Cecil John Rhodes on Horse - bronze statue
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After Cecil John Rhodes' death in 1902 the residents of Kimberley elected to erect a memorial in his honour. Unveiled in 1907, this 72-ton bronze statue is reputed to be one of the finest equestrian statues in the world.
Situated a stone's throw from St Cyprian's Cathedral (on a road island bordered by Du Toitspan Road, Regiment Way and d'Arcy Street) this bronze work by Hamo Thornycroft depicts Rhodes mounted on his horse with a map of Africa in his hands. Facing to the north, it is symbolic of Rhodes’ imperialist vision of extending the British Empire deep into the African hinterland. Rhodes is depicted in the clothes he wore at the memorable indaba with the Matabele indunas (leaders) in the Matopos in the 1880s. |
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Bronze statue in Kimberley depicts Cecil Rhodes mounted on his horse with a map of Africa in his hands. By Hamo Thornycroft (1907)
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Study for the Statue of Cecil Rhodes by Sir Hamo Thornycroft (1904). Medium - plaster
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As Cecil John Rhodes grew into a mature young man the only sport, or perhaps recreation, that he enjoyed, was horse riding. It has been said on more than one occasion that he did not like riding at all, but this is far from true. As a young boy, he and his lifelong friend, Robert Yerburgh, used to go riding horses together, and when he could in later life, which was more often than not, he used to go for an early morning ride at 6am every day. Certainly, his height – 5’ 1” – and his weight, some 96 kilograms in 1897, necessitated him using stones to mount and dismount from his horse, and because of this preferred his horse to not exceed 15 hands in height. One of these stones, outside the door to his room at the Sanatorium, still remains, while another which he used to mount his horse at the same place, has been removed but can still be identified.
When he first arrived at the diggings, he had a rusty-black pony named “Bandersnatch”, a pony that he used to go shooting game or for his early morning rides. Indeed, he loved horse riding and the outdoor life in Africa.
If the territory he was riding over was new, or if he had to inspect something on the farms or mines, he would often stay in the saddle for up to four hours. Horse riding remained his greatest exercise throughout his life, and he was happiest when in the saddle according to Charlie Rickson. He used to like riding alone, and when with friends or employees, they were not happy riding with him as he “used to hurry his horse along at a jog trot or triple, and people found it an uncomfortable pace.” Jourdan says that he “had a peculiar way of incessantly urging his mount to go forward by constantly, although gently, applying his switch to his flanks. The result was that his horse was always walking at top speed just above his ordinary and natural pace.”
Rhodes’ mind both before and after the siege of Kimberley was totally preoccupied with his stocks of cattle and horses both in South Africa and southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), endless letters, dictated to both William Pickering and Irvine Grimmer as well as his personal secretary, being sent to his farm managers. There is nothing mentioned regarding the pending conflict. Shortly after the siege of Kimberley was lifted, he wrote to Yerburgh, asking him to “…please purchase a riding horse for me for the park…I want a compact grey…” He was a good horseman , although he looked uncomfortable, and according to Yerburgh, had ‘a bad seat in the saddle.’ He fell from his horse on occasion, which happens to every rider from time to time, and on 22 December 1891 while out on his early morning ride fell rather heavily and was unconscious when reached by his companions that included J.X. Merriman. They feared the worst and it appeared his back was broken, but within a few minutes Rhodes was conscious and his back was fine, although he did suffer a broken collarbone and had concussion.
When he first arrived at the diggings, he had a rusty-black pony named “Bandersnatch”, a pony that he used to go shooting game or for his early morning rides. Indeed, he loved horse riding and the outdoor life in Africa.
If the territory he was riding over was new, or if he had to inspect something on the farms or mines, he would often stay in the saddle for up to four hours. Horse riding remained his greatest exercise throughout his life, and he was happiest when in the saddle according to Charlie Rickson. He used to like riding alone, and when with friends or employees, they were not happy riding with him as he “used to hurry his horse along at a jog trot or triple, and people found it an uncomfortable pace.” Jourdan says that he “had a peculiar way of incessantly urging his mount to go forward by constantly, although gently, applying his switch to his flanks. The result was that his horse was always walking at top speed just above his ordinary and natural pace.”
Rhodes’ mind both before and after the siege of Kimberley was totally preoccupied with his stocks of cattle and horses both in South Africa and southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), endless letters, dictated to both William Pickering and Irvine Grimmer as well as his personal secretary, being sent to his farm managers. There is nothing mentioned regarding the pending conflict. Shortly after the siege of Kimberley was lifted, he wrote to Yerburgh, asking him to “…please purchase a riding horse for me for the park…I want a compact grey…” He was a good horseman , although he looked uncomfortable, and according to Yerburgh, had ‘a bad seat in the saddle.’ He fell from his horse on occasion, which happens to every rider from time to time, and on 22 December 1891 while out on his early morning ride fell rather heavily and was unconscious when reached by his companions that included J.X. Merriman. They feared the worst and it appeared his back was broken, but within a few minutes Rhodes was conscious and his back was fine, although he did suffer a broken collarbone and had concussion.
