|
Sophie - Chestnut mare with a white
blaze forehead seen on the Korean War military comedy M*A*S*H/CBS/1972-83.
Sophie was found wandering in the fields near the 4077th Mobile Army
Surgical Hospital by Corporal Radar O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff) on episode "Dear
Mildred (1975 Season). Radar gave the
horse to his commanding officer Colonel Sherman Potter (Harry Morgan), a
former cavalry officer, whose field office sported photos of horses he had
ridden over the years.
"There's a time to step in and a time to back off. Pull the reins too tight
and the horse will buck. You had good people under you. You should of let them
go through the paces. You know this is pretty good. Someone should be writing
this down." -- Colonel. Sherman T. Potter
On episode "The Colonel's Horse" (1976 Season), while Colonel Potter is in
Tokyo, Sophie becomes sick and everybody pitches in to save Potter's horse. On
episode "The Price". Colonel Potter gets upset when his horse disappears,
until he finds out who has her.
Colonel Potter often used such equine related catchphrases as "Mule
fritters!" "Pony pucks!" "Suffern' saddlesoap!" "Mule muffins!" and "Horse
hockey!" Potter, who like to paint as a hobby, created a
painting of himself sitting atop Sophie. Corporal Klinger sat atop Sophie
while Potter painted (Potter added his own face later). When the war ended, Colonel Potter gave Sophie to the children of a nearby
orphanage run by Sister Teresa. Potter rode Sophie to the orphanage for one last ride. Before he left,
Potter told Pierce and Hunnincutt:
"Well, boys, it would be hard to call what we've been through fun, but I'm
sure glad we went through it together. You always managed to give me a good
laugh right when I needed it. I will never forget the time you dumped
Winchester's drawers in OR. 'Course, I had to pretend I was mad at you, but
inside, I was laughing to beat all hell."
Major Charles Emerson Winchester III (David Ogden Stiers) had a polo pony
back home in the states named Pegasus.
External Links
Back to Top |
