‘Sad’ acts of vandalism to Horsepower Highway leave community disappointed

Acts of vandalism along the award-winning Horsepower Highway have angered community members and supporters of the volunteer-organised trail. Two weeks ago, Horsepower Highway project manager Cassandra Beeck went to prepare Lucinda, a pink tractor paying tribute to rural women, for the Bloom Festival when she realised its exhaust was missing. Lucinda is situated halfway between Gnowangerup and North Stirlings, “We turned up to do that work and discovered that someone had just put a little water cap on top and the whole entire exhaust had been taken off and claimed as their own,” she said. “She used to have a very lovely original heritage exhaust that was left in that steel finish. “We have no idea who has done it, and we have no idea whether it was a visitor or a local. “I can’t imagine why anyone would want to do something like that.” A week later, another act of vandalism was uncovered. Someone had stolen an artificial wildflower that had been crafted for the Bloom Festival and and placed on the bridle of the highway’s entry horse. “Because it was just there for them to take wasn’t it?” Ms Beeck said. “The tractors have been carefully curated, and people have generously donated to create something fun for visitors in our district, and they are not looking like they should be. “It’s a bit sad really — especially with the pink tractor which was a gift from many, many, many women to their mothers to honour rural women.” Replacing Lucinda’s exhaust could be a costly and difficult exercise for the volunteer-run project which now boasts 20 stops. “These tractors are rare unique and old. It’s not like there is a dime a dozen that we can just replace,” Ms Beeck said. “We have pictures of what that is like because we took lots of pictures throughout the project, but for now she just doesn’t quite look formed correctly because she has this rusty thing sticking out the top. “We would love if there were some tractor enthusiasts out there or some wreckers or anyone that knows of something that could replace it. “We’d love to hear from them.”