Lord of the Rings horse stages a dramatic finish

By MIKE DILLON

Elendil died a spectacular death in The Lord Of The Rings, but the horse carrying his name is full of life.

The part-owner and trainer of Elendil (the horse) is Peter McKenzie, who played the role of Elendil in Peter Jackson's film. Elendil was a king in the first film, The Fellowship of the Ring.

His son was Isildur, who took the ring from the Dark Lord Sauron.

McKenzie, from Palmerston North, is a lover of the stage.

For many years he appeared in operas and musical theatre, training racehorses on the side. Now he is training racehorses and dabbling in theatre on the side.

The Lord Of The Rings is only one of many films and television series shot in New Zealand in which McKenzie has appeared.

"Most of them found their way overseas without ever being shown here."

McKenzie says theatre and thoroughbreds have been his only passions. He enjoyed his "Rings" experience: "Elendil died a spectacular death - but he will be remembered for a lot longer than I will."

At Te Rapa on Saturday the equine Elendil showed he had a lot of life left in him by scoring his fourth win from just 11 starts.


Herald Feature: Lord of the Rings