The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame has announced the completion of its newest project, the Alice Walton Cowgirl Park.
The park is now home to the Museum’s Sergeant Reckless statue, a memorial to a decorated war horse. The bronze, which sits atop the monument sign, is a magnificent sculpture and tribute to an amazing animal and true war hero, the museum said in a news release.
In connection with the statue, the 2019 Inaugural Sergeant Reckless Award introduced and honored Robin Hutton who was instrumental in gaining national attention for Sergeant Reckless and spearheading the development and dedication of three national monuments to the war horse, including the statue in the Alice Walton Cowgirl Park.
The park was a confluence of a need for a beautiful space that would be enjoyed by visitors to the area and the new Dickies Arena and the passion was a group of friends who came together to fund the project and name it in honor of Walton in honor of her contributions to Fort Worth.
Walton has been a supporter of the Museum and is the Museum’s 2007 Fern Sawyer Award recipient.
Additionally, the park is host to a mural created by Evergreen and the artisans of the Mellini family in Italy.
This artwork of a tooled western saddle is constructed with tens of thousands of small pieces of glass, painstakingly hand-placed together to create this bespoke mosaic. This mosaic is not only a beautiful backdrop for the park but is also a picture-worthy location, the museum said.
The park was dedicated on Nov. 13, when five Cowgirl Inductees and the Sergeant Reckless award winner were celebrated at the 44th Annual National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame Induction Luncheon and Ceremony at Dickies Arena.
The Museum welcomed the largest audience thus far for Induction. This is the first year the Induction Ceremony was televised, hosted on The Cowboy Channel on Dec. 1 and 3.
The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame honors and celebrates women, past and present, whose lives exemplify the courage, resilience and independence that helped shape the American West, and fosters an appreciation of the ideals and spirit of self-reliance they inspire, the news release said.
About Sergeant Reckless
Sergeant Reckless, the most decorated war horse in modern history and a mare, held official rank in the United States military and served in many combat positions during the Korean War, including one in which she completed 51 solo trips, covering 35 miles in a single day transporting over 9,000 pounds of recoilless rounds.
National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
1720 Gendy Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
Hours of operation are Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults (ages 13+); $9 for seniors (60+), military, first responders and children (ages 3 to 12) and children 3 and under get in free with paid adult.
www.cowgirl.net