Bronze Horse stolen from Andover.

BY: B. Keith Plunkett

WLBT is reporting that one of the bronze horses at the Andover Subdivision on Hwy 22 was stolen in the last days of December. I've driven by several times now since then and haven't even noticed. I guess I just got accustomed to them being there--kind of like being accustomed to driving by a dump--so at some point I stopped looking. Apparently we have thieves with very poor taste. Flora folks may remember the tacky lions that stood guard at the gates of Andover a few years ago. After some people who purchased lots there threatened to sell over it if they weren't removed, the lions disappeared and the horses showed up.

Sorry if I sound a little unconcerned, Mr. Eaves. But out here, we appreciate the real thing much more than your tacky expensive yard ornaments from Italy.

If nothing else the report was good for the fact that we get to replace the silly images of Bert Case being threatened with an ass kicking by former Governor Kirk Fordice,



and the images of Bert yelling at a dog,



with this:

There's a horse thief on the loose in Madison County.

But the horse is made of bronze and weighs about 600 pounds.

It was taken from the Andover Subdivision just east of the Flora city limits on Highway 22.

The stolen horse was taken between 5:00 p.m. on Dec. 27 and 7:00 a.m. Dec. 28.

The horse belongs to the John Arthur Eaves family and was brought here from Italy.

The bronze horse was purchased by attorney John Arthur Eaves, Sr. because the horses reminded him of some horses he owned when John Arthur Eaves, Jr. was a child.

"Someone came in the middle of the night and lifted this pure bronze horse out of ground, in this yard, which is an amazing accomplishment, by itself," John Aruthur Eaves, Jr. said. "So you can see we have one horse left, his name is Shadow and they took Velvet, and we just want to have them reunited in time for Valentine's Day."

The Andover Subdivision features 3 to 6 acre lots and appeals to horse owners.

"Well Bert I can't imagine, must a been a group of kids that pulled in here in a pickup truck on a trailer, and just loaded the brass horse off in it," Sheriff Toby Trowbridge of Madison County said. "And I need your help once again in trying to get this back. So my thought was let 3 On Your Side get a hold of it, and if any neighbors see a brass horse, in their neighbor's back yard please call you or us."

The bronze horse weighs about 600 pounds.

If anyone knows who stole it, they could get up to a $1,000 reward for turning them in.

Eaves, Jr. said if the people who stole the bronze horse bring it back, he will not press charges.

Buuuuhhhhrrrrrrt Case . . . WLBT