When driving along 12th street near the I-35 exit, drivers might spy something a bit unusual peaking through the west foliage—a giant Hereford bull.
Known as the “Bull on Building” or “Bob,” the Hereford bull is a 5,500-pound bull replica made of fiberglass and polyester resin over a steel frame. The bull itself stands 11 feet, 8 inches tall and is 19 feet, 7 inches long from nose to tail. Currently, it calls Mulkey Square Park home, but this hasn’t always been the case.
The bull first appeared outside of the American Hereford Association building in the 1950s. With the rise of Hereford registrations in the 1920s through ’50s, the piece was to be a testament to the animal and the company. The AHA building was designed by Joseph Radotinsky, and his lead architect, Robert Manos, was the one who came up with the idea to add the bull. However, the statue itself was created by Paul Decker with the firm Rochetti and Parzinin of New York.
The statue was inspired by Hillcrest Larry IV, a 3-year-old, 1,900-pound bull in Maryland. An AHA field man and a few sculptors from the firm visited the giant Hereford and knew this beast would be the perfect model for the project.
The finished product was supposed to be presented in the summer of 1953. However, the bull was only half-finished, and it wasn’t until October 1954 when it was finally complete. Despite its unfinished state, President Dwight D. Eisenhower visited the AHA in Kansas City and dedicated the bull on Oct. 16, 1953, as a tribute to those who have established “the Hereford breed as leader in the beef cattle world.”
In 1997, the AHA moved and the bull was placed in storage. But the bull’s fate soon changed. In 2000, the Kansas City Parks and Recreation department tracked the bull down, wanting to display it once again. In 2002, the city and the AHA came to an agreement that stated the AHA could claim the bull within 20 years. That time has now passed.
“According to the Parks and Recreation agreement with the American Hereford Association and MC Real Estate Services, as of June 2022 the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department now permanently owns the bull,” says Angela Moss, assistant archivist of the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department.
Now, standing in Mulkey Square Park next to a baseball field and playground, the Hereford bull statue faces north, watching those driving along the 12th Street bridge.
Known as the “Bull on Building” or “Bob,” the Hereford bull is a 5,500-pound bull replica made of fiberglass and polyester resin over a steel frame.
