Vaquero de Fort Worth - Fort Worth, TX
N 32° 46.691 W 097° 20.834
14S E 654789 N 3627904
Placed with just a little bit of controversy, the Vaquero de Fort Worth sits proudly atop his horse in a small plaza bounded by Ellis Avenue, North Main Street, and West Central Avenue, Fort Worth, TX.
Waymark Code: WMPWPY
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 10/31/2015
Views: 9
Commonly called "The Mexican Cowboy," the vaquero is more appropriately described as a cattle driver, a precursor to our own idea of a cowboy. Commissioned in 2004 to honor the vaquero's role in the Old West, this bronze statue is ten feet tall, utilizing four hundred pounds of clay and weighing in at nearly three thousand pounds after bronzing. The total cost was $250,000. The authors identify themselves on one of the horse's raised hooves, with a copyright date of 2011.
The vaquero, based on depictions circa 1890, sits atop his trotting horse, lariat in hand, looking off to his left. He is well-dressed, wearing a kerchief around his neck, and behind him, atop a beautiful saddle blanket, is a bedroll and canteen. Around his waist is a gun belt, with ammunition, and on his left hip is a Remington .44-caliber revolver. That's where things became interesting.
After the sculpture had been cast in bronze, a showdown over the revolver occurred between the artists and the City of Fort Worth, who indicated that the revolver wasn't part of the original plan, even claiming that vaqueros of the time period had no need of weapons. The artists countered with depictions of the vaquero that did include a weapon, and they were careful to stress that the vaquero should not be confused with the more common pistolero: The firearm served to protect the vaquero from predators and cattle thieves. At this point, there was no easy way to remove the revolver and gun belt, so Vaquero de Fort Worth sat in limbo for a year before being placed as the artists wanted him to be.
Identity of Rider: A vaquero
Identity of Horse: Unnamed
Name of artist: Thomas Bustos and David Newton
Date of Dedication: 6/4/2012
Material: Bronze
Unusual Features: The late inclusion of a revolver caused considerable controversy
Position: Two Hooves Raised
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