THE NORTH RIDING PROJECT

Champion the Wonder Horse was the on-screen companion of singing cowboy Gene Autry in 79 films between 1935 and 1952, and 91 television episodes of The Gene Autry Show between 1950 and 1955.  In addition, Champion starred in 26 episodes of his own television series The Adventures of Champion in 1955 and 1956.  Throughout these years, Autry used three horses to portray “Champion”.  All of the Champions were skilled in a wide range of complex horse tricks, including dancing the hula and the Charleston, jumping through rings of fire, and playing dead.  They greeted crowds from Texas to Ireland and were featured in dime novels, children’s stories, and comic books.  Their popularity matched some of the most popular film stars of the day, even receiving equal billing with Autry above the leading ladies on film posters and lobby cards.  The original Champion received thousands of fan letters each month.

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