Q I heard on a TV special that Roy Rogers' horse, Trigger, wasn't really his horse. Is that true?
—Janet Hilligass, Scranton, Pa.
The King of the Cowboys used three "Triggers" and various "stunt-double" horses during his television and movie career. The original Trigger initially was named Golden Cloud and was owned by a California stable that serviced the movie industry. Rogers leased the beautiful, athletic Palomino, redubbed Trigger whenever he was wearing the "RR" saddle, for several years before buying him in 1943 for $2,500, which was a lot of money on Rogers' $75-a-week paycheck from Republic Pictures. Rogers also used two other similar-looking stallions unrelated to the original Trigger, Trigger Jr. and Little Trigger, in appearances around the country and in movies throughout the 1950s.
