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The Adventures of Champion Trivia Facts  Horse posters
featuring Gene Autry's horse Champion

The Adventures of Champion is an American children's Western series that aired from September 23, 1955 to March 3, 1956 for 26 episodes on CBS. Set in the Old West, the series starred Barry Curtis. In the United Kingdom, the series was re-broadcast under the title Champion the Wonder Horse.

The TV show was based on the 1949-50 radio serial, The Adventures of Champion, which told of young Ricky West (rather than Ricky North), who was raised on a ranch by his adoptive Uncle Smoky. Ricky was often accompanied by his German Shepherd, Rebel.

In real life, the Wonder Horse, Champion, was owned by Gene Autry who, over many years, owned a succession of celebrity horses bearing the same name. The show's production company, Flying A Productions, was also owned by Autry.

The other children's TV series by Flying A Productions were The Gene Autry Show, The Range Rider, Buffalo Bill Jr. and Annie Oakley.

Champion had his own comic book series.

Synopsis

Curtis starred as 12-year-old Ricky North, who lived on his uncle's ranch in the American Southwest. Ricky's companions were a wild stallion, Champion, and a German Shepherd, Rebel, played by Blaze. Ricky's uncle, Sandy North, was played by Jim Bannon.

The horse starring in The Adventures of Champion was known as Television Champion, or TV Champ, for short. He was distinguished by his chestnut coat, blond mane and tail, four white stockings and broad white facial blaze. TV Champ made frequent appearances with Autry in films and television during the 1950s. Unlike his fictional namesake, TV Champ was a gelding.

Episode list

The show ran for one season, made up of 26 episodes:

* "The Die-Hards"
* "Brand of the Lawless"
* "Calhoun Rides Again"
* "Bad Men of the Valley"
* "Johnny Hands Up"
* "Black Kachina"
* "Mystery Mountain"
* "The Deer Hunters"
* "Salted Ground"
* "Rails West"
* "A Bugle for Ricky"
* "Andrew and the Deadly Double"
* "Canyon of Wanted Men"
* "Hangman's Noose"
* "Lost River"
* "Challenge of the West"
* "The Saddle Tramp"
* "Renegade Stallion"
* "The Outlaw's Secret"
* "The Return of Red Cloud"
* "The Stone Heart"
* "The Medicine Man Mystery"
* "The Golden Hoax"
* "King of the Rodeo"
* "Crossroad Trail"
* "Real Unfriendly Ghost"

Title song

The title song was sung by Norman Luboff, and later recorded by Frankie Laine:

Champion the Wonder Horse! Champion the Wonder Horse!
Like a streak of lightnin' flashin' cross the sky,
Like the swiftest arrow whizzin' from a bow,
Like a mighty cannonball he seems to fly.
You'll hear about him ever'where you go.
The time'll come when everyone will know
The name of Champion the Wonder Horse!

In 1991, the song was re-issued on Frankie Laine's album On the Trail Again.