World’s Largest Statue In El Paso Isn’t As High As Texas’ Tallest

The world's largest statue sits right smack in the middle of El Paso yet, despite being pretty darn huge, it's only the 2nd tallest in Texas.

Wait, what? The largest statue in the world isn't even the tallest in Texas alone?

The world's largest bronze, equestrian statue greets visitors, coming and going, to El Paso from in front of the El Paso International Airport.

Known as "The Equestrian", the statue started out as a tribute to a controversial figure.

The statue, first proposed in the mid-1990s, is of a horse-riding Spanish conquistador named Don Juan de Oñate. It initially drew approval from city officials because Oñate was known for celebrating the first Thanksgiving in The New World, near present-day El Paso, a good twenty years before the Pilgrims did the same in New England. As the project dragged on, however, Oñate's legacy grew more spotty. - roadsideamerica.com

It turns out that Onate could be pretty cruel though.

Chopping the feet off of native Americans if they didn't do what he wanted for example so, in order to be more "PC", Onate's name was dropped from the project which was renamed "The Equestrian".

Meaning it is now a monstrous tribute to, basically, "some guy".

Being the largest doesn't mean the same thing as being the tallest though.

In Texas, a statue of Sam Houston, located near Huntsville, rises 67 feet from atop a 10 foot base.  It's BIG.

We get to keep the "world's" largest statue bragging rights here in El Chuco. The lone star states tallest statue though, comes in WAY short of the "World" record holder.

The World's tallest title lies far, very far, from Texas. The "Statue Of Unity in India is almost 6 HUNDRED feet high.

Sorry Sam ...

In the eyes of Texas though, you're still number 1 pard'ner.