Trigger

Trigger, Roy Rogers' beautiful Golden Palomino stallion, and co-star with Roy in many of his movies and Roy's TV show, was often billed as "the smartest horse in the movies". The two of them appeared in dozens of westerns in the 1930s and 40s, always chasing and thwarting the bad guys, and working to serve peace and justice.

Trigger started life out as Golden Cloud (1934). His sire was a thoroughbred horse that had raced at Caliente Track, and his dam was a cold-blooded palomino. Trigger was foaled on a small ranch in the San Diego area which was partly owned by Bing Crosby. The manager of that ranch was Roy Cloud, a breeder originally from Noblesville, Indiana. At around 3 years of age, Golden Cloud was sold to the Hudkins Stables, which rented horses to the movie industry.

Golden Cloud's first major appearance was in the movie, The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) where he was ridden by Olivia de Havilland.

When Gene Autry failed to report for work at Republic Pictures, Roy Rogers found himself cast in the lead role for Under Western Stars (1938).

Before filming began on Under Western Stars (1938), Hudkins Stables 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 beautiful golden palomino who handled smoothly and reacted quickly to whatever he asked it to do. Roy said of Golden Cloud "He could turn on a dime and give you some change". Smiley Burnette, who played Roy's sidekick in his first two films, was watching and mentioned how quick on the trigger this horse was. Roy agreed and decided that Trigger was the perfect name for the horse. Roy purchased the horse for $2,500 and eventually outfitted it with a $5,000 gold/silver saddle. Roy was proud of the fact that throughout his more than 80 films, the 101 episodes of his television series, and countless personal appearances, Trigger never fell.

Trigger even shared the movie title with Roy on two occasions: My Pal Trigger (1946) and Trigger, Jr.

(1950).

Roy 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!"Trigger won a Patsy award for the role in Son of Paleface (1952) & the 1958 Craven award winner. He was so popular that at one time, he even had his own fan club with members from all over the world.

Roy Rogers had several "Triggers" over the years. When the last of the line died in 1965 its hide was stretched over a frame and placed in Rogers and Dale Evans' museum in Victorville, California. After an investigation revealed that Trigger's meat had been sold to several small eateries in the South West, contrary to the The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act of 1954, butcher John L. Jones was sentenced to five years in prison.

Due to a decline in the number of visitors, The Roy Rogers Museum closed its doors in December 2009. In July of 2010, the assets of the museum were sold at auction by Christie's. Trigger sold for $266,500.