'Ice the Wonder Horse' memorialized with statue

Apr. 18—COYLE — A local celebrity will be forever remembered with a statue in her honor, said Coyle resident Johnny Blaiser.

Known as "Ice the Wonder Horse," the dapple gray quarter horse entertained thousands of people in her lifetime.

She was Stillwater's famous trick horse, owned by Blasier.

Ice died Jan. 6 — and her passing left a big hole in Blasier's heart. This month, she would have been 32 years old.

Blaiser is remembering her with a statue on his property, placed in the spot where he taught her tricks for many years.

Blaiser previously told the News Press that Ice developed cancer six years ago. When she passed, it was an emotional day for Blaiser. She died in the yard between the house and the barn, in the spot where she often showed off her tricks to visitors.

Out in the front yard, where previously a mound of dirt covered her body, Blaiser decided to place a statue in memory of Ice.

The bronze and aluminum statue, delivered March 19, was made in Mexico and purchased from a Kansas company.

It's about "fourteen or fifteen hands" tall, Blaiser said, the same size as a full-grown horse.

Around the base of the statue Blaiser planted flowers and set up spotlights. He said a plaque will be delivered this weekend with her name, date of birth and date and a phrase saying she will not be forgotten.

"I didn't want it to quit, just 'cause she's dead, I want her to be remembered from now on," Blaiser said.

Blaiser said he's already had visitors at his ranch in Coyle, people curious about the horse and those who remembered her.

"I've had people come out that's never got to see the horse, but they said they also knew of me and the horse," Blaiser said.

Blaiser said some days, it's still tough.

"I'll wake up, as soon as I open the door, I'll see her standing there," Blaiser said. "And that's the last thing I do when I come in, I see her standing there, right where she's at."

He said weed eating and planting flowers around the base of the statue helped him to deal with the grief of Ice's passing.

"Every time you leave or every time you come in, that's what you see first thing, (and the) very last," Blaiser said.

Blaiser said he's had horses on his ranch for 46 years, and this is the first time he hasn't had a horse to take care of every day.

"It's sure different," Blaiser said. "... Because I like to train 'em, I like to work with 'em, I like to see what we can do."

His first horse was Ice's mother, who he broke to ride and show off. But when Ice was born he wanted to do something different.

"I just did everything I could possibly think of, (that) I've seen from other people," Blaiser said.

Ice is remembered for many tricks — including dancing to country music, twirling ropes, pulling off her saddle blanket and tossing it and holding a fishing pole.

She'd take a swig from a Coke bottle on command, show her teeth to the word "cheese" and play a guitar, harmonica and keyboard.

She could remove a blindfold from her owner's eyes and untie his hands, kick a football and paint.

Ice performed for many community events, retirement homes and rodeos — and for grade schools in Stillwater, Coyle, Glencoe, Ripley, Yale and more.

Blaiser said he's had many kids who are now grown tell him the trick they remember the most is when he'd ask Ice if she was listening to him.

"She'd shake her head 'Yes,'" Blaiser said. "I'd say, 'Do you like drugs?'" And she'd shake her head, 'No.'"

Some grandparents told him their grandkids have tried to mimic Blaiser by trying to get their own horse to talk, but the horse "don't' say nothing," he said, laughing.

"I would point my finger at her and go 'Bang!' and she would lay down dead," Blasier said. "Then I would get behind her and put a blanket on me to cover up, and she'd turn around and pull it off of me onto her and cover herself up."

Blasier and Ice appeared on the show, "Is This a Great State or What?" with Galen Culver on News Channel 4.

"(That show) made her famous," Blasier said. "They got her started."

Soon she was asked to appear on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Crook and Chase Show in Nashville and the Good Morning Texas Show.

Ice became an official sponsor for Purina and the duo traveled every weekend to numerous states. Her story was picked up by newspapers and appeared in magazines such as "Western Horseman," "Horse Illustrated" and "Oklahoma Today."

"Who would've ever thought, an old goofy guy like me, that ain't very smart, could play with a horse and get it to do the things (she did), and end up in Hollywood three different times?" Blaiser said.