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A TRIBUTE TO CLAYTON MOORE

AS LEGENDARY FICTIONAL COWBOY HERO

THE LONE RANGER

Legendary cowboy hero The Lone Ranger has been a fictional American hero to millions of boys and girls for almost 80 years. He was created by George W. Trendle and developed by writer Fran Striker. The Lone Ranger first came to life as a radio program on station WXYZ in Detroit, MI, January 30, 1933.  It became an instant hit and was soon broadcast on stations throughout the country, continuously till September 3, 1954, a total of 2,757 broadcasts. Making his way to Hollywood, The Lone Ranger starred in two popular Republic serials, The Lone Ranger (1938) and The Lone Ranger Rides Again (1939)

In 1949, The Lone Ranger became the first Western series to be produced exclusively for the then new entertainment medium of television. After auditioning numerous actors, veteran serial star Clayton Moore was chosen to play the title role when he stated, “I am The Lone Ranger.” First shown in September 1949 on ABC, as the famous masked man, Clayton’s charismatic voice, earnest and honest portrayal made The Lone Ranger the most popular TV show on ABC at the time. The half-hour show ran for 221 black & white and later color episodes. The Lone Ranger is one of the most fondly remembered early TV series and has appeared in reruns continuously since that time. 

The Happy Trails Children’s Foundation is proud to honor Clayton Moore as The Lone Ranger this year with Silver Screen Legend XIII. This is the 13^th year the foundation, through the generosity of the renowned Colt’s Manufacturing Co. LLC of Hartford, CT, has used very special guns and holsters to raise money for abused children.

Included again this year is a gorgeous pair of highly collectible one-of-a-kind Damascus steel spurs with gorgeous Lone Ranger style spur straps. The spurs were made and donated by internationally acclaimed knife and spur maker Charles Sauer. Jim Lockwood of Legends in Leather crafted the hand-carved and Sterling silver mounted double holster rig along with the matching spur straps. Silversmith Michael Ekstrom produced the magnificent sterling silver conchas and buckle sets on the spur straps. The exquisite engraving on the pistols, the custom tuning of the guns and the magnificent silver spots, conchos and buckle sets on the belt and holsters were provided by Conrad Anderson, Rocktree Ranch. The exceptional carved Ivory grips were hand crafted by Bob Leskovec, Precision Pro Grips. Ron Love made and donated the prop cartridges and Silverado Silversmiths cast and donated the 33 solid sterling silver bullets in the cartridge cases on the belt.  All of these wonderful people and companies are enduring examples of that very special American spirit known as “the cowboy way.”

            Renowned western entertainers Roy Rogers and Dale Evans spent a lifetime devoted to children and their support of children-at-risk is well documented.  The Happy Trails Children’s Foundation is proud to carry on the work with abused children that were so important to Roy and Dale.  However, we need your help!

            As a result of our association with Roy and Dale, and the positive and wholesome family values they represented, the Happy Trails Children’s Foundation is the only known children’s charity in the country today that actively supports shooting sports, Second Amendment Rights and responsible gun ownership, and is in turn supported by generous contributions from shooters, collectors, organized shooting sports and the firearms industry!  We are proud of this unique partnership!

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