Olaf Wieghorst

born Viborg, Denmark, 1899; died El Cajon, California, 1988

BiographyOlaf Wieghorst was a child acrobatic performer from the age of nine when he began appearances at Tivoli Theater in Copenhagen and later toured Europe. He also learned horseback riding working on a stock farm, and horses became a major focus of his painting.

In 1918, he arrived in the United States, where he served in the 5th U.S. Cavalry on the Mexican border. He wandered extensively through the West finding work in Arizona and New Mexico as a cowboy. He later moved to New York and served as a mounted policeman until 1944. He began painting in his spare time and he was successful enough that his work was represented by the Grand Central Art Galleries of the Biltmore Hotel.

In 1944, he settled in El Cajon, California where he created most of his body of work. His images include a variety of western subjects including cowboys, horses, and Native peoples. He also created a number of horse portraits including celebrities such as Roy Rogers' Trigger and Gene Autry's Champion.

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