Thresheree Carousel

The Forever Young Carousel all started from a dream, much like how most of the Union Thresheree was built from, a dream. Andy Moravec, who has been a lifetime member since he was a child, has always been fascinated with mechanical things! There are a few other tractor shows from across the country that have a carousel, and he wanted to bring that crowd favorite to our show.

After a few years of searching, a 1948 C.W. Parker Carousel came up for sale in Central Iowa. During the September 2023 membership meeting, Andy presented the idea to the club, which unanimously voted to purchase the carousel.

The carousel was disassembled in Iowa and hauled to Symco in two trips during October. This is then what began the timely restoration process! The aluminum horses had seven layers of paint on them that needed to be removed, and then a few of the horses also were in need of weld repairs. The cosmetics and electrical components were in severe disrepair and needed to be replaced in their entirety.

With the disrepair of much of the carousel, this allowed the club to make it our own. Wayne Moravec and Andy Moravec spent much of their winter building and reconstructing much of the woodwork. Allowing us to incorporate a theme of tractor brands into the design. The rounding boards were also re-built and then hand-painted by a local artist, Laura Schley. These murals that are on the boards today all feature a scene from our show, and are sponsored by a club member.

The horses were sandblasted by Andy M. and Bentley Phillips. Then each horse was hand-painted by Tammy Moravec; she was the Queen behind the brush! Each horse took roughly 40 hours to complete, with each horse having a unique color scheme. Horses were sponsored by members and individuals who then got to pick their color scheme and even name their horse! The carousel also features two benches and a lover’s tub.

After a long winter of restoration, the assembly began! The foundation was poured, and the framework was set. Then, as the show approached, the horses were aligned, and Andy began planning the big reveal!

The 2024 July Union Thresheree was the official opening of The Forever Young Carousel!

We’re incredibly grateful to all our sponsors for helping make the Union Thresheree possible. Your generosity keeps Wisconsin’s agricultural heritage alive and brings the Thresheree to life for generations to enjoy.