17/07/2025
Dollor Stops in Front of the Old House and Finds John Wayne
After John Wayne passed away in 1979, his youngest son, Ethan Wayne, took Dollor in to care for him. Dollor was not just a stage horse. He was John Wayne's companion in his later years, the horse he rode in many films such as The Cowboys, Rooster Cogburn, and The Shootist. Wayne loved him like a true friend.
Years later, when Ethan was walking Dollor past his father's old house, something unexpected happened.
Dollor suddenly stopped. He stood still, without anyone giving him a signal. Then he slowly raised his head, looking toward the porch - where John Wayne often stood waiting for his friend after his horseback riding sessions.
Ethan Wayne was silent, he later recalled:
“I don’t know if he understood… but in his eyes that day, I saw something very sad. Like he was looking for his old friend. Like he felt his absence.”
Dollor did not stomp his hooves, did not neigh, just stood silently for a few minutes before moving on. Ethan did not need to say anything more – he knew that, even though the horse could not speak, it was remembering.
For Dollor, John Wayne was more than just a legendary cowboy. He was a friend, a friend who could never be replaced.
