a wide blaze extending over his nose and lower lip. A lack of pigmentation around his eyes was usually covered with make-up. In 1949, at the outset of the horse’s career, as a publicity stunt, Autry took out a $25,000 insurance policy naming this Champion as beneficiary. The same Champion inspired a comic book series, Gene Autry’s Champion. When The Gene Autry Show left the air, Champion remained on TV without Autry in a spin-off of the comic-book series. Named after the radio program, The Adventures of Champion aired on CBS from September 1955 to March 1956, for twenty-six episodes. This Champion had replaced Champion Jr. as Autry’s movie horse in the 1950s, so he appeared in Autry’s final films as well. Gene Autry passed away on October 2, 1998, just a few days after his ninety-first birthday. The great singing cowboy and his iconic horse Champion have been immortalized by a gorgeous life-size bronze sculpture aptly titled “Back in the Saddle,” which graces the plaza of the Autry National Center in Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Autry’s last Champion, Champion III, was the life model for the sculpture by De L’Esprie.
TV Champion and Little Champ flank Gene Autry in this photo.
Lindy Champion and autry prepare for takeoff in September 1940 with TWA stewardess Esther Benefiel, who fed Champ carrots at takeoff and landing to protect his eardrums from pressure changes.
Champion Jr. starred with Gene Autry in his favorite movie, Sioux City Sue, but the Touring Champion, with his veering blaze, posed for this lobby card.
The Touring Champion looks a bit uncertain about becoming the second horse (after Tom Mix’s Tony) to leave his mark in cement at Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Trainer Johnny Agee (in plaid shirt) holds the reins while Gene washes his hoof with the help of theater owner Sid Grauman, on the right. The date was December 23, 1949.
The King of the Cowboys and the Smartest Horse in Movies
Gene Autry and Champion blazed the trail for their chief rivals, Roy Rogers and Trigger. The cowboy with twinkling eyes and his beautiful golden palomino stallion still hold a special place in the hearts of many movie fans. Some are lucky enough to have seen the spectacular duo in one of their many personal appearances, as Rogers, bedecked in rhinestone-fringed splendor, galloped into a stadium on his shimmering stallion. The dazzling sight was pure magic.
Gene is seen here with his last Champion, Champion III.
Leonard Slye and the Sons of the Pioneers
Born Leonard Frank Slye in a Cincinnati tenement on November 5, 1911, Rogers overcame his humble beginnings to pursue his dream of a career in show business. Developing his natural musical talents, he eventually headed for Hollywood, where he formed the Pioneer Trio, which landed a KFWB radio spot in 1933. The Pioneer Trio evolved into the Sons of the Pioneers, one of the most successful cowboy groups in history.
The Sons of the Pioneers appeared in several films, including Gene Autry’s Tumbling Tumbleweeds. But Leonard Slye had his sights set on solo stardom. In 1937, Republic Pictures was holding auditions for singing cowboys. Without an appointment, Slye pulled on his white Stetson and sallied past the Republic gate guard with a group of studio employees. A fan of the Sons of the Pioneers, producer Sol Siegel invited the singer to audition, and on October 13, 1937, Slye signed a seven-year contract with Republic at $75 a week. His name was promptly changed to Dick Weston.
Dick Weston languished in bit parts until Autry went on strike in 1938 just before the start of his new picture Under Western Stars. Slye/Weston was tapped to replace the star. After the producers decided he needed a catchier name, Slye picked the surname Rogers in tribute to his hero, Will Rogers—ironically the man who had kick-started Autry’s career. Even though the actor didn’t particularly like the name, Roy was chosen because of its pleasing alliteration with Rogers.
Quick on the Trigger
Roy Rogers shrewdly figured that if he partnered with a unique horse, he would be harder to replace should he fall out of favor with Republic. He tried out several horses owned by the Hudkins Brothers Stable and struck gold with Golden Cloud, a registered palomino, half-Thoroughbred stallion with a wide blaze and one left hind sock. His golden color was highlighted by an exceptionally long snowy mane and forelock. The Hudkins brothers had acquired the horse from the ranch of Ray “Crash” Corrigan, another cowboy star. Golden Cloud’s sire was a Mexican racehorse, and his dam was what Rogers called a “cold-blooded” palomino, most likely a Quarter Horse mix. At only three years old, he had already debuted as Olivia de Havilland’s mount in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). The stallion’s matinee idol’s looks and his amazingly tractable temperament marked him for stardom.
Roy Rogers once said, “I got on [the horse that was to become] Trigger and rode him down the street and back. I never looked at the rest of them. I said, ‘This is it. This is the color I want. He feels like the horse I want, and he’s got a good rein on him.’ So I took Trigger and started my first picture.”
According to Cheryl Rogers-Barnett, Roy’s eldest daughter, “Dad always told me there was a genuine connection between the two of them, right from the first time he sat in the saddle. Dad had a gift for handling most animals, but he said there was some sort of instant communication between him and Trigger. In Dad’s case, it was love at first sight.”
Golden Cloud became Trigger when Rogers and his comic costar Smiley Burnette were brainstorming to find a more fitting name for a cowboy’s horse. “The name came up when we were getting ready to do the first picture,” Rogers once explained. “I believe it was actually Smiley who said, ‘As fast and as quick as the horse is, you ought to call him Trigger. You know, quick-on-the-trigger.’ I said, ‘That’s a good name.’ And I just named him Trigger.” The naming scene is recreated in My Pal Trigger (1946), which depicts the fictionalized birth of the stallion.
Roy and Trigger are hellbent for justice in 1951’s South of Caliente.
Costarring with Rogers in Under Western Stars (1938), Trigger, who had just turned four, was indelibly linked to the actor’s success. Realizing Trigger’s long-term value, Rogers arranged in 1938 to purchase the palomino from the Hudkins brothers for $2,500. It was a huge sum for Rogers on his meager salary, but Ace Hudkins agreed to let him make payments. It took several years before Rogers owned Trigger completely, but he never doubted his investment.
Rogers put Trigger in training with Glenn Randall, who schooled him at liberty and taught him some basic tricks, including how to rear. The stallion had tremendous strength and could hold a spectacular rear far longer than most horses. He also had great stamina and carried Rogers through many chase scenes. In one movie, Rogers and Trigger jumped a series of 50-gallon drums that rolled off the back of a truck they were chasing. Although unrehearsed, Trigger negotiated the jumps in one take. Billed as the “Smartest Horse in Movies,” he was easily the handsomest. Whether galloping pell-mell with his beautiful long mane flying in the wind or just standing by waiting for action, he was always a magnificent sight.
Trigger performing his trademark rear as trained by
