A four-legged friend

A four-legged friend

He'll never let you down;

He's honest and faithful right up to the end

That wonderful one, two, three, four-legged friend

The memory of film cowboy Roy Rogers and his four-legged friend Trigger lingers on in Merseyside even though both have galloped off to the great corral in the sky.

Yesterday, in a re-creation of a sensational public appearance in Liverpool 50 years ago, a Trigger lookalike trotted and evacuated his way through the corridors and public rooms of one of the city's most famous hotels.

Yesterday's horse, Sovereign, relieved himself in both in the Adelphi's pub and on its lounge carpet but otherwise behaved impeccably as, decked out with microphones and six cameras, he did the ground work for a video installation by a Malaysian artist.

It is due to be shown at the Liverpool Biennial arts show in September.

Rogers and his cowgirl wife and co-star Dale Evans came to Liverpool - with Trigger in tow - in March 1954 for a show at the Empire Theatre. Suffering from flu, the couple took to their beds at the Adelphi and were unable to acknowledge the cheers of 4,000 fans.

In a stunt that would have Max Clifford champing at the bit, faithful Trigger wandered into the hotel to take a bunch of flowers to his temporarily ailing master.

The long-defunct local newspaper the Liverpool Evening Express recorded, below the headline "Gee, what a mighty fine hoss", that Trigger took a bow from a window, signed the hotel register, and then "went at a couple of bounds into the residents' lounge followed by an entourage of intrigued guests, young excited admirers and reporters attending their oddest press reception."

His successor stayed longer yesterday, ambling upstairs to explore the first and fifth floors. Because of limited powers of descent, he was expected to use the lift on the way down, although there was doubt about his ability to punch the right button with his hoof.

Among staff following Sovereign's progress was Marilyn Vaughan, the Adelphi's conference and banqueting accounts manager, who as a girl had been among the adoring crowd in 1954.

"Trigger came on to the balcony of what is now the board room and poked his nose over the side," she said.

The new Trigger, also a palomino, made himself at home and did not object to having cameras stuck on his legs, nose and bottom.

"The guests have been quite thrilled," added Ms Vaughan. "It's a beautiful horse. He is due to come to reception, when I have to give him a key and say, 'Haven't we met before somewhere?'"