03/18/2023
"The Old Man", or as some call him, "Original Trigger" was foaled, July 4, 1934 on a small ranch in the San Diego area co-owned by Bing Crosby and named for its breeder manager Golden Cloud.
(Owner at time of birth: Mr. Roy F. Cloud Jr., San Diego, CA)
At around 3 years of age, the horse was sold to Hudkins Stables, a Hollywood provider of animals appearing in the movies.
(On March 25, 1937, 'Golden Cloud' was registered with the Palomino Horse Association and Stud Book Registry.)
Registry # was 214
Gender: Stallion
Bloodlines: half Thoroughbred and half Warm Blood
SIRE: Tarzan; Throughbred racing horse at Caliente Race Track
Breeder: Captain Larry Good
Dam: Apac; a light chestnut mare of aTB bloodlines
Golden Cloud stood 15 1/2 hands high.
Trigger (Golden Cloud) was the very horse that the Maid Marion (Olivia de Havilland) rode side saddle in the movie "The Adventures of Robin Hood" filmed in 1938. That's one of Golden Cloud (Trigger)'s roles on his way to superstardom.
Before filming began on "Under Western Stars", several of the stables that provided horses to Republic Studios brought their best lead horses to the studio so Roy could select a mount. As Roy recalled it, the third horse he got on was a handsome golden palomino who handled so well and reacted swiftly to whatever was asked of him. Reportedly after riding the horse just 100 yards, Roy never looked at another horse."He would turn on a dime and he'd give you 9 cents change," Roy said many times. Roy liked the horse so much, he purchased him for the amazing sum of $2,500.
'Trigger' a handle affixed to the animal was a name credited to Roy's sidekick Smiley Burnette, who upon seeing the horse running, commented how quick on the trigger this horse was. Roy agreed and decided that 'Trigger' was the perfect name.
Roy never used his reins, never a whip; and never used his spurs. Trigger had been trained to respond to touch and hand movements (like in the movie, "Horse Whisperer"), so with just a gentle pat on his neck, Roy would let him know just what he wanted him to do. And it seemed as if Trigger instinctively knew just how to respond. Roy Rogers once said that "he felt that Trigger seemed to know when people were watching him and that he recognized applause and just ate it up like a ham!"
As Trigger's career progressed in show business, he became known as "The Smartest Horse in the Movies," performing some 60 recognizable tricks: Counting, doing the hula, untying ropes, shooting a gun, knocking on doors and walking on his hind quarters. The horse was outfitted with a $5,000 gold and silver saddle. He was the focus of the movie "My Pal Trigger" where Rogers' in the story gives the name to a new born c**t. Trigger also appeared in the Republic Films sequel Trigger, Jr. He appeared in all of Roy Rogers movies (188 movie and television shows) and was later joined by Buttermilk with Dale Evans astride.
Trigger was such an important part of Roy's life that he was sitting on top of Trigger when he proposed to Dale Evans during a show in Chicago, Illinois.
Roy and Trigger toured the country during World War II raising millions in the sale of bonds to aid the war effort. Trigger appeared regularly with Roy and Dale in the TV western series, "The Roy Rogers Show" on NBC from 1951 to 1957. By this time, Trigger did well over 100 tricks, and pulled off many of the stunts that the so-called stunt horses couldn't even do.
Due to his age and bein' infirmed, Trigger Jr. became his replacement.
On July 3, 1965 at the Rogers ranch in Hidden Valley, California, Trigger left this earth at the age of 30 (one day before he would turn 31); succumbed by old age. Reluctant to "put him in the ground," Roy was inspired by the animals on display in the Smithsonian. He decided to have Trigger mounted with his hide stretched over a plaster likeness in a reared position on two legs and put on display at the Roy Rogers- Dale Evans Museum located then in Victorville, California. The excellent mounted work was done by Bishoff's Taxidermy of California.
In 1953, Trigger won the P.A.T.S.Y. award (animal equivalent for the Oscar) and was also the 1958 Craven award winner. For a time, he had his own fan club with members from all over the world.
Trigger shared the spotlight with his pal, Roy Rogers at Grauhmann's Chinese Theater (it's now called Mann Theatre), Hollywood, California, April 21, 1949. Trigger and Roy share the same space together in cement with Trigger's hoof prints and Roy's footprints.
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