Roy Rogers, in one of his interviews, suggested that without Trigger, he would not have been so popular. What would the marquis have said, "Featuring Roy Rogers, and yet another horse", or "Roy Rogers, and the fuzziest sidekick in movies?"
Trigger was one of a kind, as were Champion, Silver, Toronado, Koko and a corral of others. The horses played a vital part in the movies. Frequently, a horse was responsible for the rescue of the hero. Chewing the ropes off the wrists, chasing the villains into a corner, kicking the guns out of the hands of the captor, whinnying when trouble was near, or even creating a diversion often saved the skin of many a hero.
The famous horses even had their own fan clubs, and in some cases comic books! Silver, Trigger, Champion, and Fury starred in their own comic series from Dell Publications. The stories were simple, and sometimes starred the famous riders, but the horses were the main characters.
Roy Rogers signed "Roy Rogers and Trigger" on photographs, comics, books, and programs until the early 1990's. I'm surprised Dusty's middle name wasn't Trigger. Dusty Trigger Rogers just doesn't sound right.
Trigger, and the other famous movie and TV animals form an elite club, that started with the first western star in 1919 and ended with the death of Silver and Trigger in the 1960's. Lassie, and Rin Tin Tin are two other exceptions to the animal rule, and have starred in several series on television. The last major series to feature a horse was "Black Beauty" which was produced in the 1990's and aired to international audiences.
The topic of famous horses has always been a trivia question asked.
Q: "Who was Hopalong Cassidy's faithful horse?"
A: Topper, Trigger, or Toronado? (Topper of course)
Or Name two of Roy Rogers animal companions. Trigger and Bullet.
The questions could go on, and do.
Bobby Copeland asked that question, and the result was an encyclopedic volume entitled "Silent Hoofbeats" (Empire, 2001). The answer to his queries were not as simple as he first imagined.
In his research, he discovered that the horse known as Trigger, was not always the same animal. In fact, he discovered that more than 5 'Triggers' were actually used by Roy Rogers during tours, movies, the TV show, and promotional shots. Trigger, was originally Golden Cloud, and was purchased from the Bing Crosby ranch. Used in "The Adventures of Robin Hood", and "Juarez" prior to "Under Western Stars", Trigger was destined for Roy. Trained by Glenn Randall, who also trained Koko, Trigger blossomed and became known as "The Smartest Horse in the Movies". The other Triggers also were trained by Mr Randall, and each had their own specialties.
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