Designed to pay tribute to President Ronald Reagan’s political career and his personal passion, the Ronald Reagan Equestrian Monument has come to define Tropical Park in Miami, Florida. By connecting to the original vision for the park and site, the monument highlights how many different ways a landmark can connect with audiences to cultivate activity and attention.
An Invitation to the Equestrian Center and More
Officially called “A Man and a Horse,” the idea for a life-sized bronze sculpture of United States President Ronald Reagan and a horse came from a Miami-Dade County Commissioner. Installed in 2018, the piece is connected to Reagan’s life-long relationship with and passion for horses and equestrian activities but was also envisioned as a natural connection to the Equestrian Center that was named after him in 2004.
Created by Carlos Enrique Prado, the piece was designed to create a metaphor of an invitation to the Equestrian Center. It was simultaneously intended to provide an accessible and dignified place where people can honor President Reagan and celebrate the relationship with horses that anyone can have. The Tropical Park Equestrian Center hosts more than 36 shows a year, highlighting the additional benefits that the monument has been able to personify for audiences.
Installed at the entrance of Tropical Park, the monument has been able to fulfill a vision around the passion that the Equestrian Center represents while also supporting a much larger legacy that any visitor to the site can engage with.
Imagining Engagement on a New Level
Countless parks and spaces have been named after individuals but few have monuments associated with the legacy and passion those individuals represent. By embodying the commitment and passion that the Tropical Park Equestrian Center cultivates, the Ronald Reagan Equestrian Monument has been able to fully fulfill a vision for the space that connects audiences to the park and center on multiple levels.
