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Roy Rogers and Trigger Memorabilia On
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Roy Rogers and his palomino horse Trigger are one of the most beloved movie
and television duos of all time. Their names are so often thought of together,
as a partnership, that mentioning one without the other simply doesn't feel
right. Below are Roy Rogers and Trigger items for sale on eBay. For more
information on Roy and Trigger, "The Smartest Horse In The Movies," please
scroll down.
About Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye, November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998)
became famous as America's "King Of The Cowboys." First achieving success as a
singer with "Sons of the Pioneers," a Western singing group he founded with Bob
Nolan and Tim Spencer, he soon branched into movies and television. Roy Rogers
achieved superstardom as a good-guy cowboy hero, always willing to stand up and
fight for what was right. Roy could ride a horse like the daring and gifted
athlete that he was, and was often found in the company of his faithful cowgirl
Dale Evans (who became his real life
wife) and her horse Buttermilk. In addition, Roy also often shared the screen
with George "Gabby" Hayes, a German Shepherd named Bullet, and
Pat Brady who drove the Jeep called Nellybelle. Of his famous companions,
however, none were more famous than Roy's golden palomino Trigger, billed as the
"Smartest Horse In The Movies."
About Trigger
Trigger was born on a ranch in San Diego, California
(in researching this article, we found conflicting information that he was born
in either 1932 or 1934). The manager of the ranch was a man named Roy Cloud, and the name originally
given to Trigger was Golden Cloud. His sire was a thoroughbred and his dam was
an unregistered mare sometimes described as a cold-blooded mare. At around the
age of three Trigger, or Golden Cloud as he was known at the time, was sold to Hudkins Stables
of Hollywood, California, a stable that provided horses for use in the movie industry.
Golden Cloud's first use in the movies was as a mount for Olivia de
Havilland for her role as Maid Marian in the 1938 movie "The Adventures of Robin
Hood."
Later the same year (1938) Roy Rogers, a young singer who was becoming an
actor, was preparing to star in his first Western movie, "Under Western Stars."
Several horses were brought to the young leading man for him to try out for use in
the movie, including Golden Cloud. When he rode Golden Cloud, it was love at first ride. The young actor
was later quoted as saying "I got on him and rode him 100 yards and never
looked at another horse.” Soon afterwards a character actor named Smiley Burnette,
who played a sidekick in the movie, commented "Roy, as quick as that horse of
yours is, you ought to call him Trigger." Roy liked the comment so much he
quickly changed the horse's name, and one of the most famous movie and television duos in history was born.
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Above: Photo of Roy Rogers and Trigger |
As Roy Rogers career soared to superstardom Trigger carried him along for the
ride, becoming just as much an American icon as his human counterpart. Roy
purchased the horse for his own for $2,500, an amount roughly equivalent to
$30,000 today. Trigger got top billing, right along with Roy, and
not only starred in movies and television with his owner but also toured and
made personal appearances. Trigger was known to be able to perform a long list
of tricks
on cue, including shooting a gun, walking on his rear legs, and untying ropes. Roy Rogers was openly sentimental and loving toward his famous horse,
and when Trigger died in 1965 Mr. Rogers was said to have been
unable to bear the thought of putting his beloved friend into the ground.
Instead, Trigger's hide was mounted over a plaster likeness of a horse in a
rearing position, a famous pose recognizable to Roy Rogers and Trigger fans
everywhere. The mounted Trigger can still be seen at the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum
located in Branson, Missouri. For more information on Trigger we suggest you
visit Roy Rogers World.
Trigger Trivia
- When Trigger died in 1965 his hide was mounted over a plaster cast of a
rearing horse. The mounting was done by Bischoff's Taxidermy, originally located
in Los Angeles,
California, but currently located in Burbank, California.
- Trigger's original name was Golden Cloud.
- Trigger's first notable movie role was with Olivia de Havilland for her role
as Maid Marian in the 1938 movie "The Adventures of Robin Hood." Miss de Havilland
may be best know for playing Melanie in "Gone With The Wind" (1939). She also
won two Oscars, one for Best Actress in "The Heiress" (1949) and one for
Best Actress in "To Each His Own" (1946).
- Roy Rogers purchased Trigger from Hudkins Stables of Hollywood,
California for the amount of $2,500, paying for the horse on payments, Rogers
said, "just like you would a bedroom set." When writing this article we were
able to find photocopies of invoices for Roy's purchase of Trigger showing the
first payment of $500 made in September of 1943 and a second payment of $2,000
made in December of 1943. However, the Roy Rogers, Dale Evans autobiography
"Happy Trails, Our Life Story" implies the purchase was probably made in 1938
with the payment amounts being smaller.
- In 1943 $2,500 was roughly equivalent to $30,000 today.
- The word "palomino" is a description of a horse's color, not its
breeding. A palomino horse has a coat of varying shades of a yellow or
golden color, and a white mane and tail. Trigger was a golden palomino,
meaning his coat was a deep gold.
- While Trigger was not registered with any horse breed association, he
was registered with the Palomino Horse Association, an association that
registers horses according to their color as opposed to their breeding.
- Trigger remained a stallion his entire life, but never sired any
offspring.
- Along with the original Trigger, there was also Little Trigger (not registered
with any breed association like the original Trigger) and Trigger Jr. (a registered
Tennessee Walking Horse with the registered name of Allen's Gold Zephyr).
Neither Little Trigger or Trigger Jr. were related to the original Trigger.
- The Roy Rogers-Dale Evans museum was originally located in Victorville,
California but was moved to Branson, Missouri in 2003. Trigger, Trigger Jr.,
Dale's buckskin horse Buttermilk, and Bullet the German Shepherd dog were
all mounted after their deaths and can still be seen there.
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