Today on Monday Mysteries we look at an unusual statue in Vero Beach,  a town just south of Sebastian.

For a little town, it certainly has its share of potential Monday Mysteries. Where is the “Start of the Tropics” that are promised in the town’s motto (which is “Where the tropics begin.”). For that one, I’m guessing we didn’t go far enough south; a chamber of commerce site for the area talks about the different climate zones that Vero beach straddles, so perhaps that’s the answer to that mystery.

While we didn’t make it to the tropics,  we did at least make it all the way through the small downtown area.  That part of town is the location of  the Pocahontas Park. Which is the second mystery: Pocahontas? Why is a park in Florida is named after a historical heroine from Virgina?  That chamber of commerce site doesn’t explain that one.

But the main mystery for today is really a statue in  that Pocahontas Park in Vero Beach. It’s not of a girl, but rather something else:

Horse Statue in Vero Beach

According to an article I found online, the horse’s name is Patriot. The article explains that in 2009, after a 6-year renovation project,  this 1960’s statue was returned to his corral there in the park.

However, that begs quite a few questions: Why a white horse statue? Why is his name Patriot? Why is he rearing up at such an extreme angle? Who made him originally? And why is it in this park? I still haven’t figured any of that out.

Not too many answers today, but at least you get more than two mysteries from one small town, along with more than two questions from a single Monday Mystery.

*****

P.S. BTW, we saw this statue up close when we sat at a table in the park eating doughnuts from  a place in Vero Beach called Tasty Donuts.  At noon on a Saturday they were closing when we walked in, but they kindly let us come in and buy a couple of doughnuts to go.  Nice day to sit in the park – and the doughnuts lived up to their name.  If we go back to find the tropics, we at least know of a good place to go to help fortify us on that expedition…