by Sylvia Durando
Horse Fame special for August 2000
| We owned the Centurion Appaloosa Ranch in Sun Valley
California. La Tuna Canyon. We needed a stud so after much looking we purchased
Rojo and Bixby.
Jack, my husband then, worked at Universal and he kept watching the Appaloosa horses come and go on the lot. One day he asked what is it was all about and they told him about looking for a horse for South West to Sonora. Later to be changed to "The Appaloosa". They asked him to bring Bixby on in because he was black and black is what they wanted. He had a roached mane for showing and so that dumped him. The director said get me a horse just like that one but with a mane. We sent for Rojo, he was racing at Bay Meadows (race track located near San Francisco California.) Ok... we'll take him, but make him black, the rest is history. They dyed him black and off they went. Bobby Davenport was the trainer and I believe Roy Williams worked as a wrangler. One of George Spahn horses was a double and he died in Utah so Rojo had to do most all the shots. |
Cojo
means crippled or lame and Rojo means red in Spanish. Rojo and Bixby were sired by Cojo Mapachi and Rojo was out of a Registered Thourghbred mare, his half brother from the Fred Bixby rancho in Lompock, California They were six months old when we bought them. Rojo was a blood bay in color. Bixby was attending the show circuit and Rojo was racing.
The story goes that a lame Indian was living on the land when Mr. Bixby purchased it and that is how the name came to the ranch. Rojo was sold shortly after the movie was released for a very large sum at that time and I was told later that he had won a Patsy. I have never seen that in print so don't have proof of that. |
Rojo spent the duration
of the Los Angeles County Fair the year the film was released on exibit.
Universal had a wonderful sign made and he had a blanket also with his
name on it. Here is a photo of that time at the Fair.
above photo:
Of course this is not the real horse but a model double with his special
blanket
During the the fair, I went from Saugus,
California - where we had moved our ranch, to Pomona, California everyday
and back, just to feed and exercise Rojo. One day I was riding him in the
arena and the horse races were taking place on the race track. Dang starting
bell rang ... and Rojo liked to jumped right out from under me. Guess he
thought he was back on the track.
 |
left photo: standing - movie director Sidney Furie descussing something with Marlon Brando. |
He was also on the cover
of The Appaloosa News!
| There are several write
ups about Rojo. Some good ones! The Western Horseman. The Appaloosa News November 1966 issue (right photo) It has a super story on the movie plus a story on the author and his background, seems he was an artist for Red Rider Comics. So much time has past... Cojo Rojo would have to be dead by now. The movie was made in the sixties. |
 Cojo Rojo (The studio photo negative used for the cover photo above that Sylvia owns clearly shows the dye job ) Its located close to tail and above hock, they swiped the dye and didn't feather it. |
Note:
Sylvia, a celebrity herself, worked in the studios many years as a stunt
double in the movies. She doubled for actress Nancy Gates in
"Commache Station"
If anyone knows what became of Cojo Rojo let
us know !
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