Laffing Sal was one of several automated characters used to attract carnival and amusement park patrons to funhouses and dark rides throughout the United States. An unnamed animatronic horse, which was reported to gallop realistically, was also exhibited. Sparko, The Robot Dog (the "pet" of Elektro the Robot) is considered the first modern-day animatronic character, as it represented a living animal rather than a purely mechanical figure. The first animatronics characters shown to the public were a dog and a horse, as separate attractions at the 1939 New York World's Fair.
rex for Steven Spielberg's film Jurassic Park.
The animatronic galloping horse was also on display at the 1939 World's Fair, in a different exhibit than Sparko's.