by Carol Mowdy Bond
Now an acclaimed Native American film, television,
and stage star, Wes Studi comes from humble beginnings. He was born and raised in Nofire Hollow in rural northeastern Oklahoma. But Santa Fe, New Mexico, is now home for Studi and his family. That’s where he met neighbors who refueled his expertise with and his lifelong love of horses.
Studi’s neighbors owned a farm for tiger horses near Santa Fe. Already an accomplished rider as well as an actor, Studi made his mark again, as a professional horse trainer, taming and training tiger horses. “These majestic spotted horses, similar to the Appaloosa, have the same conformation as the Chinese horses you see in Chinese restaurants, with crested necks and shortened tails,” Studi was quoted as saying in writer Wendy Wilkinson’s article “Steady at the Gait” in the August 2015 issue of Cowboys
& Indians Magazine. “They’re big and sturdy — anywhere from 15 to 16 hands — and are built to have a smooth and very comfortable gait.”
Tracing Tiger Horses
Apparently the breed genetically dates to approximately A.D. 618 when it originated in China during the T’Ang Dynasty. Historians define the T’Ang Dynasty, or T’Ang Empire, as an imperial dynasty that ruled China from the seventh to tenth centuries. With an interregnum from 690 to 705, the dynasty is considered a golden age and one of the greatest dynasties in Chinese history. Ancient Chinese artists depicted tiger horses, often with images
of silk saddle blankets and colorful tassels hanging from the blankets.
At one point, people imported the horses to Europe. Then the breed’s rise in popularity coincided with the European colonization of America. Historians believe the breed might have arrived in America from Spain about 300 years ago.
Beautifully spotted and similar to Appaloosas in appearance, tiger horses display exotic coat patterns. The difference between Appaloosas and tiger horses is the gait. Tiger horses have a four-beat, evenly timed gait that is referred to as a running walk. And they keep at least one foot on the ground. The horses walk at a fast speed and thus cover a lot of distance. Tiger
horses are athletic with a great deal of stamina. They weigh 700 to 1,500 pounds and have an approximate life expectancy of 20 years. The breed is considered generally healthy, with no special medical issues.
Because they exhibit a controlled temperament, tiger horses are known for their wonderful dispositions and are people-loving family horses. They are coveted as companion pets and are considered great for beginning riders and trail riding. People who compete in dressage find the breed a great fit. With excellent distance-riding abilities, tiger horses are also great in the show ring. Historically, they were popular with ladies and gentlemen of royal courts because of their smooth and comfortable riding traits.
The American tiger horse has been officially recognized as a breed with its own U.S. registry only since 2011.
Acting with Honor
Circling back to Studi and his love of horses, Studi’s father worked as a ranch hand on a large Oklahoma ranch. So as a boy, Studi began to work around horses in the 1950s. He went on cattle drives and helped with branding. His upbringing was the catalyst for a love of horses that remains integral to his life.
Of Cherokee ancestry, Studi learned English when he entered school at age five. He graduated from Chilocco Indian School and then joined the U.S. Army. Studi is a Vietnam veteran who returned home and launched into Native American politics. He then moved on to other pursuits, training horses in Tulsa. And he also contributed to the integrity of the Cherokee language and made his way into acting through community theater.
A linguist, artist, musician, and author, Studi has hundreds of acting projects under his belt, including more than 40 films. But he initially transitioned into movies with a 1989 film role. Then he gained over-the-top attention as a Pawnee warrior in the 1990 movie Dances with Wolves. The movie snagged many awards, including an Oscar for best picture.
In 1992, The Last of the Mohicans hit the silver screen as an adaptation of nineteenth-century author James Fenimore Cooper’s novel about the French and Indian War. Winning numerous awards, the film starred Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye, Madelaine Stowe as Cora, Oglala Lakota actor Russell Means as Chingachgook, Canadian actor Eric Schweig as Uncas, and Studi. Playing the part of a fierce Huron warrior, Studi was a key figure in the story. His spine-chilling portrayal of Magua and his authentic Mohawk were hauntingly unforgettable.
roles. Photo by Maura Dhu Studi.
To a great extent, Studi’s acting roles have been Native-specific parts in westerns, and they have included Red Cloud, Geronimo, and Cochise, along with numerous others. He holds a massive number of awards and accolades. In 2019,
he received the Native American Music Award. His induction into the National Native American Hall of Fame, in the arts category, also was in 2019.
But he made breakthrough history in 2019 as the first Native American to win an Oscar, chosen for “portraying strong Native American characters with poignancy and authenticity.” He took the historic moment further onstage and spoke in Cherokee during the program. In 2003, Studi became the second Native American actor to be inducted into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Hall of Great Western Performers.
Numbered among the outstanding and noteworthy Oklahomans of Native American ancestry, Studi and John Herrington, also from Oklahoma, were masters of ceremony at the dedication of the National Native American Veterans Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C. An enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation, Herrington was the first Native American astronaut in space. Oklahoma artist, Southern Cheyenne peace chief, and Oklahoma Hall of Fame inductee Harvey Pratt designed the memorial, which was dedicated in November 2022.
“I think Wes Studi is the real deal,” Pratt says. “He plays his acting characters so full. He has a direct image of who they are.”
The spotlights have followed Studi’s impressive acting career. But throughout his life, his impassioned love of horses has remained part of his core.
