Pete Thonsgaard, a retired Liberty County agriculture teacher and Dayton resident, recently put his welding skills to good use and left his friend Stacey Gates in awe. Thonsgaard crafted an unforgettable 7-foot 4-inch Christmas tree made of 285 discarded horseshoes gathered by Gates. When decked out in all the glory of 1,000 twinkling lights, the tree is both unusual and captivating.
“All I asked for was a simple flat Christmas tree of about 60 horseshoes,” said Gates, explaining her original request to Thonsgaard. “But Pete had a different plan. He had a vision and made it a reality with his welding talents.”
At the top of the tree, Thonsgaard fashioned a star from the horseshoes and painted it red. When the tree is illuminated by light, it projects an incredible visual treat, casting intriguing horseshoe-shaped patterns on the walls.
Lighting the tree took a little extra time as there are no branches to hide or support the tree’s wires. Gates said she painstakingly wove the wires in and out of the horseshoes and around the pole center. Her tree skirt is made from cow hides. Gates said the tree fits perfectly into the rustic and western ambiance of her home in Tolar, Texas.
More than anything, the tree has special meaning to Gates because of the time put into it by Thonsgaard and because it is the fulfillment of a dream of her late husband, Jim.
“I lost my husband of 36 years in June 2022. I met Pete about eight months ago and told him about this vision for a Christmas tree. This is what he came up with, and I love it,” Gates said.
Gates, a barrel racer, gathered the 285 horseshoes from her farrier over the course of several months.
“My farrier comes every six weeks to change the shoes on my horses. I got the horseshoes from the ones he was throwing away,” she said.
The horseshoe tree is deceptively easy to set up, which surprises most people who have seen it.
“Everyone’s comment is ‘I bet it’s heavy’ but the unique thing about it is that it comes apart and is very easy and quick to put together,” said Gates, adding that the “branches” are actually separate sections that are inserted into the center pole.
Gates said she had no trouble at all setting up the tree in her living room by herself after picking it up from Thonsgaard’s shop in Dayton. She is hoping to share the tree with more people next year.
“Be sure and watch for this tree next year in Dayton’s Christmas tree contest!” she said.
To see TikTok videos of the tree, search for @sgates815.