Frank Hopkins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frank T. Hopkins
(Photo taken in 1905)
Born	August 11, 1865 Fort Laramie, Goshen County, Wyoming
Died	November 5, 1951 (age 86) Middle Village, Queens County, New York
Nationality	American

Frank T. Hopkins (born August 11, 1865 – died November 5, 1951) was an American horseman. He was known for his skills with horses and for being a long-distance rider. He also performed with the Ringling Brothers Circus. Hopkins was a big supporter of protecting the mustang horse.

A movie called Hidalgo was made about some of Hopkins' stories. However, many of the things he claimed happened have not been proven by others. Because of this, some experts believe his stories might not be entirely true.

About Frank Hopkins' Early Life

Frank Hopkins said he was born to a Lakota mother and a European-American father. He claimed he grew up learning from both cultures. He also said he learned to ride and care for horses when he was very young.

Hopkins stated that his father was a scout for George Armstrong Custer. He claimed his father was captured during the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Frank said he was born and raised at Fort Laramie. However, there are no records at Fort Laramie about his birth or family.

A marriage certificate from 1929 shows Hopkins' age as 44. If this is true, he would have been born in 1885. But the photo in his infobox, taken in 1905, seems to show an older man.

Frank Hopkins' Career and Claims

Hopkins claimed he was a cowboy and a professional horseman in the American West. He said he became famous for riding long distances. In his own writings and stories he told friends, he claimed to be part of "Rough Riders of the World." This was a show in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. It traveled in Europe and the United States.

Many of Hopkins' stories have been questioned by historians. Here are some examples:

• He claimed to have won over 400 races.
• He said he raced in a 3,000-mile ride in Arabia in 1890. This race supposedly went through the Gulf of Syria and other Middle Eastern countries.
• His claim of riding with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show has been disputed. The curator of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center said Hopkins' name is not in their records. However, Hopkins was listed as a horse handler for the Ringling Brothers Circus in 1917.
• He also claimed to have brought 'trick riding' to Buffalo Bill's show. An expert on Georgian Cossacks, Irakli Makharadze, has disagreed with this claim.

In 1926, Hopkins worked as a foreman. He was in charge of a crew digging a subway tunnel in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the 1940s, Hopkins claimed he was an honorary chairman at races in Vermont. But the Vermont Historical Society has no information about any such races. Hopkins also said he won a long endurance race from Texas to Vermont when he was 21. He claimed he rode an 800-pound buckskin horse. However, there is no proof that such a race ever happened.

Until he passed away in 1951, Frank Hopkins was a strong supporter of the mustang. He called it "the most significant animal on the North American continent." He worked to protect these wild horses.

Frank Hopkins' Death

Frank Hopkins passed away on November 5, 1951. He is buried in Lutheran All Faiths Cemetery in Middle Village, Queens County, New York.

See also

In Spanish: Frank T. Hopkins para niños