In the series 1883, Elsa rides a beautiful palomino named Lightning.
In the popular series 1883, Elsa Dutton is frequently seen riding a palomino horse named Lightning. This American western drama is a miniseries by Taylor Sheridan. It’s one of the prequels to Yellowstone. Isabel May, who plays Elsa Dutton, thoroughly enjoyed her experience learning to ride Lightning, known as “Darby” in real life. Darby is an incredible horse!
All About this Palomino Beauty
- Darby is a 2015 registered American Quarter Horse mare. Her registered name is Winin Chex.
- You can trace her lines back to Nu Chex To Cash. Her sire is Busy Winin Chex, a 2007 cremello stallion. He stands for stud at Hilldale farm in Brashear, Texas.
- Darby is a gorgeous palomino color. In the series, Lightning and Elsa have beautiful blonde hair that makes them stand out easily together.
- Isabel May comments, ““She’s a good girl,” “It has been great to get to know her…”. It sounds like this mare has a sweet and willing disposition.
- In the series, Elsa’s horse is named Lightning because of how fast he is.
What a beautiful duo! They found the perfect horse to play Lightning. Darby is an incredible star. She does a great job representing Quarter Horses.
Isabel May plays young Elsa Dutton, teenage daughter of James and Margaret (portrayed by Tim and Faith). Elsa also serves as the narrator for the series, offering an unexpected perspective. She’s an optimist with a rebellious spirit and defies gender stereotypes of the time. She also lends her narrating talents to the next installment in the Yellowstone universe, 1923.
Isabel says of her role, “I think Elsa’s someone that can’t be dishonest. She has this pure, in the beginning naive, spirit. She’s so alive, and she appreciates everything to such a degree. It’s a perspective that we’ve never seen in a Western, and it makes it all the more interesting when she’s so in love with her surroundings. And the backdrop to that is how difficult that experience was. It’s this contrast between the beauty of the world that she sees and the hardship and the reality of it. And that brings the series to life in a new way.”
The 22-year-old actress considers herself fortunate to be in this role. She says, “I’m lucky to be a part of it. I don’t really know how I’ve had this opportunity. It’s difficult to find such depth and growth in a character especially at her age, considering the genre as well, being a Western it’s usually from a male perspective.”
This role may be groundbreaking, but Isabel is not new to the small screen. In fact, you may recognize her from some recent shows. The California native first found fame as Katie Cooper in the Netflix show Alexis & Katie, which had a three-season run. She also has a recurring role as Veronica Duncan on the CBS sitcom Young Sheldon. In 2022, she appeared in the rom-com I Want You Back alongside Scott Eastwood, Jami Gertz, Gina Rodriguez, and Jenny Slate. Up next, she’s scheduled to appear in The Smack with Kathy Bates and Marisa Tomei.
