Wieghorst worked with the mounted patrol of the
5th Cavalry Regiment of the
United States Cavalry (1920-1922) with occasional interludes as a wrangler on ranches in the western states. Wherever he went, he sketched and painted the Western culture he loved, often selling his work as calendar and magazine illustrations. His work appeared in
Zane Grey's Western Magazine and Hoofs and Horns , an honor he shared with fellow cowboy artists including
Daniel Cody Muller (1889–1976). In 1924, Olaf Wieghorst married Brooklyn native Mabel Walters, In the same year, he joined the
New York City Police Department (1924–1944) where he became a
Mounted Police Officer with the Department. Due to his knowledge of horses, he was quickly sent to the Remount Section of the Mounted Unit where he broke and trained horses for the Unit. Wieghorst retired from the New York City Police Department in December, 1944, and once again headed west, with Mae and their son Roy. In 1945, Wieghorst settled in
El Cajon, California,
San Diego County, California, and spent the rest of his life there working on his art. He was a self-trained artist and learned to work with oil painting and water colors himself. Over time he became a proficient painter and as a result,
Grand Central Art Galleries chose to display his paintings. He also painted horses and studied their nature. The most famous of his models were
Gene Autry's
Champion and
Roy Rogers'
Trigger. He appeared in two
John Wayne movies in the 60's;
McLintock! (1963) and
El Dorado (1966). Some of his art work was used in the open titles sequence in the film
El Dorado (1966). ==References==