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Buckey O'Neill Monument

The Buckey O'Neill Monument, also known as the Rough Rider Monument, is an equestrian sculpture by Solon Borglum. It honors Buckey O'Neill and the men who served during the Spanish–American War in 1898. The monument is located at Courthouse Plaza in Prescott, Arizona. It was dedicated on July 3, 1907, and later rededicated on June 6, 1982, and again on July 3, 1998. The inscriptions identify the monument as a tribute from Arizona to the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, and to Captain William O. O'Neill and his comrades who died while serving their country.

Buckey O\'Neill Monument, a bronze equestrian statue of a man on a rearing horse atop a stone pedestal.
Buckey O\'Neill Monument in Prescott, Arizona, showing a bronze rider on a rearing horse mounted on a rough stone pedestal.
May 2008 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Buckey O\'Neill Monument showing an equestrian bronze statue of a man in a wide-brimmed hat on a rearing horse atop a stone pedestal.
The Buckey O\'Neill Monument features a bronze equestrian statue mounted on a rugged stone base.
1917 © James, George Wharton, 1858-1923 · No restrictions
Buckey O\'Neill Monument bronze equestrian statue in front of the Yavapai County Courthouse
The Buckey O\'Neill Monument stands on horseback before the Yavapai County Courthouse in Prescott, Arizona.
June 2015 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Buckey O\'Neill Monument, an equestrian bronze statue on a rock base, with uniformed people gathered below and a ceremonial flag in front.
Buckey O\'Neill Monument in Prescott Courthouse Square, seen with a ceremonial flag and uniformed observers below.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Buckey O\'Neill Monument with a bronze equestrian statue surrounded by flags and people at a ceremony.
The Buckey O\'Neill Monument stands at the center of a ceremony with flags and gathered spectators.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleBuckey O'Neill Monument
Alternative nameRough Rider Monument
Original Spanish nameMonumento a Bucky O'Neill
TypeEquestrian sculpture

Historical context

HonoreeA group of men who served their country during the Spanish–American War in 1898
CommemoratesThe 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, known as Roosevelt's Rough Riders, and Captain William O. O'Neill and his comrades who died in the war with Spain
War referencedSpanish–American War

Creator

ArtistSolon Borglum
Signature locationLower proper left side of the sculpture

Discovery and provenance

Additional dedication plaque textDedicated to Frank Brito, a Yaqui native of Company H & I, whose name is missing on this monument. August 24, 2023. Bucky O'Neill Camp 175, Sons of Spanish American War Veterans
Inscription on plaque dedicated to artistSolon Hannibal Borglum, America's first cowboy sculptor, 1868–1922. This free-spirited son of the West, sensitive to the changing era in which he lived, portrayed the western epic in marble and bronze. Our "Bucky O'Neill" monumental bronze is among his greatest works, and is acclaimed by the critics as one of the finest equestrian monuments in the world. Plaque dedicated June 6, 1982, Prescott Community Art Trust
Inscription on front plaqueUnveiled July 3rd 1907
Inscription on east side plaqueErected by Arizona in honor of the 1st. U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, known to history as Roosevelt's Rough Riders, and in memory of Captain William O. O'Neill and his comrades who died while serving their country in the war with Spain
Inscription on relief plaqueSolon Borglum

Location and ownership

LocationCourthouse Plaza, Prescott, Arizona, southwestern United States

History and restoration

Dedication dateJuly 3, 1907
Rededication datesJune 6, 1982; July 3, 1998

Materials

MaterialBronze
Base materialGranite boulder
Support materialGranite slab on concrete pad

Physical characteristics

DescriptionMonumental bronze
Depicted personBuckey O'Neill

Significance

Critical receptionDescribed on the plaque as one of Solon Borglum's greatest works and one of the finest equestrian monuments in the world