Submitted By W. Neil Dorrill, District Manager - Dorrill Management Group
In an unusual line of property coverage, Preferred insures the famous “Lely Freedom Horse” statues which are the property of the Lely Community Development District, a Preferred member based in Naples. The five 1,000 pound bronze statues are 1¼ life size with an appraised value at over $200,000 each. The “Freedom Horses” are second only to the Naples Pier as one of the most recognized symbols in Southwest Florida.
The horses were commissioned in 1992 by renowned artist/sculptor Veryl Goodnight of Colorado. The commissioning agreement gave the artist the ownership of the original molds for duplication. The Lely Freedom Horses have been replicated twice and are on display at the George HW Bush Presidential Library in Texas and the Berlin Freedom Memorial in Germany.
Three additional horses were cast as part of the original work and were stored for many years at the foundry in Oregon. Relocated to Naples in 2013 they are now being installed at a second entrance to the community. Lely Resort is a 3,000 acre master planned community with over 7,000 homes. The Community Development District provides a wide range of services, is governed by a 5 member Board of Supervisors and has been a Preferred member for 15 years according to District Manager W. Neil Dorrill.