Utah Restaurant Removes Oversized Bull Appendage After Outrage

In Hurricane, Utah, chatter has finally died down after a copper bull statue lost a notable private part over the weekend.

Stephen Ward, owner of Barista’s restaurant, decided it would be a good idea for the bull to lose its over-sized appendage that resulted in multiple complaints from members of the community.

Hurricane residents went to the city council to complain and asked them to revoke Ward’s business license.

According to Ward, he told city officials that his decision to remove the private part wasn’t due to community pressure, but for his own reasons because he felt the statue looked better without it.

Before the bull issue, there had been tension between some members of the local community and Ward.

On March 14, there was a physical dispute between a local patron and an employee of the restaurant. The Hurricane City Police Department said the patron was charged with various misdemeanors such as assault. Ward said the entire matter should have been handled better and the patron should have been arrested.

The over-sized genitalia apparently spurred additional friction with Ward and some members of the community. After numerous complaints, city officials were looking at the possibility of having the bull forcibly removed or altered.

The planning department approved the sign and Ward is said to have gone through the proper channels. However, the dimensions of certain animal parts don’t appear to have been created as planned.

Ward agreed something felt off after he put the bull up. He said it didn’t look right because of its “cone” shape, but he had no idea what a bull’s private parts were supposed to looked like. The owner said it wasn’t his intention to upset people, but that the conflict has actually helped his business.

Ward told the media that he purchased the bull “as-is” and that he has had fun with the attention and additional business from the story.