Horses have always been a symbol of power, nobility, and strength. Moreover, many historical figures have been represented on top of horses in various artistic works. This highlights their ability to fight and lead others into battle and victory. Specifically, there are a lot of equestrian statues in the world that are famous for their size.
Genghis Khan / Mongolia
Genghis Khan was the legendary leader and the first Khagan of the Mongol Empire. Under his rule, the Mongol Empire became the largest empire in history. While his military campaign across Asia resulted in victory, it also resulted in millions of deaths and destruction.
His statue in Mongolia is 40 meters tall and the tallest equestrian statue in the world. The statue is of stainless steel and is in Tuul River. This is because many believe that this is where Genghis Khan found the golden whip which symbolized good luck.
Marjing Polo / India
Marjing is the deity of horses, polo, and games in Meitei mythology. Moreover, he was the guardian of the northeastern regions of India. According to legends, Marjing was the one who invented polo and introduced it to people. His equestrian statue is in India, Manipur.
Manipur is the place where the Meitei people used to live. Since the Meitei believed in and worshipped Marjing, they built the statue there. Marjing Polo statue is 37 meters tall and is the second tallest equestrian statue in the world. It cost nearly 5 million dollars.
Jose Gervasio Artigas / Uruguay
The national hero of Uruguay, Jose Gervasio was a soldier and later a statesman. He was born in Argentina which was a colony of Spain at that time. Although fighting for the Spanish initially, in time, he began to support the independence movement and then fought against them.
Surely, his statue is one of the tallest equestrian statues in the world with a height of 18 meters. It is in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, and in Independence Square. It was built in 1923 by Italian sculptor Angelo Zanelli from reinforced concrete which is heavy. Contrarily, the statue is said to be very light.
Vittorio Emanuele II / Italy
In the 19th century, Italy consisted of separate states and kingdoms. At the time, Vittorio Emanuele II was the King of Sardinia but he wanted to unite the other states. He fought three independence wars against other states and the Austrian Empire. Following the victory in 1870, he became the first king of United Italy.
His statue in Rome is an Italian national monument that honors his status as the father of Italy. The statue is 12 meters tall and was built between 1885 and 1935 by Guiseppe Sacconi. The statue symbolizes a unified and free Italy for Italians.
Juan de Oñate y Salazar / United States
A highly controversial and problematic figure, Juan de Onate was a conquistador and an explorer. During his tenure as the governor of Santa Fe, he led several expeditions into the Americas. Onate is notorious for the Acoma Massacre where he ordered the death of nearly 1000 Acoma people.
Onate’s statue is located in New Mexico and is 12 meters tall. Unlike many other statues, it is pure bronze. In addition, it is also of the tallest bronze equestrian statues. However, due to the horrible history between New Mexico and Onate, the county removed the statue in 2020.
