Tyree's Horse

The horse Ben Johnson rode was a very famous movie horse called Steel. Steel was an American Saddlebred stallion that was used by many stars as he was so 'flashy' and so quiet he made the stars look good. John Wayne rode Steel in Tall in the saddle.

Steel belonged to Ben Johnson's father in law Fat Jones who had the biggest movie horse hiring stable in Hollywood. Ben Johnson really loved riding the horse and used it in calf coping competitions when he became world champion calf roper.

Johnson rode Steel in Wagon Master and Rio Grande. Although it was not Steel in the galloping scenes. According to Harry Carey it was a thoroughbred called Bingo that did the galloping. Bingo looked enough like Steel to substitute for him and could go like the wind with a really extravagant gallop that looked terrific on film. Steel did not do the bucking scene in Wagonmaster either. According to Harry Carey you could not have made Steel buck with a firecracker underneath him and they used a substitute.

Saddlebred and he used him in yellow ribbon in monument valley when jumping the crack in the earth!!! His father in law fat Jones owned the horse also used by Joel macrame, Robert mitchum, and Randolph Scott!!