Gene Gray, King of the Silver Cowboys and Dixie Gray, Queen of the Silver Saddle

Gene Gray and Don Joaquin

Many Americans of A Certain Age remember that Roy Rogers was "the King of the Cowboys." Southern California horse lovers during the post-World War II years may have also known that Gene Gray was called "the King of the Silver Cowboys."

Silver, as in the over-the-top silver-and-gold-mounted saddle and bridle on his Palomino horse, Don Joaquin.

Eugene Gray (1899-1950) was born in Pennsylvania, but was living in Los Angeles by the time of the 1940 Census. After World War II, he often rode in parades with his wife Dixie, in a similarly ornate silver saddle and trappings. Dixie was promoted as "the Queen of the Silver Saddle."

Dixie's horse is not identified in this photo,
but about the same time other newspaper stories
called her Palomino mount "Silver." (That would make sense.)

And what saddles they were. A local newspaper described them:

"The costumes of  the Grays and trappings of their horses have cost $70,000 and $35,000 each. Each outfit contains 4,200 pieces of hand engraved sterling silver and is ruby- studded. It is reported that no such elaborate outfits were were made for other riders, not even during the elaborate pageantry during the days of knighthood."  [A different newspaper report inflated the value of Gene's saddle set to $120,000.]

San Bernardino County Sun, 12 October 1949

"Dixie Gray...has won thousands of first place trophies stretching all the way from Madison Square Garden in New York to Hollywood's Christmas Tree parade. She has appeared in over 3,400 parades and rodeos. Only last month she won first and overall first in the world championship sheriff's rodeo at Los Angeles, the first woman in history to take this honor."

The Grays rode in several Tournament of Roses Parades in Pasadena, alongside the likes of trick roper Montie Montana, "Wild Bill" Elliott (one of the actors who portrayed Red Ryder in the movies), Monrovia/Duarte horse rancher Merle Little; Ernest, Emelie, and Anna Specht on their stunning Palominos King Cortez, Golden Son Cortez, and Golden Don Cortez; actor and horseman Leo Carrillo, and others. 

When the nature of the event required less bling, Gray and Don Joaquin could appear with "regular" cowboy outfits.

Gray was a regular in local parades and rodeos, with Gene directing several grand entry parades at equestrian events. The Internet Movie Database credits Gene with an appearance as himself in Spade Cooley singing Western "The Silver Bandit," released in 1950.

Gene seems to have been very community-minded. Materials on Ancestry.com show that he and Dixie were somehow involved in the Rancho Sanitarium in Culver City. Gene would donate the services of an ambulance with a horse trailer hitch at regional horse shows. And he supported a short-lived plan to establish the development of an "old-fashioned Western town" called "Rawhide" in the San Fernando Valley, that would have included a non-profit hospital and sanitarium and a Western art museum.

When Gene Gray died suddenly on February 10, 1950, many of his fellow equestrians attended the funeral. Film star and rodeo legend Hoot Gibson served as a pallbearer. Bill "Hopalong Casssidy" Boyd, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and Los Angeles County Sheriff Eugene Biscailuz were among the honorary pallbearers. 

The funeral services included his faithful Palomino, Don Joaquin, wearing his full silver tack draped with a black blanket. Noted baritone Stephen Kamalyan sang the Western classic "Empty Saddles."

It was a fitting tribute to a man who spent so much of his time in the saddle. After Gene's passing, Dixie kept riding Don Joaquin in parades for several years. 

The subject of silver-mounted Western saddles deserves its own blog post, so I'll address it in greater depth soon.

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Bing Crosby sings "Empty Saddles (in the Old Corral)"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRRDcPm478E