Greg Hafen

An excellent family film that features a National Champion horse, and a wonderful story about a horse named National Velvet and a young, spirited woman (E. Taylor) who believes in the horse that wins the Steeple horse race. Mickey Rooney plays a hockey down on his luck but is chosen to ride the Velvet in the steeple race. There are many tender moments and the characters are superb in their respective roles. The ending leaves one feeling good due to the results and the character development of the actors.