By Nancy Burch

For those who grew up during the 1950s and '60s, the image of the smiling cowboy in the white hat, wearing boots decorated with eagles and riding the magnificent golden Palomino, is indelibly imprinted in their minds. Roy Rogers and his beautiful horse, Trigger, are symbols of a kinder, gentler era when good always triumphed over evil, and the day ended with a song by the campfire. Rogers' death in July 1998 brought back fond memories for those fortunate enough to have seen him perform at the Houston Fat Stock Show back in the "Coliseum days."

The epitome of everything good, Roy Rogers was a multi-talented star who not only charmed his audiences but was considered by children to be one of the people they most wanted to emulate.

With the announcement, "Ladies and gentlemen, the King of the Cowboys - Roy Rogers," the crowd would stand and cheer as Rogers entered the arena at a full gallop on Trigger. There were no stunt doubles - he did it all - riding, roping, trick shooting, singing and yodeling. The multi-talented star charmed his audiences without benefit of revolving stages and special effects, just standing on the sawdust-covered floor and crooning ballads like "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and "Cool Water," while the revolving silver ball up in the rafters cast a magical spell over the audience. As Richard Harsham wrote in the Christian Science Monitor, "All was right with the world when Roy Rogers yodeled and made Trigger's ears twitch with pleasure."

It was a family affair - the extended Rogers family performing for Houston families. It included Rogers' wife, Dale Evans, and her horse, Buttermilk, and often the Sons of the Pioneers, the singing group with which Rogers first made his mark in show business as their lead vocalist. At the earlier performances, sidekick George "Gabby" Hayes provided comic relief, while in later years, it was Pat Buttram and his cantankerous jeep, Nellybelle. And of course, there was Bullet, the "wonder dog," whose canine genius was a match for Trigger's extraordinary horse sense.

At the conclusion of each performance, Rogers mounted Trigger once again and began his circuit of the Coliseum, shaking the outstretched hands of every child hanging over the rail. How long did that take?, marveled someone unable to imagine such a tradition. Probably 30 minutes or more, but he never hurried and never knowingly missed a small hand.

Roy and Dale made their first appearance at the Fat Stock Show in 1950, during the height of their popularity. In those days, the entertainers came for the duration of the Show, rather than one or two performances, and the stars rode in the downtown parade, to the delight of the crowds of Houstonians who lined up to see their heroes. After all, images of Roy Rogers and Trigger graced many a child's school lunch kit.

Lynne Chesnar, in her book February Fever, which traces the history of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, said, "Roy Rogers, 'King of the Cowboys,' and his wife Dale Evans, 'Queen of the West,' arrived by train at Houston's Union Station as thousands gathered to await the train's arrival . However, the special guest most of the children had come to see was Rogers' famous educated horse, Trigger, who had made the journey from California in his own special freight car." Because of Rogers' demanding movie schedule, the Houston Rodeo was his only personal appearance in 1950.

Jerry Johnston Andrew, a lifetime vice president of the Show, remembered those glorious days. "My father [the late Ralph A. Johnston] was the third president of the Houston Fat Stock Show, as it was known in those days," she said. "Back then, it was very different. The stars came to town and stayed, and we entertained them while they were here. Later, my mother and father went to visit Roy and Dale in California. They also corresponded for many years."

As for her impression of Rogers, Andrew said, "I couldn't believe how thin he was and how nice he was to everyone. He was just the epitome of everything good - he wore a white hat, he didn't lie or cheat, and he fought evil."

Between 1950 and 1972, Roy and Dale came to Houston eight times to appear at the Show - four run-of-the-Show performances and four more after the change was made to a rotating slate of stars. Their first appearance at the Astrodome was in 1968.

In 1996, Rogers was one of the first performers to be inducted into the Star Trail, an area dedicated to honoring premier entertainers who have made a significant impact on the Show.

Rogers and Trigger shared something other than their innate sense of teamwork - both began life with names other than those by which their fans would ultimately remember them. Rogers wasn't born to be a cowboy. He began life in the Midwest as Leonard Slye, son of a Cincinnati shoemaker, aspiring as a young man to become a dentist. He didn't even learn to ride a horse until he landed a part in a Western movie. And for you trivia buffs, Trigger's original name was Golden Cloud.

Rogers described how Trigger was assigned to him in one of his first films in 1938. "I got on him and rode him a hundred yards and never looked at another horse," he said. "It felt so right, it was like puttin' on pants." For the sum of $2,500, the "Smartest Horse in the West" soon belonged to Rogers.

Riding and roping may have come later, but Rogers could always sing, and he started his career in radio with the Sons of the Pioneers. In 1938, he was recruited to challenge the reigning cowboy in the movie world, Gene Autry, who was embroiled in a contract dispute with his studio. The rest is history.

For 12 years, from 1943-54, Rogers was the number one Western star at the box office. One reviewer described him as having "a drawl like Gary Cooper and a smile like Shirley Temple." He appeared in 87 films and starred in his own television series from 1951-57, a show described by writer Harsham as "a training school for pint-sized moralists intent on a right course of action." A 1940s poll of children by Life magazine placed Roy Rogers in a three-way tie with Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln as the person they would most like to emulate.

Mark Lasswell, a writer for TV Guide magazine, described Rogers' extraordinary talents that endeared him to a generation of young people. "His show crammed a movie's worth of action into a half hour, and it was executed by the most accomplished cowboy actor the public had ever seen. Beside Rogers, most would-be star wranglers seemed less like ranch hands than ranch dressing," Lasswell said.

Rogers and Trigger have left us now, but memories of the evergreen hero remain. Film critic Leonard Maltin said, "He portrayed himself as a good, honest man; and that's what he was."

You can't earn higher praise than that.

Happy Trails, Roy.

Roy Rogers on his horse, Trigger, and wife Dale Evans on her horse, Buttermilk, wave to an excited crowd in the Astrodome at the 1968 Houston Rodeo.

Gene Autry, another cowboy legend, died on Oct. 2, 1998, at the age of 91. He first appeared at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 1942, quickly becoming a favorite among audiences and volunteers. Autry was the Show's first rodeo superstar. He will be greatly missed. Look for an article in a future issue of the Magazine dedicated to telling the story of Autry's life and contributions to the Show.

Written and dedicated to Roy Rogers at his last public appearance on Nov. 14, 1994, at Tucson, Ariz., by Fred LaBour, "Too Slim" of Riders in the Sky.

Letters and comments should be sent to:
Marketing and Public Relations Division,
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
P.O. Box 20070, Houston, Texas 77225-0070