Champion the Wonder Horse series; he was one of several horses that Autry rode in that production. After learning about the horse through stunt man and movie horse wrangler Tracey Layne, Autry paid $75 for the original Champion, whose sire was a Morgan trotting horse from Ardmore, Oklahoma. Trained to perform numerous tricks, Champion could untie knots, fall, roll over and play dead, come at Autry's whistle, bow, and shake his head yes and no. In one film he pushes Autry into the arms of his leading lady June Storey. By 1939 his reported worth was $25,000. The original Champion died in 1943, at
The Old Barn Dance horseback, shoots one of the henchmen, and captures Thornton. Afterwards, Gene and Sally head back to town together on horseback. "The Old Barn Dance" was filmed from November 27 to December 9, 1937. The film had an operating budget of $49,191 (equal to $ today). The film had a negative cost of $50,179 (equal to $ today). "The Old Barn Dance" was filmed on location in the Alabama Hills of Lone Pine, California, Kernville, California, and Red Rock Canyon State Park on Highway 14 near Cantil, California. The Old Barn Dance A horse trader named Gene Autry (Gene Autry) arrives