New Horse Reigns Volunteers Donate Painstakingly Carved Addition To Riverfront Park’s Carousel

Megan Steele and Heather Shirley sat on one rail and rested their legs on another while they waited Saturday to take their turn on Riverfront Park’s carousel.

A whirl of colorful animals and waving people whisked by.

“That horse’s tail fell out,” 10-year-old Shirley said to Steele, 8.

It wasn’t the only horse ailing. Another has a broken leg.

Fortunately, a new, glistening horse was unveiled Saturday as part of the Carrousel Day Celebration at the park.

“You don’t buy a new car these days without a spare tire,” said Bette Largent, a Carrousel Day volunteer.

Apparently, a carousel is no different.

The sleek, silver horse trimmed with bright gems, lilac flowers and a grizzly bear was on display next to the carousel, but is expected to join the other animals next week.

“They’re a high-maintenance item,” said Chuck Kaparich, a member of a Missoula group that carved the horse. “You’re constantly repairing them, but it’s all worth it to see the smiles on the kids’ faces.”

The new horse, named the “Missoula Lilac,” is a gift from the Montana city in return for Spokane’s help in building Missoula’s carousel. It was intended to be used for just such an emergency.

A Medieval Fair also was held in the Clocktower Meadow as part of the celebration. The fair was a tribute to the carousel’s four armored horses, Largent said.

Typically, a carousel only had one armored horse to lead the others.

“It’s the Ritz of the Carrousel,” Largent said.

Kaparich and his group of five other carvers took great care to make sure the new horse falls in line behind the others. They carved for eight months and used a template to recreate the Looff Carrousel style common among the horses on Spokane’s carousel.

“It looks like a showpiece now, but we want it to be ridden, we want it to be scuffed, we want it to be broken,” Kaparich said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo