I'm a big fan of the movie. I've been watching The Quiet Man since I was a kid, and had a chance to visit the town of Inishfree (Cong, Ireland) back in 1992. However, it is only recently that I discovered something I hadn't seen before:

Sean Thornton's Saddle

In the horse racing scene, John Wayne is clearly riding a US Army McClellan Cavalry saddle. All the other riders are in English saddles. Which got me thinking:

Was it Sean Thornton, the character, who brought this saddle with his other stuff from America, or was it John Wayne, the actor, who just preferred to ride a McClellan over an English saddle?

Anyone got the inside scoop, or care to venture a guess? My bet goes to Duke riding in the saddle he was used to.....