Banjo Patterson's Man from Snowy River is Australia's most famous poem. It tells the story of a prized horse that has escaped and joined the wild mountain herd. The finest riders of the land have gathered in an attempt to recatch him. Included in the party is a stripling on a small and weedy beast. The others doubt his power to stay, and declare that the hills are far to rough for the likes of him. Only one man, Clancy of the Overflow, stands as his friend and predicts that the stripling will with them when he's wanted at the end.

The horses are found and the riders try to keep them from the hills. Unfortunately, the horses turn, charge beneath the stockwhip and fly into the mountain scrub. As all the riders take a pull, an old man mutters fiercely, `We may bid the mob good day for NO man can hold them down the other side.' It is then that the Man from Snowy River lets his pony have his head, and he swings his stockwhip and races down the mountain while the others watch in fear.

Alone, the Man from Snowy River runs the horses till their sides are white with foam. He follows like a bloodhound on their track until they halt cowed and beaten. Alone and unassisted, he brings them back. His hardy mountain pony can scarcely raise a trot, and is blood from hip to shoulder from the spur. But the written off poney still has his courage fiery hot for never was mountain horse a cur.

The movie is true to the poem's underdog themes except that it adds a love interest. The Man from Snowy River is also in love with the the daughter of a wealthy landowner, and as well being written off as not good enough to ride with the other men, is written off as not being good enough for the lady.

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