FAMOUS HORSES FROM THE WESTERN FILMS & SERIES

Roy Rogers and Trigger

TRIGGER. (ROY ROGERS).
Roy Rogers, Hollywood cowboy. His horse Trigger was billed ‘Trigger the smartest horse in the movies’. Roy Rogers ‘The King of the Cowboys’ was listed in the Motion Picture Herald poll from 1942 to 1954 when the poll was discontinued. When Trigger died in 1965, age 33, Rogers had him mounted and put on display in the Roy Roger’s Museum in Apple Valley, California, so that his many fans could have the opportunity to see him.

SUNFISH. (LEE MARTIN).
First Western cowboy to appear on film, "Bucking Broncho" (1894). Lee Martin, one of the cowboy stars in ‘Buffalo Bill’s Wild West’, rides a bronco as a crowd looks on. While the horse is trying to throw Martin off its back, another cowboy stands on top of a fence rail and occasionally fires his six-shooter, to spur on both horse and rider.

CHAMPION. (GENE AUTRY).
Hollywood singing cowboy.Champion easily earned his title of “Wonder Horse” by performing a variety of tricks which included kneeling, untying rope knots and dancing and prancing for the public. It died (buried at Autry’s Melody Ranch) when Gene Autry was serving in the military during World War II. The others; “Champion” (The horse of the TV Series 1955-1956), a chestnut stallion foaled in 1940. Followed by “Champion Jr.” and “Little Champion” were all used in Autry’s post-war films. “Champion’s” hoof-prints can be seen in front of Graumann’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

TOPPER. (HOPALONG CASSIDY).
Hollywood cowboy, played by William Boyd. Topper was a magnificent white animal. Topper was also used to play the Lone Rangers horse Silver.

SILVER. (THE LONE RANGER).
A fiery horse with the speed of light. Based on the radio play by Steve Mc Cartly. The Lone Ranger was played by Clayton Moore (later by John Hart) in the film series. Silver was in fact Hopalong Cassidy’s horse.

Tom Mix and Tony

TONY. (TOM MIX).
Early Hollywood film cowboy series. Tony was a magnificent chestnut horse with a narrow white stripe and snip on his face and white stockings on his hind legs. Tom Mix bought Tony from Pat Crisman for $600 when Tony was a 2 years old colt. Tom Mix and Tony were in a number of films: ‘Tony Runs Wild’ (1925), ‘Oh You Tony’ (1924). Tony became a polo pony in ‘The Arizona Wildcat’ (1927) and enabled Tom to win an important polo game in Santa Barbara, California, and rescue the heroine from the villains in ‘Rides of the Purple Sage’ (1925). Tom Mix kept at least 25 horses on his TM Bar ranch including: NINA, DOE, CLARA BOW, BANJO and BETTY LOU.

DIABLO. (CISCO KID).
From a Hollywood film series.

APACHE. (LASH LARUE).
The horse of the black masked, whip welding Hollywood Western cowboy.

TRIGGER JUNIOR. (ROY ROGERS).
Reported to be a Tennessee Walking horse. Roy Rogers bought Junior when he was 9 years old. Trigger Junior died at the age of 28. He appeared in a movie Trigger Junior (1950) featuring Trigger, Trigger Junior and the Phantom.

PHANTOM. (ROY ROGERS).
A killer white stallion, featured in the film Trigger Junior (1950).

WHITE FLASH. (TEX RITTER).
White Flash was the name of the white horse ridden by Tex Ritter in his western movies of the late 1930’s and 40’s. Fist movies "Song of the Gringo" (1936), "Riders of the Rockies" (1938).  He started riding a white horse in 1936 which was owned and rented by the studio. In 1941 Tex Ritter bought a white horse from Jerome Eddy of Chino Valley, Arizona, and had him trained by Glen Randall (who also trained Roy Rogers’s Trigger) to do a variety of tricks. White Flash appeared with Tex Ritter until the late 1940’s when Tex’s movie career stopped. White Flash was put to sleep in 1966, age 27 years.

SMOKY. (LEE MARVIN).
A famous scene in the western movie "Cat Ballou" (1965) is that of Lee Marvin as the Kid Shelleen drunk on Smoky. The horse, also drunk, is seen with it’s legs crossed and leaning against a building. The horse won the Craven Award for his part in ‘Cat Ballou’.

OLD THUNDER. (GREGORY PECK).
Gregory Peck had to prove himself and the audience by riding the bucking bronco Old Thunder in the 1958 film "The Big Country".

LITTLE CHAMP. (GENE AUTRY).
Another of Gene Autry’s horses, played with Champion in the 1950 film “Beyond The Purple Hills”.

John Wayne and Old Dollar

OLD DOLLAR. (JOHN WAYNE).
In the Hollywood film "The Shootist "(1976), one of the West’s greatest gunslingers, J B Books (John Wayne) is diagnosed as having terminal cancer by Dr. Hostetler (James Stewart). But unable to escape his reputation, he prepares himself for one last showdown, at the Metropole, Carson city. He sells Old Dollar to Gillom Rogers. Old Dollar is mentioned a number of times in the film, Brooks tells Gillom ‘Would you be so kind as to take Old Dollar over to the livery stable (run by Moses) and see that he gets a double order of oats’. Old Dollar is not the same as Dollar as its blaze is much narrower.

WHISKEY. (KIRK DOUGLAS).
Kirk Douglas played a modern cowboy Blackjack Slade, the villain, in the 1962 film ‘Lonely Are the Brave’. In the film he thought one of the most important things in his live was his horse Whiskey. He and his horse were hit by a truck when crossing a highway at night and the horse had to be shot.

OLD BLUE. (TOM MIX).
This roan was used by Tom Mix prior to his favourite horse Tony. Old Blue was Tom Mix’s first movie horse.

PETE. (GARY COOPER).
The horse Gary Cooper rode in the film ‘The Westerner’ (1940). He also rode other horses, not named, in various films. Gary Cooper liked Fat Jones’s Steel and rode him in ‘It’s a Big Country’ (1951).

DUKE. (JOHN WAYNE).
John Wayne and Duke, the miracle horse, co-stared in a series of 6 films prior to the western classic ‘Stagecoach’ (1939). Duke’s first film was ‘Ride Him Cowboy’ (1932) the film that made John Wayne a cowboy star.

BANNER. (JOHN WAYNE).
Said to be John Wayne’s favourite horse, a big bay, he rode in the 1950’s and 1960’s. It was not a pure-bred. It was owned by the Fat Jones stables and John Wayne tried to buy Banner but Fat Jones would not sell.

HENRY. (JOHN WAYNE).
John Wayne also rode this horse in the 1950’s and 1960’s. It was owned by the Fat Jones stables.

James Stewart and Pie

PIE. (JAMES STEWART).
This impressive chestnut gelding was James Stewart’s favourite horse. Pie was a part thoroughbred owned by Steve Meyers. Stewart tried to bye Pie but Meyers refused to sell, thus Pie was used by other stars such as Audie Murphy. Pie was first ridden by James Stewart in ‘Winchester 73’ (1950). Pie retired at the age of 29 after filming ‘Bandolero’ (1968) staring James Stewart, Dean Martin and Raquel Welch.

SCAR. (JAMES STEWART).
James Stewart had a radio show called ‘The Six Shooter’ and his script horse was called Scar. James Stewart played Brit Pensel.

SUGAR. (DON MURRAY).
The wild horse from the film ‘These Thousand Hills’ (1959). A satisfying Western that takes many surprising turns along its course, THESE THOUSAND HILLS stars Don Murray as Lat Evans, a sheltered rancher brought up under the stern gaze of his Bible-thumping father. Lat heads off into the world intent upon making his fortune, and befriends Tom (Stuart Whitman) on the cattle-herding trail. Eventually his friendship with Tom is tested in the fire of his craving for wealth and respectability, and he spurns the devoted love of Callie, a dancehall girl (Lee Remick), in favour of a conservative society woman, Joyce (Patricia Owens). Ultimately, Lat is faced with a choice between his ambitions and his loyalty to his old friends.

TONY JUNIOR. (TOM MIX).
In many of his later films Tom Mix used Tony Junior. the horse was bought from a florist in New York state in 1930. His sire was an Arabian stallion. He was not the son of Tony.  Tony Junior was the first of Gene Autry’s ‘Champion’.

COMANCHE. (TOM MIX).
A large palomino Tom Mix used in parades. He kept at leased 25 horses on his TM Bar ranch.

APACHE. (TOM MIX).
Another of Tom Mix’s horses, a pinto.

PONCA. (TOM MIX).
Another of Tom Mix’s horses, a bay hunter.

TONY II. (TOM MIX).
A large white horse Tom Mix use in many parades.

APACHE. (BOB BAKER).
Bob Baker, a singing cowboy, rode this pinto in a series of movies starting in 1938. Apache was also the name of the horse that played the lead in the serial ‘Devil Horse’ (1932).

Buck Jones and Silver

SILVER. (BUCK JONES).
Buck Jones had several horses called Silver. The original and second Silver lived till over 20 years. The first Silver died in 1940 age 26. The third Silver was retired in the late 1930’s and the forth Silver’s last film was ‘Down on the Great Divide’ (1943).

Buck Jones was one of the greatest of the B-Western stars. Although born in Indiana, (on December 12, 1891, not earlier as some sources have it) Jones reportedly (but disputably) grew up on a ranch near Red Rock in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), and there learned the riding and shooting skills that would stand him in good stead as a hero of Westerns. He joined the army as a teenager and served on US-Mexican border before seeing service in the Moro uprising in the Philippines. Though wounded, he recuperated and reenlisted, hoping to become a pilot. He was not accepted for pilot training and left the army in 1913. He took a menial job with the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch Wild West Show and soon became champion bronco buster for the show. He moved on to the Julia Allen Show, but with the beginning of the First World War, Jones took work training horses for the Allied Armies.  After the war, he and his wife, ‘Odelle Osborne’, whom he had met in the Miller Brothers show, toured with the Ringling Brothers circus, then settled in Hollywood, where Jones got work in a number of Westerns starring Tom Mix and Franklyn Furnum. William Fox put Jones under contract and promoted him as a new Western star. He used the name Charles Jones at first, then Charles ‘Buck’ Jones, before settling on his permanent stage name. He quickly climbed to the upper ranks of Western stardom, playing a more dignified, less gaudy hero than Tom Mix, if not as austere as William S Hart. With his famed horse Silver, Jones was one of the most successful and popular actors in the genre, and at one point he was receiving more fan mail than any actor in the world. Months after America’s entry into World War II, Jones participated in a war-bond-selling tour. On November 28, 1942, he was a guest of local citizens in Boston at the famed Coconut Grove nightclub.
Fire broke out and nearly five hundred people died in one of the worst fire disasters on record. Jones was horribly burned and died two days later before his wife Dell could arrive to comfort him. Although legend has it that he died returning to the blaze to rescue others (a story probably originated by producer Trem Carr for whatever reason), the actual evidence indicates that he was trapped with all the others and succumbed as most did, trying to escape. He remains, however, a hero to thousands who followed his film adventures.

SILVER. (SUNSET CARSON).
Sunset Carson was an early cowboy, 6’ 6’’, his Silver was a large white stallion. They made many films between 1944 and 1950.

SILVER. (HOOT GIBSON).
Hoot Gibson and his Silver appeared in the 1927 film ‘Galloping Fury’.

SILVER. (JUDY LYNN).
Country and Western singer Judy Lynn used her Silver in her rodeo appearances.

TUMBLEWEED. (AUDIE MURPHY).
From the film ‘Tumbleweed’(1953). The title comes from the horse’s character in the plot and the ungainly nag playing it has just as much appeal for audiences as the human character involved. Murphy’s beat up looking nag turns out to be the hero’s live saver with his ability to play goat over mountain crags, find water in the desert and play dead to fool the Indians.

TORNADO. (ZORRO).
The first Zorro film ‘The Mark of Zorro’ (1920) was a silent movie staring Douglas Fairbanks. In the 1940 ‘The Mark of Zorro’ Tyrone Power played Don Diego da Vega and Linda Darnell played Lolita Quintero (Marguerite de la Motte). Douglas Fairbanks was said to be the most famous of the Zorros. In the television series Guy Williams played Zorro.

BUTTERMILK. (DALE EVANS).
Favourite horse of Dale Evans, wife of Roy Rogers. Another horse used by Dale was PAL. Buttermilk was originally called Taffy.

COPPER. (EDDIE DEAN).
Eddie Dean used a number of horses in his movies. The fumbling, bumbling Emmett ‘Pappy’ Lynn was Eddie Dean’s first sidekick. In the movie "Caravan Trail" (1946), Dean rides WAR PAINT, the first of four different horses he would ride at PRC/Eagle Lion. The others were WHITE CLOUD, COPPER and FLASH.

Rex Allen and Koko

KOKO. (REX ALLEN).
Rex Elvie Allen (December 31, 1920-December 17, 1999) was an American film actor, singer and songwriter who is particularly known as the narrator in many Walt Disney nature and Western productions. For contributions to the recording industry, Rex Allen was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He had a second career as narrator of a series of Walt Disney wildlife films in the Sixties, his affable manner and soft tones a perfect match for the stunning nature shots of the movies. He also toured live venues, billed as “The Arizona Cowboy” and partnered by his stallion, “Koko, the Wonder Horse”, and had a successful recording career.

LOCO. (PANCHO).
From The Cisco Kid staring: Duncan Renaldo as The Kid. Leo Carrillo as Pancho. Horses: Diablo and Loco. Cisco Kid Theme Song: “Cisco Kid Theme” by Albert Glasser.

RAIDER. (CHARLES STARRETT).
 Western star of the 1930s and 40s who played the Durango Kid in numerous films. His horse was named Raider. Running gag was that his other name kept changing—usually “Steve” and last name was different from film to film (Reynolds, Baldwin, Holden, Ramsey, etc.). Also Credited as: Charles Robert Starrett. 1926 Film debut, “The Quarterback” (as extra).

THUNDERHEAD. (MARY O’HARA).
From the novel  by Mary O’Hara, ‘Thunderhead, King of the Herd’ (1947). Thunderhead, a wild stallion, is roaming the Wyoming plains and stealing mares from the surrounding ranches for his herd. In particular he has taken a valuable mare, JEWEL, who was rescued by the gelding, PETE, after his horsebox had crashed from the train taking her to a new owner. Also Son of Flica (1945).

PARDNER. (BUDDY ROOSEVELT).
In the movie "Battling Buddy" (1924), lower-echelon cowboy hero Buddy Roosevelt starred in this average silent Western, one in a series of Roosevelt vehicles produced by poverty row entrepreneur LesterF Scott Jr and directed by a young Richard Thorpe. Roosevelt (whose real name was Kenneth Sanderson), played Buddy West, a young cowboy who inherits a ranch from his uncle. A clause in the will, however, stipulates that Buddy will forfeit the ranch to foreman Pete Hall (William Lowery) should he be found incompetent. Unfortunately for Hall, Buddy is more than competent, and the crooked foreman has him forcibly committed to a sanatorium. With the assistance of his horse Pardner, Buddy manages to escape and returns to battle it out with the foreman. Playing a character amusingly named “Dorothy Parker,” Battling Buddy’s leading lady was Violet La Plante (aka Violet Avon), the less talented sister of Universal star Laura La Plante. The horse was listed in the cast list.

OLD SPEED. (JACK NICHOLSON).
From the film " Goin’ South" (1978). Sentenced to hang in a backwater western town, horse thief Henry Moon (Jack Nicholson) is saved when frontierswoman Julia Tate (Mary Steenburgen) agrees to marry him. Taking advantage of the town law that prohibits the execution of married men, Moon follows Tate back to her ranch, planning all the while to escape at the first possible opportunity. But Tate insists that he honour his end of the bargain at work on the ranch. She has no intention of consummating the union, a fact that drives the hot-to-trot Moon up a wall. She puts him to work on the gold mine that she has on her property, while his old gang prepares to relieve the couple of their gold once it’s on the surface. Jack Nicholson personally selected movie newcomer Mary Steenburgen for " Goin’ South". The film also features John Belushi in the role of a dyspeptic deputy.

TACO. (CHITO RAFFERTY).
From the film "Riders of the Range" (1949). Rancher White hires Holt (Kansas) and pal Martin as ranch hands. When her ne’er-do-well brother, Clarke, gets himself into hot water with gambler Hadley, Clarke is forced to take up rustling to pay off his debts. Holt and Martin foil this scheme, and White gives her brother money to pay the debt. When someone knocks off Hadley, the two heroes are blamed. They prove their innocence and bring in the real killer, Tyler. Also: Chito was played by Richard Martin in Tim Holt westerns. RKO’s resident cowboy stars Tim Holt and.Richard ‘Chito’ Martin were back in 1949’s Riders of the Range. Hired on as ranch hands, Kansas ( Holt) and Chito come to the aid of ranch owner Dusty (Jacqueline White ), whose brother (Robert Clarke) has been led astray by a crooked gambler (Reed Hadley). As had happened in so many previous RKO oaters. Our Heroes are  accused of murder, but manage to break jail in time to collar the real culprit.

No, the “mystery” villain isn’t the gambler, since he was the murder victim (without giving away the ending, here’s a clue: keep an eye on that former cowboy hero who in this film heads the supporting cast) "Riders of the Range" was the first Tim Holt vehicle to lose money for RKO.

PAINT. (THE LONE RANGER).
Tonto’s horse in the television series. According to “The Legend of Silver,” a radio episode broadcast September 30, 1938, before acquiring Silver, the Lone Ranger rode a chestnut mare called Dusty. After Dusty was killed by a criminal that Reid and Tonto were tracking, Reid saved Silver’s life from an enraged buffalo, and in gratitude Silver chose to give up his wild life to carry him. Silver’s sire was called Sylvan, and his dam was Musa. The origin of Tonto’s horse, Scout, is less clear. For a long time, Tonto rode a white horse called White Feller. In the episode titled “Four Day Ride,” which aired August 5, 1938, Tonto is given a paint horse by his friend, Chief Thundercloud, who then takes and cares for White Feller. Tonto rides this horse, and simply refers to him as “Paint Horse,” for several episodes. The horse is finally named Scout in the episode “Border Dope Smuggling,” which was broadcast on September 2, 1938. In another episode, the lingering question of Tonto’s mode of transport was resolved when the pair discover a secluded valley and the Lone Ranger, in an urge of conscience, releases Silver back to the wild. The episode ends with Silver returning to the Ranger, bringing along a companion who becomes Tonto’s horse, Scout. In Spanish, “Tonto,” which translates from the Spanish as “stupid” or “dumb,” is named “Toro” (Spanish for “bull”) while “The Paint Horse” is always named “Pinto” (a Spanish word to refer to any “painted animal” in particular).

Bob Allen and Pal

PAL. (BOB ALLEN).
Movies. "Law of the Ranger" (1937). Working undercover, Rangers Bob and Wally arrive to take up ranching. Out to stop them is Bill Nash and his men. When Bob plans to file on a ranch, Nash finds out and heads for the Registrar ahead of him. Only his ardent fans remember Bob Allen today, and they are becoming fewer all the time, but Bob Allen fit the part of a Saturday matinee hero, even his duds were somewhat outlandish compared with other movie cowboys of the times. Mainly in 1937, Bob Allen made six ranger films for Columbia: “The Unknown Ranger,” “Rio Grande Ranger,” “Reckless Ranger,” “Ranger Courage,” “Law of the Ranger”—this one, and “The Ranger Steps In.”

According to pundits of the genre, Bob Allen’s fondest movie memories were of the Ranger series. Allen’s outfit was patterned after Maynard in order to utilize stock footage from Ken’s films. In addition to similar costumes, Allen also rode a palomino named ‘Pal’. Producer Larry Darmour was in charge of the Allen Ranger films as well as the earlier Ken Maynard group.

CHICO. (BILL CODY.)
Movies. "Land of Wanted Men" (1932). White-Stetsoned cowboy hero Bill Cody is appointed sheriff by default of a rough-and-tumble cattle-ranch community. The locals suspect that Cody is a fugitive from justice, but he does his job so well that no questions are asked. Eventually he proves his true worth during a cattlemen vs. sheep men feud, fomented by a greedy third party. Juvenile actor Andy Shuford again co-stars as Cody’s young and worshipful saddle pal. For reasons unknown, one fight sequence in Land of Wanted Men devolves into a pie-throwing orgy, suggesting that the producers were trying to broaden the film’s appeal.Full name: William Joseph Cody 1891-1948. When a fellow actually named Bill Cody came to tinsel town, studio heads didn’t have to conjure up some fake name to entice the audience. They had the real ‘McCoy’. Bearing no known relationship to the famous buffalo hunter and showman except for the moniker, the real Bill Cody was born William Joseph Cody, Jr.

Cody had worked for Goldburg previously in two independent pictures under the name of Paul Walters. Goldburg’s Independent Pictures, while cheaply made, were smooth little westerns, shot in picturesque locations with good scripting and casting. The first of the series was Dangerous Days, directed by McGowan. It was followed in short order by "The Fighting Sheriff", with the remainder on the market within six months. Cody’s Arabian horse, ‘Chico’, usually had a prominent role and he also rode a horse named ‘King’. Of rather short stature he was a good scrapper and handled himself much in the style of Bob Steele. It was not unusual to see him take on comers of all sizes, and the bigger the better.

PAL. (HOOT GIBSON).
Movies. This pioneer cowboy star of silent and early talking Westerns was one of the 1920s’ most popular children’s matinee heroes. In real life, Hoot Gibson endured a rather painful rags-to-riches-back-to-rags career that seemed to plague a number of big stars who lived too high on the hog. An unfortunate by product of stardom is, of course, the misinformation that is often fed to the public over the years by either an overzealous publicity agent or the actor himself. The many variations of just how Gibson earned the nametag “Hoot” is one of them:
 (1) As a youth, he loved to hunt owls;
(2) while a teenager working on a rodeo ranch, other ranch hands called him “Hoot Owl” and that the name was shortened to just “Hoot”;
(3) he earned the name while a messenger with the Owl Drug Company; and (4) while touring briefly in vaudeville, he would hoot when the audience cheered and, thus, the nickname.

Hoot Gibson had many horses in a career that spanned from the silents into the mid 1940s when he did the Monogram Trail Blazers. Photos show ol’ Hoot on a half dozen different mounts—there were several others. The names of his horses included Goldie, Midnight, Starlight, Mutt and Pal. The story goes that the palomino ‘Goldie’ was killed during the filming of a chase scene . . . or was injured during the filming of a movie, and had to be put away.

PAL. (DALE EVANS).
Movies. In many of the movies Dale Evans had made with Roy Rogers she had ridden a palomino horse named Pal. For the television show, however, she and Roy were concerned that on a smaller television screen Pal would look too much like Roy’s palomino horse, Trigger. Dale got a new horse for the TV show, a buckskin gelding named Buttermilk.

PAL. (JACK LUDEN).
Movies. Screen newcomer Gary Cooper achieved some success as a western leading man in "Arizona Bound" (1927), and the studio, Paramount, attempted to repeat with Jack Luden, a graduate of the Paramount acting school. Luden was darkly handsome and should have made it as a cowboy star, but this story of a rancher clearing his girlfriend’s father of a crime he didn’t commit could have been produced by any number of independent producers for a lot less money or come from any one of a dozen independent producers without anyone having been the wiser. The rivalry with his own foreman for the love of a girl was too weak and never went anywhere. Neither did Luden, whose later western work for Columbia in the 1930s would prove just as unsuccessful. Luden’s initial starring western "Shoot n’ Irons" (1927), proved a failure.

RED FOX. (JESSE JAMES).
Jesse James’s favourite horse. Jesse was known as the “Rabbit—Man” and carried 2 brand new Colt 45’s in his belt, and a Winchester across his saddle. His favourite saddle horse, a sorrel which he called Red Fox was always kept saddled and in the care of a Negro boy. His answer to questions about this strange situation was “I am seldom on my feet—I was practically born on a horse.”

Tom Keene and Rusty

RUSTY. (TOM KEENE).
Movies. "Dynamite Canyon" (1941) "Where Trails Divide" (1937). Following the murder of a prominent rancher and a Texas Ranger, lawman Tom Keene goes undercover to catch the killer, in the exciting western adventure “Dynamite Canyon.” With Evelyn Finley, Stanley Price, and Rusty the Wonder Horse. Then, Keene is a lawyer who moves to an untamed frontier town and becomes the new sheriff, ready to give some local blackhats the kind of jurisprudence they don’t teach in law school, in “Where Trails Divide.” Eleanor Stewart and Warner Richmond co-star.

SCOUT. (JACK HOXIE).
From rodeos and Wild West shows, it was only a step away to Hollywood for the young Jack where the need for cowboys as extras was in great demand. Almost overnight Jack became cowboy actor Hartford Hoxie, later shortened to Hart. From about 1913, until he made his first starring film, the 1919 serial, LIGHTNING BRYCE, Hoxie was cast in over 35 films, a number of them in Helen Holmes’ two-reelers for Pathe. Hoxie was also cast in pictures starring one of Kalem Studio’s leading actresses, Marin Sais. He appeared with her in two-reel features, and in one, the 1917 THE MAN FROM TIJUANA, had a featured role. (Marin Sais became Jack’s second wife, following his divorce from Hazel). The 15-chapter serial, LIGHTINING BRYCE, co-starring Ann Little and released by National Film Corp., was the turning point for the cowboy actor. Now billed as Jack Hoxie, the serial transformed him into a bona fide cowboy hero.

SENATOR. (LEO MALONEY).
From the silent movies. "Ranchers and Rascals" (1925). Low-budget Western hero (Leo Maloney) once again saves a ranch from cattle rustlers in this obscure silent Western which he also directed. Maloney plays Harvey Martin, a drifter coming to the aid of beleaguered John Weaver (Roy Watson), a rancher whose property has become the target of Pecos Joe (Bud Osborne). In reality, Pecos Joe is Ed LaRue, Harvey’s rival for the attention of Helen Weaver (Josephine Hill). With the assistance of his dog, Bullet, and Senator the horse, Harvey manages to defeat the villain in a final confrontation.

SHEIK. (SMITH BALLEW).
Movies. "Panamint’s Bad Man" (1938). With "Panamint’s Bad Man," the brief film starring career of singing cowboy Smith Ballew came to an end. The star plays Kimball, a good guy who poses as a bad guy to gain the confidence of outlaw chieftain Gorman (Norah Beery Sr.). Kimball assumes the identity of Black Jack (Stanley Fields), a Texas desperado who spends most of the picture behind bars. Much of the film is played for laughs, especially when the likeable Black Jack discovers to his chagrin that he’s been unwittingly helping the feds in bringing Gorman to justice. Heroine Evelyn Daw is on hand solely to provide an enthusiastic audience for Smith Ballew’s song renditions.

SILVER. (SUNSET CARSON).
Movies. "Fighting Mustang" (1948). Sunset rides into a heap of action when he and his partner try to stop a gang of wild horse thieves. At the height of his screen career (1945-1946). American Western star Sunset Carson ranked an impressive eighth in a national B-Western popularity poll, beating out most of the old-timers who had been around since the silent days. Handsome and boasting quite a following among female audience members—a rarity in the field of action adventures—Carson, alas, was also perhaps the era’s least.

Whip Wilson and Silver Bullet

SILVER BULLET. (WHIP WILSON).
Movies. "Shadows of the West" (1949). U.S. Marshal Whip Wilson (Whip Wilson) decides to take a vacation and visit his old friend Winks Grayson (Andy Clyde), the ex-sheriff. Upon his arrival Whip learns of Winks’ suspicions regarding newly-elected Sheriff Tanner (William Ruhl as William H. Ruhl), and the story of a frame-up of Paul Davis (Ted Adams) and his son Bud (Riley Hill), now being released from prison. Following a hold-up and a killing, a band of outlaws hide at the Davis ranch, implicating them again. Paul is hot and Bud goes to jail. Whip and Winks work to clear Bud and expose the real leader of the outlaw gang.

Whip Wilson was born Roland Charles Meyers on June 16, 1911, in Granite, Illinois. He was one of eight children. He had a resemblance to Buck Jones and was given a terrific Hollywood publicity build up, but this was not enough to make Whip a major cowboy star. However, Wilson did gain some measure of success by starring in 22 B western features, and he made more pictures than Lash LaRue, Sunset Carson, Monte Hale, Rex Allen or Eddie Dean. Whip Wilson horse had many names: Silver Bullet, then BULLET, then ROCKET.

SMOKEY. (DICK FORAN).
Movies. "Moonlight on the Prairie" (1936). Dusting off a couple of old Ken Maynard Western plots—already recycled once with John Wayne in the early 1930s—Warner Bros. jumped on the singing cowboy band wagon with a series starring baritone Dick Foran (formerly Nick Foran. The opener, "Moonlight on the Prairie" was filmed on glorious locations at California’s June Lake and featured a good supporting cast that included future Western hero William ‘Wild Bill’ Elliott (here billed Gordon Elliott) as an agent for the ubiquitous Cattlemen’s Association. Foran himself played Ace Andrews, a Wild West Show performer falsely accused of murdering rancher Butch Roberts. Butch’s estranged wife, now his widow, Barbara (Sheila Mannors), and young son have until midnight to take over the ranch or lose it to nasty Luke Thomas (Joe Sawyer) and crooked lawyer Buck Cantwell (Robert Barrat).

After a scheme to delay Barbara and little Dickie (Dickie Jones) is foiled by Ace and his escape artist sidekick “Small Change” George E Stone), Luke and his motley crew engage in a bit of cattle rustling. Ace, who has already proven Cantwell to be Butch’s real killer, successfully leads the sheriff’s posse to victory and soon both Thomas and Cantwell are apprehended. Foran, whose inclination to shout every line was tempered in subsequent entries, found time between fightin’ and shootin’ to warble Covered Wagon Days and Moonlight on the Prairie, both composed and written by M.K. Jerome, Joan Jasmyn, Vernon Spencer and Bob Nolan. Foran’s horse, Smokey, earned second billing ahead  of leading lady Sheila Mannors, a brunette beauty who also spelled her last name “Manners” on occasion. Miss Mannors/Manners would attempt to escape an increasing list of B-Westerns by changing her moniker to Sheila Bromley in the 1940s.

SONNY. (WILD BILL ELLIOTT).
Featured in the movies and Stomy Comics. Wild Bill Elliott (October 16, 1904-November 26, 1965) was an American film actor. He specialized in playing the rugged heroes of B-Westerns, particularly in the Red Ryder series of films. In the movie: Calling Wild Bill Elliott (1943). The ruthless self-appointed Governor Nichols and his militia are driving ranchers off their land. When they go after the Culver’s, Wild Bill arrives to help them and the outnumbered ranchers fight back.

CRAZY ALICE. (COWBOYS (1972).
Staring John Wayne as Wil Andersen. Wil Andersen finds himself with a herd of cattle which he has to get to market before the winter sets in, but he has no men to help him. He turns to a group of young school boys as his last hope to get the job done. There is no better training for these boys than hands-on as they don’t know what they are in for. They set out as schoolboys but return as Cowboys. Crazy Alice is one of his horses that needs breaking in, he has the boys ride her one after the other to prove that he can use them on the cattle trail.

STORMY. (WILD BILL ELLIOTT).
Movies/Comics. One of the screen’s most popular and enduring heroes was the peaceable man, Wild Bill Elliott. Achieving instant fame with his “Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok” serial at Columbia in ‘38, Bill turned out great B-western features at Columbia, then Republic (some as the popular Red Ryder) and finally Monogram/Allied Artists, winding up his western career in 1954 ... a great 17 year run. In some comic photos Bill was dressed as Red Ryder although none of the comic stories portrayed him as such. The photos displayed Bill with various steeds, including Thunder (see 576), although his horse was named Stormy in all the comic stories.

LIGHTNING. (TIM HOLT).
Tim Holt’s horse in the movies. "Western Heritage" (1948). Tim proves Harry Woods’ Spanish land grants are forgeries. Great cast includes Nan Leslie, Harry Woods, Richard Powers, wonderful character player Walter Reed, Tony Barrett (who turned screenwriter and created TV’s “Peter Gunn”), Robert Bray (later star of TV’s “Stagecoach West” and “Lassie”) and, of course, sidekick Richard (Chito Jose Gonzales Bustamonte Rafferty) Martin. Oddly, Tim rides a chestnut quarter horse in this film rather than his usual palomino, Lightning.

SUNNY. (HARRY CAREY).
Movies. "Aces Wild" (1936). Weather-beaten western star Harry Carey is consistently better than his material in the cheapie shoot-em-up Aces Wild. Astride his wonder horse Sonny, Cheyenne Harey (Carey) comes to the rescue of heroine Martha (Gertrude Messenger), the owner of a valuable gold mine. The villains try to buy Cheyenne off, but he’s not about to be dissuaded from his purpose. Two veterans of Columbia’s 2-reel comedy mills show up in important roles: Theodore Lorch as the mustachioed heavy, and second-echelon comic Anson (Phil Dunham) as a crusading newspaper editor. Also on hand is black comedian Fred ‘Snowflake’ Toones.

SUNSHINE.(BILL PATTON).
 Movies. (Late 1920’S-1935). "Western Trails" (1926). Produced and directed by character actor Horace B Carpenter, this low-budget silent Western starred the pedestrian Bill Patton as a sheriff’s deputy who rescues a rancher (Carpenter) and his daughter from a gang of rustlers. It had all been done many times before but rarely this slipshod. Patton, who bore an unfortunate resemblance to silent screen clown Larry Semon, managed to carve a niche for himself in very inexpensive oaters. His career lasted until 1942.

SWEETHEART. (STAGECOACH).
Horse in the first team stagecoach in the film "Stagecoach" (1939). Also used in the second team. A simple stagecoach trip is complicated by the fact that Geronimo is on the warpath in the area. The passengers on the coach include a a drunken doctor, two women, a bank manager who has taken off with his client’s money, and the famous Ringo Kid, among others. Cast: Claire Trevor as Dallas, John Wayne as Ringo Kid, Andy Devine as Buck, John Carradine as Hatfield, Thomas Mitchell as Doc Boone, Louise Platt as Lucy Mallory.

TARGET. (ANNIE OAKLEY).
From a television series. Annie Oakley was an American Western television series which fictionalised the life of famous sharpshooter Annie Oakley. It ran from January 1954 to February 1957 in syndication ABC showed reruns on Saturday and Sunday daytime from 1959-1960 and from 1964-1965. It ran for three seasons, for a total of 81 black and white episodes, each 25 minutes long. The show starred Gail Davis in the title role, and co-starred Brad Johnson as Deputy Sheriff Lofty Craig and Jimmy Hawkins, as Annie’s brother, Tagg. Annie rode a horse named Target, and Tagg’s horse was PIXIE. Annie and Tagg lived in the town of Diablo, Arizona, with their uncle, Sheriff Luke MacTavish, who was usually away whenever trouble started. It would then be up to straight-shooting Annie and her “silent suitor” Lofty Craig to rescue law-abiding neighbours and arrest outlaws.

Often Tagg would be told to stay in town and out of the way, but through disobedience, the need to relay important new information, or being captured by outlaws, he would end up in the middle of the adventure. Annie always wore the same fringed cowgirl outfit, of which 15 or more copies were made throughout the show’s production. Her hairstyle was braided pigtails.

TEX. (DANIEL REED).
The horse used in the film "The Legend Of The Lone Ranger" (1981). When the young Texas Ranger, John Ried, is the sole survivor of an ambush arranged by the militaristic outlaw leader, Butch Cabendich, he is rescued by an old childhood Comanche friend, Tonto. When he recovers from his wounds, he dedicates his life to fighting the evil that Cabendich represents. To this end, John Reid becomes the great masked western hero, The Lone Ranger. With the help of Tonto, the pair go to rescue the President Grant when Cabendich takes him hostage.

THUNDERBOLT. (JOHNNY WEST).
Toy from Louis Marx & Co. In the early 1960’s T.V. westerns (everything from Gunsmoke to Davy Crockett) were the greatest things since sliced bread! Louis Marx realized the marketing potential of this frenzy and started working on a line of action figures / dolls for boys. The figures had solid molded bodies with non-articulated legs. The shoulder rotated, the elbows bent 90 degrees, the heads turned a little and the open hands spun in their sockets. 1965 also saw the introduction of Johnny West, reportably taking the name from John Wayne (JW get it?). He came with great western accessories and you could buy him a horse (Thunderbolt) to ride on.


WHITE FELLER. (TONTO).
Tonto’s white horse in the movies. In Republic Pictures’ 1938 serial "The Lone Ranger". In this first Lone Ranger serial, Tonto’s paint horse was called White Feller (White Fellah), not ‘Scout’. Silver was portrayed by SILVER CHIEF.In The Lone Ranger Rides Again (1939) Silver was again portrayed by Silver Chief, and this time, Tonto’s horse was named Scout to properly match up with the popular radio program. This paint horse was SUNNY and was owned by Chief Thunder Cloud (you can find more info and photos of Sunny on the Chief Thunder Cloud page in the Trusty Steeds-Movie Horses section of the Old Corral). Scuttlebutt is that the white horse that Thomas Mitchell rode in Gone With the Wind was Silver Chief.

GOLDIE. (HOOT GIBSON).
Movies. Real name: Edmund Richard Gibson, 1892-1962. Hoot’s palomino ‘Goldie’ was featured in the movie "Concentratin’ Kid" (1930). Goldie could be identified by the white mark above/between the eyes. The story goes that the Goldie was killed during the filming of a chase scene . . . or was injured during the filming of a movie, and had to be put away. From rodeo champion to stuntman to movie cowboy star for nearly 20 years, Hoot Gibson was one of the most popular western stars on the silent screen, ranking second only to Tom Mix. With his easy combination of light, breezy, boyish charm comedy and riding abilities, 5' 9" Hoot filled a gap between the austere William S. Hart or Harry Carey and the flamboyant Tom Mix. Hoot appealed to both children and adults—especially women. By the mid ‘20s, he was one of Universal’s top paid stars, earning $14,500 per week. And he spent it, rivalling even Mix in self indulgence ... fast cars, motorcycles and airplanes.

Hoot came to the motion picture industry around 1910 after having ridden bucking broncos for the Dick Stanley Congress of Rough Riders and working as a horse  wrangler. His first film experience was with the Selig Polyscope Co. doing stunts and doubling for Selig stars. One of his first known titles came later that year in D. W. Griffith’s western short, TwoBrothers, starring Henry Walthall. That same year, Gibson and pal Art Acord got riding and stunting jobs in a Tom Mix Selig one-reeler, Pride of the Range. Acord and Gibson remained friends for many years. Their careers paralleled each other until Acord’s tragic death in ‘31. In 1912, Hoot went to Pendleton, Oregon, for the famous Western Roundup and won the all-around championship. He also won the World Championship Fancy Roper at the Calgary Stampede that year. For the next year or so, Gibson and Acord rode in rodeo events in the summer, returning to Hollywood in the winter to double and perform stunts for stars.

ZANE.(BOB STEELE).
Movies. "Billy the Kid in Texas" (1940) Arriving in a lawless Texas town, Billy (Bob Steele) finds his old friend Fuzzy (Al St. John). When Billy stands up to Flash and his gang, he is made Sheriff. He and Fuzzy then set out to retrieve the money stolen by Flash and clear his brother Gil Cooper who is part of the gang.In the second of the “Billy the Kid” series from PRC that starred Bob Steele, Billy the Kid (Bob Steele) is being held on a trumped-up murder charge in a Mexico jail. He escapes and meets his pal, Fuzzy Jones (Al S. John), in Corral City, Texas, which is taking a holiday to allow the cowpunchers of the Lazy A Ranch their periodic spree. In the saloon, Billy is recognized by Dave Hendricks (Charles King) and Flash (John Merton), two the Lazy A’s bed men, as the rider who had held them up after they had robbed the express wagon a few hours earlier.

Outside, Billy is ambushed and slightly wounded, and is taken to the express office by Jim Morgan (Frank LaRue) where Mary Barton (Terry Walker), the local agent, agrees to tend him until the doctor arrives. Billy turns over the loot he took from the outlaws and he is appointed sheriff, with Fuzzy as his deputy. The Lazy A gang brings in a noted gunfighter, Gil Cooper (Carleton Young), who turns out to be Billy’s brother. Billy, Gil and Fuzzy eventually rout the outlaw gang, and Gil remains behind with Mary as Billy and Fuzzy ride off. Another of Bob Steele’s horses was BOY.

Allan 'Rocky' Lane and Feather

FEATHER. (ALLAN LANE).
Allan ‘Rocky’ Lane’s horse. In a western series of six pictures during 1944-45 in which, like Barry, he would have a different character name each time. He rode a horse called Feather, which appeared to be black in colour  and wore a black shirt with white piping and arrow pockets with light trousers in the first one. That gave way to a grey shirt with two large, square button-down pockets and a black collar, white hat, dark trousers in the others. He carried a single stag-handled pistol. Republic did well by him with his leading ladies—Peggy Stewart in the first two, Linda Stirling in the second two, and Helen Talbott in the last two.

ZIP COCHISE. (JOHN WAYNE).
 John Wayne rode this Appaloosa in the movie "El Dorado" (1967). In the town of El Dorado, wealthy landowner Bart Jason (Ed Asner) is embroiled in a struggle with the MacDonald family, who own a large amount of land just outside town lines. Jason hires gunman Cole Thornton (John Wayne) to scare the MacDonalds in hope that they’ll back down. Cole is pleased to discover that his old friend J.B. (Robert Mitchum) is now the sheriff of the town. The sheriff warns Cole that involvement with the crooked Jason will get him arrested. Further circumstances entwine the hired gun with the MacDonald family, and he sets out to destroy Jason. John Wayne rode a horse named Banner , one of the big sorrel horses furnished by Hollywood wrangler, Clarence “Fat” Jones, movie horse stables for the actor’s use in later Western movies.

CANDY. (DAVID CARRADINE).
The movie horse David Carradine rode on the television series "Shane" (1966). After the death of her husband, Marian Starett takes on the arduous task of both raising a son, Joey, and protecting her farm from ruthless land baron Ryker. Nomadic gunfighter Shane decides to hire on with Marian as a cowhand, and, at the same time, serve as a father figure for little Joey. Jill Ireland played Marian Starrett. Universal Studios owned Candy and was in many other movies. In the Wyatt Earp television series actor Hugh O’Brian also rode Candy.

DYNAMITE. (ZORRO).
The white horse called Dynamite was the horse from the Zorro television series named Phantom.

BUSTER. (CLINT EASTWOOD).
From the film "Bronco Billy" (1980). Buster was the skewbald (white face and socks) bronco horse in the film. Bronco Billy McCoy (Cint Eastwood). A modern day cowboy who runs a wild west show and demonstrated rodeo tricks. He is the proud owner of a small travelling Wild West show. But the business isn’t doing too well: since six months he couldn’t pay his employees. At a gas station he picks up Antoinette, a stuck-up blonde from a rich family, who was left there by her husband in the wedding night without a penny. Bronco likes her looks and hires her as his assistant. But she seems to bring them bad luck: the business gets even worse. In these hard times she looses her reluctance and starts to like her new way of life ... and Bronco Billy. Antoinette Lilly is played by Sondra Locke.

TONKA. (SAL MINEO).
From the film "Tonka" (1958). In Dakota territory in the 1870s, White Bull, a young Sioux, proves his manhood by catching and training a wild colt he names Tonka. When a cruel cousin claims the horse as the privilege of rank, White Bull lets Tonka go. The horse ends up in the hands of captain Miles Keogh in the US cavalry about the time that Sitting Bull gathers the tribes to confront the growing US presence, epitomised by the bigoted General Custer. All paths, including those of White Bull and Tonka, lead to the confluence of the Little and Big Horn rivers. Sal Mineo plays White Bull and Philip Carey plays Capt. Keogh. Tonka is taken from the Indians, sold to the US Cavalry and renamed Comanche. In real life Comanche was the only survivor of the Battle of the Little Bighorn (1876). Tonka was played by television horse Flica.

GOODEYE.(NAT LOVE).
Nat Love was known as Deadwood Dick. He was born in Davidson County, Tennessee in 1854. After the American Civil war (1861-1865) Love moved to Dodge City, Kansas. Love’s first test at 15 was given to him by Bronco Jim who had love ride Goodeye, a horse known for bucking and throwing a man off the saddle. Love stayed on Goodeye and was hired at $30 a month, as a cowboy. Nat Love was often seen with his saddle, cowboy chaps and riffle in many old west pictures.

DICE. (GREGORY PECK).
From the film: "Duel in the Sun" (1946). Directed by King Vidor. Dice is ‘Lewt’s’ horse which he gives to Pearl when she is impressed with the tricks the pinto can do. Joseph Cotton and Gregory Peck star as two very different brothers feuding for the attentions of a beautiful girl. Spectacular Western, which caused controversy on release. When her father Scott Chavezis (Herbert Marshall) is hanged for shooting his wife and her lover, half-breed Pearl Chevez (Jennifer Jones) goes to live with distant relatives in Texas. Welcomed by Laura Belle McCanles (Lillian Gish) and her elder lawyer son Jesse (Joseph Cotton), she meets with hostility from the ranch-owner himself, wheelchair-bound Senator Jackson McCanles (Lionel Barrymore), and with lustful interest from womanising unruly younger brother Lewton ‘Lewt’ McCanles (Gregory Peck). Almost at once, already existing family tensions are exacerbated by her presence and the way she is physically drawn to Lewt.

ALLEN’S GOLD ZEPHER. (ROY ROGERS).
Trigger Jr was registered as Allen’s Gold Zephyr and foaled in 1941. His sire was BARKER’S MOONBEAM and his dam was FISHER’S GRAY MAUD. He was bred by C. O. Barker, of Readyville, Tennessee. Barker’s Moonbeam was sired by GOLDEN SUNSHINE whose dam was GOLDEN LADY. All were palominos. Trigger Jr had no connection with old Trigger’s blood lines but he carried on the ‘Trigger’ name. Trigger Jr was a Palomino champion horse, a very good trick horse, an excellent parade horse plus a proven sire. Trigger Jr is mounted in an air controlled glass room at the Roy Rogers Dale Evans Museum, Branson, MO next to ‘The Old Man’ AKA ‘Trigger’, Buttermilk and along with their dog ‘Bullet.’

LITTLE TRIGGER. (ROY ROGERS).
Little Trigger was an 18 month old palomino when Roy bought him. Roy couldn’t stand for “Trigger” to be shipped around in a trailer three of four days going from Rodeo and personal appearances so “Little Trigger” got the job. He was a little chunky, on the Quarter horse side and not quite as tall as Trigger. His markings were almost like the “Old Man” but instead of being calm like the “Old Man” Little Trigger was a playboy full of mischief and smart. He had two white stocking on his front legs. “Little Trigger” actually was in the movie Trigger Jr. which was actually written for him to be in the movie. Lil’ Trigger was unfortunately not mounted like Trigger, Trigger Jr. and Buttermilk were. Roy regretted not doing so.

CACTUS. (SUNSET CARSON).
 Apparently, Sunset had originally named the horse Silver, but changed it to Cactus. In the movie Sheriff of  "Cimarron" (1945). Cimarron is a wild town overrun by outlaws. Sunset, who was framed as a cattle rustler, has just been released from prison after 3 years when he winds up in "Cimarron". On his first day there, he foils a robbery attempt of the express office and kills 2 of the 3 outlaws. The grateful town makes him sheriff and the next day, he foils another robbery of the gold in the express office. What Sunset does not know is that his brother Ted is the leader of the outlaws and was the one who framed him for the cattle rustling. Actor credits for some of Sunset Carson movies: "Alien Outlaw" (1988), "Battling Marshal" (1950), "Fighting Mustang" (1948), "Sunset Carson Rides Again" (1948), "Alias Billy the Kid" (1946), "Call of the Rockies" (1944) and "Code Of The Prairie" (1944).

FLASH. (EDDIE DEAN).
"The Tioga Kid" (1948). “The Tioga Kid” is a remake of 1946’s “Driftin’ Kid” with only slight plot changes—hero Eddie Dean now has an identical twin brother working with the outlaws of stock from the original, all of the songs are recycled, most of the character names are the same, and the main difference is Jennifer Holt is now playing the role that Shirley Patterson had in “Driftin’ River” as “Jenny Morgan,” while most of the original cast—Dennis Moore, William Fawcett, Lee Bennett—are also here using the same character role names and, in some instances, the same footage. Eddie Dean (Eddie Dean) and sidekick Soapy Jones (Roscoe Ates) return some stolen cattle (instead of horses) to Jenny Morgan (Jennifer Holt), and Eddie runs off ranch hand Tucson Brown (Lee Bennett), who is working with the outlaws, led by Joe Morino (Dennis Moore), that includes Eddie’s (unknown to him) twin Clint Mason/The Tioga Kid. After Jenny sees a wanted poster that makes her think Eddie is the Tioga Kid, Eddie has a hard time before bringing the gang to justice, aided by the change-of-heart Tioga Kid. Dean has more shirt changes than usual because of the dual role and stock footage from “Driftin’ River”.

GIPSY. (MARTIN KISS).
 A self-styled cowboy involved in a two-year planning wrangle is facing assault and criminal damage charges after confronting his neighbours on horseback. Hungarian-born Django was arrested by police after they received reports of a man riding a horse around the back garden of a house in the Yorkshire Dales. The occupants arrived at their Swaledale home to find Django—real name Martin Kiss-on his horse and banging on their door. "The Northern Echo" (June 2006) understands there was a Confrontation, which left the couple with severe bruising and Django with a facial injury. Django, who was named after jazz musician Django Reinhardt by local people, left Hungary nearly 20 years ago. The couple have objected to Django’s planning application to train horses in Western riding techniques and driving at Skeb Skeugh Farm, Angram, near Keld. The plans have been recommended for refusal. While following the Pennine Way on his horse Gipsy, he took a wrong turn into the village.

Don Durant riding Bingo

BINGO. (DON DURANT).
As ‘Johnny Ringo’ (1959). First TV series produced by Aron Spelling. In the pilot, the role of Laura Thomas was played by Marilyn Erskine. When it sold, Spelling replaced Erskine with Karen Sharpe. Don Durant was the only prime-time TV cowboy to solely compose (lyrics and music) and sing the theme for his own show. The gun, a rare customized LeMat, actually fired ten rounds, not the seven seen in the show. After the series was cancelled Dick Powell gave the famous weapon—the only one used in the series—to Don Durant. Johnny Ringo rode a chestnut horse with three white socks/stockings named Bingo.

BLACK JACK. (ALLAN ROCKY LANE).
Lane’s best-known and most popular series, a total of thirty-eight Allan ‘Rocky’ Lane features, all but six of which co-starred Eddy Waller as old-timer ‘Nugget Clark’. Although Lane always played ‘Rocky’ and Clark always played ‘Nugget,’ they were never the same characters from one picture to the next; instead, it seemed, they were always meeting for the first time in each movie. Rocky wore the traditional white hat of the hero, but nothing else about his outfit was traditional. He did pack two guns, but with plain black handles whereas the mark of a hero was usually a pearl-handled or stag-handled sidearm. He wore a shirt with arrow pockets and very thin stripes, and jeans. In fact, as Harry Lauter’s story illustrates, he made sure that he was the only character in the picture wearing jeans (occasionally he would even don a jean jacket). And he rode a black horse, Black Jack, who looked very much like Thunder from the Ryder series. Producer Gordon Kay told Boyd Magers in a Western Clippings interview that Lane owned Black Jack and, contrary to what others had said, always treated his horses well (if not always the humans).

CACTUS. (NEVILLE BRAND).
The Laredo TV show was a 60 minute western action series on NBC about a group of men who were discharged from the Union Army at the end of the civil war and decided to join the Texas Rangers. While most people who wanted the join the Texas Rangers did so for the adventure, a couple of the guys on the Laredo TV show had more interesting reasons. Chad Cooper had watched many of his friends get killed while he fought Mexicans as a member of the U.S. border patrol. His new job as a Texas Ranger would allow him to hunt down the Americans who had sold guns to those Mexicans. Joe Riley was a former gunfighter who wanted to become a part of the law instead of against the law plus, as a Ranger, other lawmen who were still looking for him might back off when they heard he was now one of them. Reese Bennett’s horse’s name was Cactus.

DICE. (RICHARD DIX).
Dice was a flashy black and white pinto colt used in rodeos. One day a talent scout asked if Dice could be in a forth coming Richard Dix western called It happened in Hollywood. They tested 9 horses and Dice was picked for the role. This triggered another Hollywood success story-Mr McCutcheon’s 30 plus years of training many of the top equine stars of motion pictures. Many of the many early western stars rode atop of Dice. Gene Autry once rode Dice in a movie. Later ‘Duel in the Sun’  and ‘Arizona’ was made. That made Dice big time famous as well as Mr. McCutcheon. Dice was selected to carry actor, Gregory Peck and actress, Jennifer Jones. Columbia studios used Dice extensively which established Mr.McCutcheon as the trainer and handler for any horse work for that studio, thanks to Dice.

After doing the movie ‘Duel in the Sun’ Dice loafed around the McCutcheon stables in Van Nuys, California until 1958 when it was evident Dice, 30 years old was finding life too difficult and had to be put to sleep. The next time you watch the old western movies you will see Dice in action again.

EL LOANER. (JAMES GARNER).
James Garner played Bret Maverick in the television series ‘Maverick’. A comedy western television series created by Roy Huggins that ran from September 22, 1957 to July 8, 1962 on ABC and featured James Garner, Jack Kelly, Roger Moore and Robert Colbert as the poker-playing travelling Mavericks (Bret, Bart, Beau, & Brent). Moore and Colbert were later additions, though there were never more than two current Mavericks in the series at any given time, and sometimes only one. The series’ primary sponsor for the first few seasons was Kaiser Aluminium, and their “quilted” aluminium foil was widely advertised in commercials shown on Maverick. James Garner’s main horse on the series was named ‘El Loaner’.

FALCON. (BUSTER CRABBE).
Buster Crabbe-Cowboy and Serial Movie Hero. While the palomino Falcon was Buster’s primary horse during his 36 westerns for PRC, he did ride several horses. In one or two of his early PRC westerns including his first, BILLY THE KID WANTED (PRC, 1941), Crabbe rode White Hoss No.1—The horse with a mottled face and many names which is profiled in the Trusty Steeds—Movie Horses section. That horse came from the Fat Jones stable.The palomino Falcon is relatively easy to identify by the thin, longish white face blaze which extends down between the nostrils. This horse also had a brand on its left front shoulder near the stirrup.

KNIGHT. (ROD CAMERON).
Real name, Nathan Roderick Cox (1910-1983). Rod Cameron had a movie career stretching from the 1930s to the 1970s, including mysteries, action dramas, war pictures, serials and even horror and sci-fi. But the lanky Canadian was best known for his westerns and for having divorced his young beautiful wife and marrying her mother.

MESQUITE. (ALLAN ROCKY LANE).
Allan “Rocky” Lane (September 22, 1909-October 27, 1973) was a studio leading man and the star of many cowboy B-movies in the 1940s and 1950s. He appeared in more than 125 films and TV shows in a career lasting from 1929 to 1966. He also did the voice of the talking horse on the television series Mister Ed, beginning in 1961. Between 1940 through 1966, Lane made eighty-two film and television series appearances, mostly in westerns. Between 1947 and 1953, he made over 30 B-movie westerns (as “Rocky” Lane) with his faithful horse, BLACK JACK. His last roles were in voice over acting, including providing the speech for Mister Ed (1961-1966). In 2003 he won the TV Land Award for the category “Favourite Pet-Human Relationship” as Mr. Ed. Other horses used by Rocky, from Famous Cowboy Names: FEATHER, BANNER, THUNDER.

PHANTOM. (GUY WILLIAMS).
Guy Williams played Zorro in the television series and called his horse Phantom. In the book and movies Zorro’s horse was Tornado.

STARDUST. (GENE BARRY).
Gene Barry played Bat Masterson in the television series (1958 to 1961). NBC 30 minutes, Black and White—108 episodes Bat Masterson (Gene Barry) was a smooth talking, dapper enforcer of the law in the 1880s. He carried a gold-tipped cane which hid a sword. But natch, he also carried a gun, one that was custom built for him by the people of Dodge City during his service as sheriff. However, the TV Bat Masterson would rather talk his way out of a fight than resort to violence. In real life, William Bartley Masterson was a deputy of Wyatt Earp’s.

Tim McCoy and Starlight

STARLIGHT. (TIM McCOY).
Full name: Timothy John Fitzgerald McCoy (1891-1978). McCoy was born in Saginaw, Michigan, but migrated to the west and settled on a ranch in Wyoming. He served in World War I, and over time, became an expert on the old west and Indian lore. The retired US Army (Lt) Colonel came to Hollywood to provide technical details and help on The Covered Wagon film which was released by Paramount in 1923. During that film, McCoy was the interface between the production crew and the Native American participants, as he was able to converse with the Indians via sign language. Starlight the “horse with a mottled face and many names”. This horse was easy to spot in the movies, as it has some unique mottling on the face like the longish streak under the right eye and a large curl or a “c” or “e” shaped mark under the left eye. The horse had many names: PAL, DUKE, SILVER KING, SHEIK, THUNDER and WHITEY. Sheik came from the Fat Jones Stable. Clarence Y. Jones, whose nickname was “Fat”, owned the stable and supplied horses, wagons, etc. to the movie industry.

TRAVELER. (ROBERT FULLE).
Robert Fuller played Jess Harper in the television series ‘Laramie’. The horse was named after General Robert E Lee’s horse. Laramie brought Robert Fuller to public attention as he was unquestionably the show’s hunk. Fuller moved from Laramie onto scouting duties on the television series Wagon Train.

SILVER CLOUD. (HARDY MURPHY).
Hardy Murphy was an internationally renown rodeo entertainer whose rise to fame began in Houston, when he entered Buck, his Spanish palomino, in the National Horse Show, winning every ribbon there was to win. After the National Horse Show, Murphy and Buck “The Wonder Horse” were booked into shows in the east and performed in Chicago Stadium, Madison Square Garden and Boston Garden. The two performed in the east for more than 10 years and returned to New York each year for police and fireman’s benefits and shows to benefit Bellevue Hospital children’s ward.Buck was a Spanish palomino whose ancestors were brought from Spain by Cortez and his explorers in their trek north from Mexico in 1500. Murphy and Buck made famous in pantomime the painting “The End of the Trail.” Murphy appeared for command performances before the Queen of England and the royal family as well as royal performances in France and Germany.

Murphy’s horses, Buck and Silver Cloud, are buried on the fairground by the Mercy Steam Engine.Murphy was the primary organizer and sponsor of Ardmore’s Birthday Celebration for more than three decades.Through his efforts, a replica of the first house built in Ardmore, the 700 Ranch Building, was salvaged and moved to the coliseum. He was the primary director on the National Cowboy Hall of Fame board for many years. He was the primary founder of the Ardmore Real Estate Board and primary developer of the Ardmore Industrial Airpark. He was involved in numerous Ardmore organizations including the March-of-Dimes, Carter County Red Cross, Ardmore Round Up Club and Junior Chamber of Commerce.Murphy was named Ardmore’s Ambassador of Goodwill in 1960 and outstanding citizen in 1961. He was a close friends with Gene Autry. Murphy died in 1961 at age 58.

AMIGO.(PETER BROWN).
Television series "Laredo". Laredo combined action with humor to tell the tales of three Company B Texas Rangers. Reese Bennett is older then his two partners, Chad Cooper and Joe Riley. Reese is in his forties and was previously a Union Army Officer. Chad was in the Border Patrol during the Civil War but is originally from New Orleans. He joined the Rangers to search for the gunrunners who helped ambush fellow border patrolmen. Joe was a gunfighter who was at times on the wrong side of the law and joined the rangers as protection from a sheriff or two. Chad and Joe love to tease Reese about his age. They had a Gunga Din like camaraderie. They are lead by Captain Parmalee who was stern and disciplined. He would send them on their missions and many times was not amused by the shenanigans they got into. Erik Hunter joined them in the second season. Veteran actor Claude Akins played Ranger Cotton Buckmeister in 5 different episodes but never officially became part of the cast.

The pilot, “We’ve Lost A Train”, appeared as an episode of The Virginian in April of 1965. Reese’s horse CACTUS was mentioned in several episodes. Chad’s horse was Amigo, which was Peter Brown’s own horse in real life.

BAD JIM. (BILLY THE KID).
From the movie "Bad Jim" (1990). In this film, 3 honest, innocent men meet an outlaw stranger who is anxious to sell his horse very cheap and after the purchase, later finds out that it’s former owner was the deceased legend “Billy the Kid”.

Given the name “Jim”, the horse creates an evil spell on them and they soon go on a murderous robbery spree. Starring James Brolin, Richard Roundtree and the acting debut of Clark Gable’s only son John Clark Gable. Bad Jim is an excellent western that contains spectacular scenery. Some facts on Billy he Kid: Born 1859. Died 14 July 1881 (shot to death). Best known as:19th century outlaw of the American West. Name at birth: Henry McCarty. Born in New York City, Billy the Kid (also known as William Antrim and William H. Bonney) moved west and became one of the most famous outlaws in American history. In 1881 he was arrested, tried and convicted of murder. He escaped, killing two deputies in the process, but was hunted down three months later and shot to death by Sheriff Pat Garrett. His favourite mare was confiscated when he was arrested by Sheriff Pat Garrett and renamed KID STEWART MOORE.

DANDY DICK. (SHERIFF BRADY.)
Billy the Kid stole this horse from sheriff Brady and, when arrested by Pat Garrett, Billy entrusted ‘his beloved mare, the fastest horse in the County’ to an accomplice named Frank Stewart.  Billy had numerous horses, but there’s only three that made their mark in Billy the Kid history. Once Billy the Kid stole a sheriff’s horse, a sorrel Arabian named Dandy Dick, but gave it to a friend in exchange for a watch. It wasn’t wise to hang on to a stolen horse for too long. Then Billy had a beautiful bay mare that was well known in the territory of New Mexico for her speed and beauty. He purchased her in Texas and used her for match racing. If there was ever a “Billy the Kid’s horse” it was this mare. He prized her and kept her carefully. Unfortunately, there is no record of what he named this mare. When Billy was captured by Sheriff Pat Garrett and his posse, the horse was confiscated.

The mare was then given to new owners, Scott and Minne Moore, and they re-named her Kid Stewart Moore. The meaning behind the name was ... “Kid” because she had once belong to Billy the Kid, “Stewart” was for Deputy Frank Stewart who took possession of the horse after Billy’s capture and then gave the mare as a gift to the Moore family, and “Moore” because the new owners’ last name was Moore. Lastly, when Billy escaped jail and a near date with a hangman, he rode 100 miles to Fort Sumner on a lanky bay horse named DON. Legend has it, the horse had a respiratory problem and was so worn out from the journey that Billy gave the horse to Pete Maxwell in Fort Sumner and ordered that the horse only be ridden around Fort Sumner and not to be sold. Basically, the horse would be retired. When Billy was shot and killed in Fort Sumner a few weeks later, the superstitious Pete Maxwell denied a buyer’s price for the horse fearing Billy’s ghost would haunt him.

RED BUCK. (EMMETT DALTON).
Red Buck was the horse of Emmett Dalton of the infamous Dalton Gang. The Dalton brothers made their living robbing trains and banks in Kansas for two years riding in the Dalton Gang. Recruiting new outlaws, the gang soon included Dick Broadwell, George ‘Bitter Creek’ Newcomb, Bill Power ‘Black-Faced’ Charlie Bryant, and Bill Doolin; along with the leader Bob Dalton and his brothers Grat, Emmett and Bill. Over the years, the gang was involved in a number of train and bank robberies before they got involved in the attempted double bank robbery in Coffeyville, Kansas on October 5, 1892. Spotted by locals, a shootout followed the attempted robbery which claimed the lives of Grat and Bob Dalton, Dick Broadwell and Bill Powers, as well as four Coffeyville residents. Emmett Dalton, though seriously wounded, was the only one to survive and wound up serving 14 years in prison.

OLLIE. (MAVERICK).
In the 1994 movie version of  "Maverick", Maverick had a horse called Ollie and a burro named Arthur.

Compilation from the book "1000 Famous Horses" (FJH Glover), 2011. Digitized, adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.