Horse Mania is back, and the sculptures are attracting unwanted horseplay, vandalism
After the painted foals of Horse Mania 2022 made their debut at The Henry Clay Estate June 16 and 17 and returned to the streets of Lexington, arts advocacy group LexArts is reporting some unwelcome horseplay around the public art pieces.
“We are receiving reports our beautiful #Horsemania sculptures are being vandalized tonight and people (are) getting on them and acting foolish,” LexArts wrote on its Facebook account Saturday.
LexArts also shared an image with the post of a teenager striking a goofy pose while seated on the horse’s back.
“The police have been notified,” LexArts warned in its Facebook post. “These beautiful creations are expensive pieces of art and not to have anyone sitting, standing or jumping on them. This is for kids and adults.”
LexArts requested people report the behavior to the Facebook page or authorities if they witness it.
Flamboyant foals gallop back into town for Horse Mania 2022. Here’s what to know
Targets for vandalism
This isn’t the first time the Horse Mania foals have been the targets of vandalism.
According to archived Herald-Leader reports, at least three horses were vandalized during the first round of Horse Mania in 2000, and at least one of those cases led to an arrest and court appearance.
A report that ran Aug. 1, 2000, documented vandalism against a piece honoring Isaac Murphy, a Black man who was the first jockey to win three Kentucky Derbys. The painted horse, titled “Isaac Murphy’s Last Ride,” bore decorations with references to Black heritage and spirituality, with the words of Black authors on its sides.
It’s most striking feature, however, was 40 feet of chains and a saddle pierced by spikes, according to the article.
“In recent days, vandals have broken off hands that extend from the horse’s body, punched in sculpted faces, and swiped a photo and key that were part of the statue at the Swahili Elks Lodge on Colesbury Circle near New Circle Road,” the article reads.
Damage to part of the horse labeled “HATE,” decorated with a Ku Klux Klan-type figure, led Garry Bibbs, the sculpture’s artist, to conclude the vandals weren’t random passersby, but rather people who opposed to the artwork’s message.
“My statement had a lot to do with the struggles of African Americans,” Bibbs said at the time. “They tore quite a bit of that up.”
According to the archived report, a few other Horse Mania pieces were damaged accidentally, but the only other submission purposefully vandalized was the pink and white Carol’s Birthday (Little Enis), which stood at the time at 157 North Broadway. The heads of figurines on the horse statue were snapped off.
Otherwise, there were only reports of pranks, like when someone placed chocolate nut fudge bars under several statues to mimic horse manure.
The popular horse sculpture “Pablo” was actually vandalized twice. The first case was in August 2000 when someone mounted him and tore off his legs, archived reports show. No one was arrested in that case despite the Herald-Leader and an anonymous donor offering a $5,000 reward.
A second case of vandalism against Pablo happened when a Louisville man kicked the horse off his stand, a witness told local police at the time. The man, who was intoxicated when police arrested him at 2 a.m., was charged with criminal mischief and reportedly faced up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The man bonded out of jail, but his ultimate fate is uncertain.
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