The Dukes Horses
So much about John Wayne’s life has become legend. His walk, his films with titles like Rio Bravo, True Grit. While he passed away thirty one years ago it seems like yesterday doesn't it because in the words of his son Patrick "The Duke still has the visibility of a living person." I’m Susan Allen stay tuned for Open Range. There was a predicable nature to John Wayne movies, you knew what you were going to get, that is, with the exception of the horse he would elect to ride in each film. Unlike Roy Rogers’ Trigger or Gene Autry and his beloved mount Champion, Wayne was never associated with any one animal throughout his fifty years horse back. The author of Hollywood Hoofbeets, Petrine Day Mitchum thinks it might be due to the fact he was devastated over the death of his childhood mare, Jenny so never allowed himself to get close to a horse again. The horse most associated with Wayne was Dollor, the big blaze faced sorrel that carried Rooster Cogburn in his famous charge, reins in teeth. Unlike Kevin Costner who purchased the Quarter horse he rode in Dances with Wolves, Wayne would go on to ride Dollor in several more films, most notably his last one The Shootests, yet never own him. He was quoted saying riding a horse was a natural to him as breathing. Your next John Wayne movie watch how graceful the big man is horseback and remember he rode many of his own stunts. Unlike you or I though he had amazing riding coach in the famous Hollywood stuntman Yakima Cannutt, tomorrow more on Yakima. I’m Susan Allen
