After vandalism, a restoration follows for iconic horse
Craig Shafer eyes the new ears he was working on rebuilding on the iconic Hungry Horse last week after vandals bashed them off with a heavy object.
When Craig Shafer heard about the vandalism to the iconic “Hungry Horse” in the town square last week he immediately went to work on restoring the beast.
Someone had broken off the horse’s ears sometime Sunday night, likely with something big and heavy, like a baseball bat. It would have had to been — the 600-pound horse is made of a frame of conduit, chicken wire, newspaper and heavy coats of concrete.
Artist Morris Blake and his two sons, Bob and Greg Blake built the horse in 1955.
The sculpture sat in front of the Hungry Horse Corral, owned by Craig’s parents, Irene and Vaughn Shafer, for decades.
When they passed away, it was donated to the county and moved to the park across the road. Tourists often stop by and have their picture taken sitting on the horse.
So when Craig heard it had been vandalized, he went to work right away fixing it. It’s not just a piece of a folk art, it has family ties.
Retired as a pipeline construction crew worker, he also has a background in masonry. He went to work building a frame for the ears, making sure they looked right before finishing them off with concrete.
He hoped to have the project done soon.
“Weather’s coming in,” he noted.
By week’s end, the horse had new ears.
The Flathead County Sheriff’s Department is seeking tips on who may have vandalized it. Anyone with information is asked to call 752-TIPS.