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Brego was a horse of Rohan, who appears in Peter Jackson's film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. He does not appear in any of the books, though he appears to take his name from the former king of Rohan named in the books.
Portrayal
Uraeus and Viggo Mortensen on set
Brego was a bay horse with a white star on his forehead and white markings on his hind legs. He was the steed of King Théoden's son, Théodred, who was mortally wounded in battle with Orcs. It is assumed that Brego was brought back to Rohan by those riding with Éomer when he went to rescue his cousin.
After that rider's death, Brego became wild and refused to accept any new rider, until Aragorn met him in the stables of Edoras. Aragorn calmed the horse, speaking to him in Sindarin, then told the stable hands to turn him free, saying ”This fellow has seen enough of war."
On the way from Edoras to Helm's Deep, Aragorn was unhorsed and presumed killed in a battle with Warg riders; however, he fell into the river and floated downstream. Brego found him on the shore of the river and nudged him awake, carrying him to Helm's Deep in time to bring warning of Saruman's approaching army of Uruk-hai.
Brego was ridden by Aragorn to the Paths of the Dead, though he refused to go any further when drawing closer to the door. The two of them were later reunited at Minas Tirith, and Aragorn rode to the Morannon to confront Sauron's forces. Brego's fate is unknown.
Trivia
- According to the cast commentary on the extended version of The Two Towers, Brego was played by a horse named Uraeus; Viggo Mortensen liked the horse so much that he purchased him after production wrapped. in 2015 Viggo Mortensen made the following the announcement on his website: 'Aged 28, but a timeless presence in the minds of those who had the honour of knowing this proud, handsome, and supremely intelligent being, mighty Uraeus has finally come to rest on the physical plane. Thank you, Jane and Ray, for helping him do so with dignity. Dearest friend and teacher, I hold you and keep you.'