Controversial vaquero sculpture installed

DALLAS, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Stalemate ended, a controversial 10-foot bronze sculpture of a Mexican vaquero will be installed in Dallas as intended by its artists, a city councilman said.

Tomas Bustos and David Newton worked on the monument commemorating the Texas ranch cowmen sculpting a bullet belt and holstered Remington .44-caliber revolver into their design.

Some unnamed person or persons objected to the weapon in the sculpture last year and work skidded to a halt, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

"Unfortunately, somebody didn't like the gun, but it was accurate to the period," Bustos said.

The Dallas City Council Tuesday broke the stalemate agreeing unanimously to let the artists' design go as-is.

"I think it's a good, reasonable settlement," said Councilman Sal Espino.

"I'm hoping this will vindicate our actions," Bustos said.

Research did not turn up any illustrations displaying vaqueros with pistols, Manuel Valdez, chairman of the Vaquero Project Core Committee said, but despite his initial objection to the sculpture he's ready to move ahead.

"At this point, the majority of the community doesn't care whether it has a pistol or doesn't have a pistol," Valdez said. "Let's get this thing up."