King of the Cowboys and Queen of the West

 

It was the time for cowboys and every kid dreamed of "the old west".  Every little girl hoped she marry a man just like Hoppy, Roy, and Gene (Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry) someday and every little boy wished he was one of those cowboys. 

I didn't know a kid who didn't ask for a palomino like Trigger (Roy Roger's horse) every Christmas, even though most of us knew we wouldn't get one ... it never hurt to ask.

My Dad was an auctioneer so he wore cowboy hats and boots.  We knew our dad was a good guy so one of us kids asked him one day, "Dad, were you a sheriff in the old West?"  The memory of it still makes me smile today.

COWBOY QUOTES

Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear,
or a fool from any direction.

Don't squat with your spurs on.

Don't judge people by their relatives.

When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

Talk slowly, think quickly.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good, honorable life.
Then when you get older and think back,
you'll enjoy it a second time.

Don't interfere with something that ain't botherin' you none.

Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

It's better to be a has-been that a never-was.

The easiest way to eat crow is while it's still warm.

The colder it gets, the harder it is to swaller.

If you find yourself in a hole,
the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

If it don't seem like it's worth the effort, it probably ain't.

It don't take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep.

Sometimes you get and sometimes you get got.

The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with
watches you shave his face in the mirror every morning.

Never ask a barber if you need a haircut.

If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence,
try orderin' somebody else's dog around.

Don't worry about bitin' off more'n you can chew;
your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger'n you think.

Always drink upstream from the herd.

Generally, you ain't learnin' nothing when your mouth's a-jawin'.

Tellin' a man to git lost and makin' him do it
are two entirely different propositions.

If you're ridin' ahead of the herd,
take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there with ya.

Good judgment comes from experience,
and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

When you give a personal lesson in meanness to a critter or to a person,
don't be surprised if they learn their lesson.

When you're throwin' your weight around,
be ready to have it thrown around by somebody else.

Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back.

Always take a good look at what you're about to eat.

It's not so important to know what it is,
but it's sure crucial to know what it was.

The quickest way to double your money is to
fold it over and put it back into your pocket.

Never miss a good chance to shut up.

  


ROY ROGERS - "King of the Cowboys"

• Born: 5 November 1911
• Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio
• Died: 6 July 1998 (heart failure)
• Best Known As: Star of TV's Roy Rogers Show

Name at birth: Leonard Slye

Roy Rogers was called the "King of the Cowboys" during his long career as a folksy singing hero of movies and TV. He was an original member of the cowboy singing group The Sons of the Pioneers, and in 1937 he signed on with Republic Pictures, replacing their departing star Gene Autry. He starred in more than 80 westerns with titles like The Arizona Kid (1939) and In Old Cheyenne (1941). He often co-starred with cowgirl Dale Evans, whom he married in 1947. Rogers's famous horse was Trigger, a Palomino stallion with flowing white mane who became a favorite with Rogers's fans. In the 1950s Rogers moved into TV with the The Roy Rogers Show. His theme song with Dale Evans was the gentle and cheery "Happy Trails to You."

Rogers was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame twice, as an individual in 1988 and with the Sons of the Pioneers in 1980... His is no relation to the blues guitarist Roy Rogers... It's true: after Trigger's death, the horse was mounted and put on display at the Roy Rogers Museum in Victorville, California. The museum (and Trigger) moved to Branson, Missouri in 2003... Rogers lent his name to the Marriott Corporation for the successful Roy Rogers chain of fast food restaurants; the first outlet opened in 1968.

QUOTES:

We were so far back in the woods, they almost had to pipe in sunlight.

You couldn't beg, borrow, or steal a job in 1931, 1932, ...
It was really tough.

I did pretty good for a guy who never finished high school
and used to yodel at square dances.

People are always asking me why they don't make Westerns like they used to.

The world changed. Hollywood changed.
I think we've lost something, and we don't know how to get it back. 

Today they're making pictures that I wouldn't want Trigger to see.

Give a lazy man a job, and he'll find a lazy way to do it. 

We'd put some zip to it, add some character, some identity.

"They'll have to shoot me first to take my gun."

 Cowboys weren't allowed to kiss girls in pictures,
so one time I gave Dale a little peck on the forehead
and we got a ton of letters to leave that mushy stuff out ...
So I had to kiss Trigger instead.

We make up most of our history around here, ... Codger.

When my time comes, just skin me and put me up there on Trigger,
just as though nothing had ever changed.

If I could teach the kids to identify and appreciate their natural environment,
then they will have a sense of place and care about Weston.


RIDER'S RULES by Roy Rogers

1. Be neat and clean.
2. Be courteous and polite.
3. Always obey your parents.
4. Protect the weak and help them.
5. Be brave but never take chances.
6. Study hard and learn all you can.
7. Be kind to animals and take care of them.
8. Eat all your food and never waste any.
9. Love God and go to Sunday school regularly.
10. Always respect our flag and our country.


Until we meet again, may the good Lord take a liking to you.


The epitaph on his gravestone:
The Cowboy's Prayer
Oh Lord, I reckon I'm not much just by myself.
I fail to do a lot of things I ought to do.
But Lord, when trails are steep and passes high,
Help me to ride it straight the whole way through.
And when in the falling dusk I get the final call,
I do not care how many flowers they send--
Above all else the happiest trail would be
For You to say to me, "Let's ride, My friend."
Amen
Roy Rogers
(Sunset Hills Memorial Park, Apple Valley, California)

DALE EVANS - "Queen of the West"

• Born: 31 October 1912
• Birthplace: Uvalde, Texas
• Died: 7 February 2001 (heart failure)
• Best Known As: Partner of singing cowboy Roy Rogers

Name at birth: Frances Octavia Smith

Dale Evans was a movie actress who starred with wholesome singing cowboy Roy Rogers in a series of 1940s westerns. The two were married in 1947 and from then on appeared as a popular pair in movies and on TV. Evans wrote the song that became their very popular theme: "Happy Trails to You." Evans's movie horse was Buttermilk, the counterpart to Rogers's horse Trigger.

Buttermilk, like Trigger, was mounted after death and put on display in the Roy Rogers - Dale Evans Museum. The museum was originally located in Victorville, California, but was moved to Branson, Missouri in 2003.

QUOTES:

Christmas, my child, is love in action.
Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.

Every day we live is a priceless gift of God,
loaded with possibilities to learn something new,
to gain fresh insights into His great truths.

Who cares about the clouds when we're together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.

I lay in the bed at the hospital and said, 'let's see what I have left.'
And I could see, I could speak, I could think, I could read.
I simply tabulated my blessings, and that gave me a start.

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.






For More:  
Happy Trails Forever™ - Honoring the *King of the Cowboys* & *Queen of the West*, Roy Rogers & Dale Evans - Home
Welcome to The Official Roy Rogers - Dale Evans Website

Tags: Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Cowboys