If you enjoyed "The Horse Whisperer," you'll be delighted with the story of the extraordinary horse, Beautiful, Jim Key and the extraordinary man, Dr. William Key, who served as his trainer. Enter the world of Shelbyville, Tennessee, where Tennessee Walking Horses are famed and travel back to a time when the country was recovering from The War Between the States. Cast your glance upon an "ugly duckling" or "scrub" colt that no one but African-American, Key, had hope for. And, under his tutelage, the colt became a "swan" that was heralded across the nation as one of the smartest horses in the world.

The year was 1897 and Key and his horse began a parade of the country where the horse was sighted as having the I.Q. of an average sixth-grade student, where he could tell time, do mathematics, spell, sort mail, and perform other outstanding feats. Making regular appearances at world fairs, nationwide exhibitions, and seats of state and national governments, Beautiful Jim Key was heralded by President William McKinley, Booker T. Washington, and Alice Roosevelt Longworth.

Dr. Key was a self-taught veterinarian and former slave and devoted his time to training the colt that everyone else failed to recognize, because he didn't have beauty and speed. With kindness, patience, and repetition, Key trained the horse to do phenomenal feats before audiences.

If you love horses and history, you'll enjoy the devotion and extraordinary feats that this duo displays before the world and rejoice in the bonding between man and animal in this outstanding slice of Southern history.