Artist: Alexander Phimister Proctor

Date: 1920

Location: Civic Center Park, promenade

Collection: Public Art

Artwork Type: Sculpture

Material: Bronze

Description: The original plaster was created for the Chicago exhibition of 1893 and was donated to Denver, eventually deteriorating. Proctor was later commissioned to do another sculpture in bronze. The original plaster was called "The Buckaroo" but was slightly modified for the Denver monumental statue which was called "The Bronco Buster". Proctor used several horses from a Pendleton, Oregon round-up as models for the horse. The model for the rider was Bill "Slim" Ridings, who was arrested for cattle rustling during the modeling and wrote to Proctor -- who provided bail money so he could complete the statue. Bronzes were cast during Proctor's life and may be viewed at the Denver Public Library, Amherst College, Mead Art Museum, Amherst, Massachusetts and R.W. Norton Gallery, Shreveport, Louisiana. Identifying marks: signed A.P. Proctor; trademark coin.