Red, the pit pony, that caused a three-week strike

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A new sculpture was unveiled in Collie, Western Australia, on Australia Day 2021. It is a tribute to the pit ponies and miners who used to work in the coal mines in Collie. While the statue is nicely done, I think the proportions leave a bit to be desired as 'pit ponies' in Australia, despite the name, were mostly much larger and heavier than those in the UK. Many were Clydesdales, or a Clydesdale cross, and would have been much taller than the sculpture depicts. I guess the tunnels were built to accommodate their larger size. In 1948, one Collie pit pony, named ‘Red’ because of his roan coat, attained notoriety. In his first stint underground, he bolted, spilling a tonne of coal from his skip and damaging five roof supports. The miners refused to work with Red and a strike was called. While the three-week-long strike was on, Red was locked away in a colliery official’s garage. The miners won out but not before they and the mine had lost a great deal financially. I read on another notice that Red didn’t go back underground but was bought by a tradesman. However, he regularly refused to cross a particular bridge in the town. By that time, he had gained a bit of a fan club and was eventually put out to pasture for the rest of his days. Red’s story would probably make a good Aussie film in the style of ‘Red Dog’.