Vandalism of beloved downtown statue sparks conversations about a need for more security

One of the many things that make the City of Wichita Falls unique is the variety of colorful mural horse statues around the area. The horses are part of the Mane Event which was organized by Leadership Wichita Falls in collaboration with local artists. 

On the morning of April 18, it was announced that one of the favorites of the statues, “Choose your Side”, was vandalized. The large fiberglass horse covered in comic panels had been beaten until the body was removed from the legs, leaving it laying on the ground. This particular statue was designed by Amy Walker and her daughter, Madison Gerber, the owners of Withershins Menagerie. 

Walker said creating the statue was a very sentimental time, as she was struggling through chemo to combat an autoimmune disorder, which made her very sick. Because she was so sick, Madison helped her finish the project. Madison would sketch the art and Walker would go in and paint it all. Walker described it as a mother-daughter collaboration that was full of inside jokes and secrets that only they knew. Gerber said it took them around a year to complete due to her mom’s health.

“There were times where I was so sick I couldn’t take four or five steps through the house,” Walker said. “My kid, who was only nineteen at the time, had to help me with everything. It was brutal – but that’s why I made sure that her name was on there with mine.”

With what the piece meant to the two of them, they were disheartened to hear it had been destroyed. Walker said a friend notified her of what happened at 5:30 a.m. and at 7 a.m. she arrived on the scene and contacted authorities. They were able to move the body to their studio to avoid further damage or theft. 

Stacy Nally, a resident of The Kate, had contacted Walker to share information about the crime. Nally said she saw “twenty to thirty kids in the area near the horse” not long before it was destroyed. She said she had also spoken with another resident of The Kate who said she had heard banging but thought it was due to the storm. Nally said she was up until 2 or 3 a.m. and never heard anything, though she admitted that could have also been due to the storm. Nally said she believes the crime took place between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. Walker and Nally both mentioned that they believe security cameras on nearby buildings and ATMs would be able to provide more concrete evidence.

“I came out at about ten o’clock, and – I kid you not – there were like twenty to thirty kids in the square,” Nally said. “That happens about once a week.” 

There is currently no proof that these kids committed the crime. However, Walker and Amy both mentioned that there are commonly large groups of kids running around downtown that get into trouble. Nally said they sometimes try to break into The Kate through a door in the convenience store, so now there’s a plan to bolt that door. They all mentioned that they believe many of these kids come from Straight Street, a Christian center for at-risk youth that’s located near the downtown area. In addition, Nally said she commonly sees kids that are just dropped off downtown with no supervision.

Marcus McGee, the owner of Maniac’s Mansion on 8th Street, said he’s also experienced a lot of issues with vandalism and large groups of kids. He said when he set up shop at that location he had a garden with lawn ornaments but little by little, the lawn ornaments were damaged or stolen until there were none left. He said he quit trying with the garden after that.

McGee also shared that recently large groups of kids will come into his store near closing time, wanting to play the games for free. McGee said for a while he would let them until it got to the point that they wouldn’t listen to him and didn’t want to leave. He said there’s been times where he had to chase large groups of kids out with water guns or call the police. He mentioned that there was even a time where a group of kids running from the police tried to hide in his store and leave through the emergency exit, damaging the door in the process. 

Nally noted that the offense to “Choose your side” is a Federal crime, but that it’s not the first time one of the Mane Event horses had been targeted. The instance that Nally referenced involved the “Landavazo Memorial Horse” which was stolen. However, multiple horses have been broken or taken, as recently as Fall of 2025, with the first notable crime including one taking place in the 2010s. In part, the destruction is due to the considerable fragile fiberglass material the statues are composed of, but many people feel the issue is a lack of security.

In addition to the “Choose your Side” statue being damaged, several cars parked near businesses downtown were also damaged around the same time. Social Media users commented on posts about the crime, sharing that they’d seen someone carrying a mallet which is suspected as having been used in causing the damage. 

Now that the damage is done, Walker and Gerber said they’re choosing to look ahead to rebuilding in the future with hope and excitement. While they’re saddened about what happened to the statue, they’re looking forward to creating a new one. Walker said she’s now in remission and feeling much more up to the task so she expects the new “Choose your side” to be bigger and better than the last one. Gerber said the new statue will be about a foot larger than the last. They plan to fundraise to purchase the supplies to rebuild the statue. Gerber said, based on how popular this horse was, they’re hoping the community will come together to make the repair happen. 

“The lower goal is six thousand dollars so that we can cover the actual statue, clear coat, shipping, and taxes on it,” Gerber said. “ We’re considering any of the excess funds going to one of the youth groups here in town.”

Walker said several people have reached out to check in and see what they can do to help. Walker and Gerber both are grateful for the support they’ve seen so far. They expressed that they know what the community is capable of when they focus on a common goal, so they’re hopeful for repairs. They said they’re currently waiting to hear back from the City Manager and those with Leadership Wichita Falls to figure out what the plan is moving forward.

“The timeline is basically as soon as we get the funds,” Walker said. “This one was only fiberglass – it’s not meant to support weight. The one we’re looking at is cast in metal. It will definitely withstand more of a beating, though we don’t encourage that.”

Walker, Gerber, and Nally all expressed hope that there would be some level of repercussion for those that carried out the crime. More than anything, they hope the outcome will be better security and prevention policies, and stricter guidelines and supervision from parents and facilities responsible for the youth of the city. This is the hope of several downtown business owners, like McGee, as well. McGee suggested a more consistent but not looming security presence (like police on horseback) and possibly curfews for kids without a supervising adult. 

“We need some cops down here. We need them to surveil – they don’t have to stay down here, just surveiling. Just more presence – that’s what we need downtown,” McGee said.

No information has been released on suspects yet or whether surveillance cameras have revealed anything. In the meantime, Walker and Gerber are focused on the fundraiser so they can begin moving forward. While they don’t yet have a link for donations, those interested in contributing to the effort can drop off donations at Withershins Menagerie.