Huge Landscape Sculpture A Labor Of Love

Huge Landscape Sculpture A Labor Of Love FARM HOME Novelty Items 28-2-44 A life-sized cattle drive sculpture that stretches 1,200 ft. along a hilltop near Mandan, N. Dak., is a heartfelt tribute from a son to his father. The magnificent sculpture stands just north of the late Buddy Kahl's ranch, in a spot where travelers on a nearby highway can get a great view. Buddy's son, Larry, made the 32-piece display. He plans to add 15 to 20 more pieces this year. Kahl died of a brain hemorrhage in March, 2003 at the age of 77. Heading west into the sunset, the display overlooks the Heart River. The procession of metal figures begins with a horse and rider "leading" a riderless horse, which, as is often the case at cowboy funerals, signifies the deceased rider. Next, is a team of horses pulling a chuck wagon with Buddy's "Flying K" brand on the side, followed by a herd of 10 cows-calf pairs with two more horses and riders spaced amongst them. Behind the last rider is a 20-ft. high by 31-ft. wide silhouetted "ranch style" sign that says, "In Memory of Buddy Kahl." After a 300-ft. gap, a 9-ft. tall stallion, with head held high proudly, faces east - gazing at five mares who are running up the hill. Larry says the cattle drive scene is a great reminder his dad's presence will always be felt in the area. "Cattle ranching and horses was all that Dad knew. It was his life. I figured that was something that should live on," he says. "The location was ideal. You can't find a better ridge û it was perfect for a project of this size." Kahl gets 6 by 17-ft. sheets of 3/16-in. used steel from a paper mill in Minnesota where his brother-in-law works. "I can't draw a stick man," Kahl says. "So I use my computer to put pictures onto transparencies for an overhead projector, and that's how I get the outline onto the sheets of metal." He cuts out the shapes with a plasma cutter and leaves them unpainted. Each figure is welded onto 1 1/2-in. pipe and the bigger ones are concreted into pre-drilled holes in the ground. The holes for smaller pieces are packed with gravel. "Dad was well known and well liked in this area. This was my way to recognize and remember my dad," says Kahl, who admits that the project also helps him work through his own grief. "It's a tribute to the cowboy way of life, too. So many people tell me they enjoy it and relate it to their own dads. I've had people tell me that when they're driving by on the highway, they actually think it's the real thing. They think the figures are moving, because the vehicle is moving." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Larry Kahl, 2224 Sunny Rd., Mandan, N. Dak. 58554 (ph 701 663-3993; cell 701 226-1009; fax 701 663-1804; email: heartriver1@ bis.midco.net).

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