Roy Rogers and Trigger. Photo courtsey of royrogers.com.

A horse that has been dead for nearly 45 years sold for more than $250,000 this week in an auction of items and memorabilia connected to a singing cowboy and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Trigger, the trusty steed that Roy Rogers rode during his storied, silver-screen career, died in 1965 at age 33, and Roy subsequently had the horse stuffed and mounted. Trigger was kept on display for years at the Roy Rogers & Dale Evans Museum in Southern California and later in Branson, Mo. But the museum is being dismantled, and Roy Rogers Jr. put much of the remains up for sale in New York. Trigger brought in $266,500, the Associated Press reported. The winning bid came from RFD-TV, a rural-themed cable network.

The horse, of course, was just one of the items that generated interest. A 1964 Bonneville convertible fitted with silver dollars was claimed for $254,500 during the the first day of the auction Wednesday. Roy’s first guitar earned $8,750; his first pair of boots went for $7,500; and a charm bracelet brought a high bid of $20,000.

In all, Roy Jr. is wishing “Happy Trails” during the two-day auction to more than 1,000 items, including such personal goods as the family dinner table. Also likely to generate a large payout on Thursday is Nellybelle, the iconic Jeep from the TV series “The Roy Rogers Show.” 

Roy was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on two occasions: in 1988 as a solo star and in 1980 as a member of the western harmony group the Sons of the Pioneers. July 6 marked a dozen years since Roy died in Apple Valley, Calif. Dale passed away in February 2001. Their signature song, “Happy Trails,” was ranked #22 when the Western Writers of America named the 100 Best Western Songs. The Sons of the Pioneers’ two best-known titles both made the Top 10: “Cool Water” came in at #3 and “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” finished at #8.

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