In 1977, Blair reprised her role as Regan in the "Exorcist" sequel, "" (1977), garnering a Saturn Award nomination for Best Actress of 1978. The film was a critical and commercial failure, however, and at the time was the most expensive film ever made by Warner Bros. Studios. After filming "Exorcist II: The Heretic", Blair took a year off from acting and competed in national equestrian circuits under the pseudonym Martha McDonald. In 1978, she made a return to acting in the Wes Craven-directed television horror film "Stranger in Our House" (re-titled "Summer of Fear"), based on the novel by Lois Duncan. and also with the lead role in the Canadian production "Wild Horse Hank", in which she utilized her equestrian skills to play a college student saving wild horses from ranchers.