Carl Valerius is no stranger to what many in his field would call difficult. The lifelong stonemason and sculptor doesn’t shy away from his work. The 71 year old has spent the past few months crafting the masterpiece of Bill and his five riders. Carl will turn 72 on 9 August. His wife Faye said “He is supposed to be retired but he is doing it for the soldiers and their memory; he is doing it for the love of it.” Valerius brought in local vet Graham Taylor to advise him on the subtle lines and features of the horse, began sculpting the horse’s head from clay and then the body. He finally embarked on sculpting the five soldiers, one of which is fashioned on the face of Cheryl Francis’ grandfather who was a light horse member and war veteran. The Francis family has recently taken over the lease of the Light Horse Hotel, moving from Marulan near Goulburn earlier this year.
Cold days and nights in front of Carl’s fire in his workshop, as well as his own funds, have culminated in the sculpture. Carl won’t reveal what he has spent, however we can only guess it’s tens of thousands of dollars in man hours and materials.
The unveiling of the life-size sculpture of Major Michael Shanahan and Bill the Bastard will occur at 1:00 pm on Saturday, 6 August at the Light Horse Hotel in Murrumburrah. Make sure you don’t miss this amazing event which commences at 11:30 am with music and barbecue, and proceeds to go to Legacy. A dramatic soundtrack with music, lighting and gunfire will accompany the unveiling. A dinner will be held, later on in the evening, which is sold out. Guest Speaker will be Professor Perry. “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”
