy (real name Woodie D) is sent off to work on a California ranch. There, he is spotted for the thoroughbred he is and trained as a Polo pony, and comes through with flying colors.