The famous horse Tony, a symbol of North Dundas pride, has not been seen in months. This has caused questions on social media about why the beloved statue has not yet taken residence at its new home on the lawn of Dundas Veterinary Services.
“The damages were greater than originally expected,” said Janet Smith who originally kicked off the campaign to save Tony. “I have fixed the three broken ankles, the larger deep cracks, and then the surface cracks on 75% of him.”
Janet had originally told the Times that it would take just a few weeks for North Dundas residents to once again see the horse on display, but she could not have foreseen the delays.
“Each step is meticulous,” she added. “I am working on the front left quarter of him today. I have someone coming hopefully next week to give an estimate on air brush painting.” If an outside hire will be too expensive for the painting, she will take it on herself.
The process has been tedious. “Each large crack had to be cleared out, then back bracing, then fiberglass resin, followed by bondo and sanding again,” said Janet. “I can’t even count how many sheets of 80 grit sandpaper I have gone through by this point. I work on him every day, weather permitting.”
It won’t be long before Tony is watching over Winchester again, just as he has done for decades.
