“Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin’ until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we’re together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, ’till we meet again.” – Dale Evans

Big Piney native and Jackson Hole high school graduate, D. Michael Thomas, now a resident of Buffalo, had his large scale bronze sculpture, “Talk About Your Cowboy,” dedicated at the University of Wyoming Alumni House last Friday afternoon as part of UW’s annual Homecoming. Cast at Cody’s Caleco Foundry the work stands 10 feet high and depicts an 1880′s cowboy and his horse clad in period garb and equine tack.

Jackson Realtor Jeanie Staehr was on hand at the dedication; Staehr, as a former Alumni Association board member, worked to make the idea of Thomas’ installation become reality.

“It was a natural to have a native Wyoming artist and a graduate of UW create a bronze statue that captures the Wyoming spirit we wanted, to adorn the grounds at the UW Alumni House–we’re thrilled with the outcome,” said Staehr.

The work took 10 months to complete; five months to sculpt the form, and another five to cast. Thousands of years old, the lost wax casting process is the process by which a bronze is cast from an artist’s sculpture.

To see an image of Thomas’ sculpture, and learn more about the project, visit www.wyoalumni.com.

Thomas’ next monumental bronze project will be a portrait of the late country western singer and rodeo star Chris LeDoux.

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