War Horse - The Story In Concert recap

Farm boy Albert Narracott raises a horse named Joey, but his indebted father sells Joey to the British cavalry at the start of the First World War. Joey serves under Captain Nicholls, befriends the black horse Topthorn, and passes through battles and several owners after the horses are captured by the Germans. They pull ambulances and artillery, find temporary peace with a French girl named Emilie and her grandfather, and endure the deaths of soldiers and horses around them. Topthorn dies from exhaustion, and Joey escapes into no man's land, where British and German soldiers cooperate to rescue him. Taken to a British veterinary unit, he is recognized by Albert, who enlisted in hopes of finding him. After the war, Emilie's grandfather saves Joey from a butcher at auction and allows Albert to take him home. Joey returns to Devon with Albert, their long separation finally ended.

Joey is bought at a Devon auction by farmer Ted Narracott, whose drinking and pride have pushed him to pay more than the family can afford. Ted's son Albert patiently gentles the horse, names him, and becomes his trusted companion. Albert trains Joey for farm work, proving his usefulness and protecting him from sale for a time. When the First World War begins, Ted secretly sells Joey to the army. Captain Nicholls buys him for the cavalry and promises the devastated Albert that he will care for him. Albert is too young to enlist, so Joey leaves for military service while the boy vows that they will meet again.

Joey trains with Captain Nicholls and befriends Topthorn, the powerful black horse ridden by Captain Stewart. Sent to France, the cavalry encounters wire, machine guns, and artillery that make mounted charges disastrous. Captain Nicholls is killed, and the anxious Trooper Warren becomes Joey's rider. Topthorn remains Joey's steady companion as their unit suffers further losses. In another action, the horses carry their riders into enemy positions and are captured by German troops. A German officer recognizes their value and spares them. With the British riders taken prisoner, Joey and Topthorn are harnessed to pull wounded soldiers, beginning service on the other side of the lines.

Joey and Topthorn pull ambulances for the Germans and are treated with respect by soldiers who see their courage and strength. After further upheaval they wander to a French farm belonging to a young girl, Emilie, and her grandfather. Emilie's family has been devastated by the war, and the two horses give her affection, purpose, and hope. Her grandfather cares for them and worries about her fragile health, but he sees the happiness they bring. For a time the farm offers Joey and Topthorn peace, reliable food, and safety away from military labor. The fighting remains close, however, and the family has little power to prevent an army from reclaiming useful horses.

German troops take Joey and Topthorn from Emilie's farm and use them to haul heavy artillery. Mud, hunger, cold, and overwork wear down the teams. Friedrich, a German soldier who cares for the horses, admits his fear and his hatred of the war, finding comfort in their company. Topthorn eventually collapses and dies, leaving Joey beside the companion who has shared almost all of his wartime life. A shell then kills Friedrich. Alone and terrified during the bombardment, Joey runs across the battlefield, meets the frightening bulk of a tank, and becomes caught and wounded in barbed wire in no man's land. He is trapped between the British and German trenches, visible to both armies but unable to free himself.

A British soldier and a German soldier come out under a brief truce to cut Joey free, cooperating before a coin toss sends him to the British side. He is treated at a veterinary hospital, where Albert is serving after enlisting in the hope of finding him. Joey recognizes Albert's familiar call and answers, bringing about their reunion. When the war ends, the army auctions its surviving horses. Albert's comrades collect money for him, but Emilie's grandfather wins Joey, outbidding a butcher. Emilie has died, and her grandfather has searched for the horse she loved. After seeing Albert and Joey together, he allows Albert to take Joey home on the condition that Emilie be remembered. Albert and Joey return to Devon, ending the separation that began with the sale to the cavalry.

In a British veterinary hospital, Joey hears Albert's familiar call and answers it, reuniting horse and owner after years of separation. Albert helps nurse him through illness and injury. When the war ends, the army announces that its surviving horses will be sold in France. Albert and his comrades raise money to buy Joey, but Emilie's grandfather wins the auction, saving Joey from a butcher. He has searched for the horse because Emilie, who has died, loved him and wanted him kept safe. Once the grandfather understands Albert's bond with Joey, he allows Albert to take him home in exchange for a promise to preserve Emilie's memory. Joey returns to Devon with Albert. Their reunion restores the partnership broken when Joey was sold, while the memories of Topthorn, Emilie, Friedrich, and the many others lost to the war remain part of the homecoming.