For Sale: Roy Rogers' Trusty Horse, Trigger

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128494396&sc=fb&cc=fp


Memorabilia from the career of Roy Rogers, one of the last of the singing cowboys, goes on the auction block today. Rogers starred in more than 100 movies and a long-running TV show. His cowboy hats, boots, guitars — even a 1964 convertible, with six-shooters for door handles — are being sold by Christie's.

The highlight of the sale is likely to be Rogers' faithful horse and fellow performer, the ever-trusty Trigger.

"If you think of Roy, you think of Trigger. They really go hand in hand," says Cathy Elkies, Christie's director of iconic collections.

Trigger was more than a movie star. During World War II, he and Rogers performed all over the country, raising millions in the sale of bonds to aid the war effort.

"When Trigger died, Roy was so incredibly bereft that he didn't want to bury Trigger," Elkies says.

The alternative was to keep the horse around, which led to one of the most famous taxidermy jobs of all time. Trigger, who died one day before his 31st birthday, in 1965, was on display for many years at the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum in Victorville, Calif.

"He is actually mounted in the gallery in his most famous rearing position," Elkies says.

The horse could bring up to $200,000. Rogers also stuffed and mounted his dog, Bullet, who was also a fixture in TV shows and films. He's expected to fetch at least $10,000.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. I was at the Roy Rogers & Dale Evans Museum back in the mid-60's. I guess it must be closed now.

Trigger was a beautiful horse and the pose was great.

[woo me with science]

2. Trigger!

love that horse

[WI_DEM]

3. As a kid I visited the Rogers Museum in Victorville a couple of times

seeing Trigger, Bullet and Pat Buttram all stuffed on on display was mind bogging!

[UTUSN]

4. Oh. I thought it was PALIN's kid. n/t

[damntexdem]

9. LOL!

Now how did Sarah miss using those names? ;-)

[Botany]

5. I want Trigger ..... great conversation piece

[Ken Burch]

6. Er...he did just BURY Dale, didn't he?

:scared:

[Arkansas Granny]

10. The way I heard it years ago, Roy planned to be stuffed and mounted upon his death

and placed on Trigger, like he was riding him. When Dale Evans was asked about Roy's plan to be stuffed and mounted, she said it sounded like a good idea to her, but not necessarily in that order.

[damntexdem]

7. Trigger, Bullet -- my, he was a real son-of-a-gun!

Did you hear about when Dale Evans gave Roy a new pair of boots for his birthday. He was overjoyed, put them on, and went off riding Trigger around the ranch. But a puma attacked, and before Roy could get out his rifle and shoot it, it chewed at his leg. The wonderful boots were so strong that his leg wasn't hurt, but the boot was ruined. So, he threw the dead puma over Trigger and dejectedly rode back to the ranch house, sorry that he had to show Dale that her gift to him was ruined. But when he got to the house, all Dale said was to ask in a sing-song voice:

"Pardon me, Roy, is that the cat that chewed your new shoes?"

[Flubadubya]

12. Hah! I used to tell this story a lot...

during my "bar" days. It brought a lot of laughs. There were several of these "jokes" in that sort of vein around that time. Do you remember this one?

Once a bloke lost his way in the Australian outback and wandered aimlessly for days. He was about to die of thirst when, on the horizon, he saw what appeared to be a small wooden building. Thinking it was probably just a mirage he approached it anyway. Sure enough it was real and was a way station. The sign on the front said "Murky's". The man made his way inside and announced he was dying of thirst and must have something to drink right away. The owner proudly told him their specialty was Koala tea and the man said he would have some. The keeper reached into a pot and pulled out a boiled Koala bear and wrung it out into a cup, hair and all, and passed it to him. The poor man dying of thirst protested: "I am desperate for something to drink but, really, couldn't you at least sieve out the hair?" To which the barkeep announced pleasantly:

"The Koala tea of Murky's is never strained!" :)

[damntexdem]

13. LOL!

We'd probably better stop or we'll both be put on 'ignore' by everybody.

[Donnachaidh]

17. .....

owe me a paper towel -- make that plural

:rofl:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. Reminds me of the Dead Parrot bit by Monty Python.

[dipsydoodle]

14. 'es pushing up the daisys

:rofl:

[GreenStormCloud]

11. I went to that museum in 1995.

By then urban sprawl had started to surround it.

I am old enough to remember the TV shows, so it was a mostly enjoyable visit for me.

[griffi94]

15. now somebody's a helluva salesman

who can 200 grand for a dead horse.

[Demoiselle]

16. Roy and Trigger "go hand in hand?!" I love the image.

[L0oniX]

18. So does Gabby and Roy.