The first horse to bear the name “The Wonder Horse,” Tony was the companion of actor Tom Mix. He starred in over two dozen silent and sound films during his career, becoming a celebrity in his own right. When Mix placed his handprints in the cement outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1927, Tony’s hoofprints were placed alongside them. He was the first horse to be given equal billing with his human costar, and was featured in the title of three movies: Just Tony (1922), Oh! You Tony (1924), and Tony Runs Wild (1926).
Tony is most known for his intelligence and ability to perform remarkable stunts, many of which would not be allowed today. Mix reportedly did not have to train Tony, but simply show him what to do for each feat. Such stunts included untying Mix’s hands, opening gates, loosening his reins, rescuing Mix from fire, jumping from one cliff to another, and running after trains.
Tony retired from the film industry at the age of twenty-two when he was slightly injured on the set of his last movie, The Fourth Horseman (1932). He outlived Tom Mix, dying in 1942, two years to the day after Mix was killed in a car accident.
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