The world’s toughest pony? Film tells inspiring story of history-making duo

Just days after its premiere, more than half a million people have watched a documentary about a young girl and her pony who became the smallest horse ever to finish the world-famous Tevis Cup.

Based on the book Race Against Time by Claire Eckard, the documentary Two Enduring Spirits; The Inspiring Journey of Kyla Law and Her Pony Flash is part of the 2023 Equus Film and Art Festival.

Two Enduring Spirits tells the story of how Kyla Law and Piece of Perfection (aka Flash), her “wild” 11.2hh part Hackney pony, overcame insurmountable personal odds and together entered the history books of the world-famous Tevis Cup endurance ride. The Tevis Cup is one of the most challenging rides on the planet, covering 100 miles of brutal terrain in the Sierra Nevada mountains that must be crossed in no more than 24 hours.

Flash was a pony that had fallen between the cracks: Too small for most to ride, even for a Hackney pony, and too feral to be shown. He needed a person as small as he was, who had the guts and the patience to give him a chance. Kyla was just nine years old when she met Flash. They completed their first 100-mile ride in December 2020, and as Kyla was outgrowing him, it was to be their last event. But a month later, Tevis organisers waived the $US450 entry fee for juniors, and the Flash team decided to give it a shot.

The Western States Trail Ride, popularly called the Tevis Cup Ride, is the oldest modern-day endurance ride, held annually since 1955. As such, it has been the inspiration and model for the most challenging endurance rides worldwide, and to finish the Tevis is an accomplishment.

Flash is the smallest horse ever to do so, finishing 36th overall in 2021 and earning a coveted Tevis buckle. Their names have also been added to the Josephine Stedem Scripps Foundation Trophy for junior finishers of the Tevis.

Two Enduring Spirits is described as an inspiring true story of family, faith, and perseverance: “Kyla and Flash’s relationship mirrors the journey we must all take in life: one of highs and lows, successes and failures.”

Kyla Law and her mother, Natalie, are joining author Claire Eckard at the 2023 Equus Film and Art Festival’s Equus West event at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo, from February 24 to 26 in Denver, Colorado.

The film is the first in the Tell Your Story series of mini-documentaries exploring the life experiences of people of faith worldwide.