Kristi Noem has left internet users thoroughly bewildered after unveiling a life-sized bronze statue of herself standing alongside a horse. The former South Dakota governor was honored in Pierre on Friday, Aug. 7, as part of the state’s traditional Trail of Governors public art project.

While locals understand the long-standing tradition of honoring past leaders, onlookers outside of the area have been left scratching their heads. A viral video captured the moment the monument was revealed, showing a bronze likeness of Noem wearing a cowboy hat and standing next to her horse, Iceman.

The bizarre scene quickly gained traction online after FactPost shared a clip of the C-SPAN footage on X.

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The post exploded in popularity, gaining over 148,000 views within just a few hours.

However, instead of celebratory praise, the comment section quickly became a magnet for confused reactions from social media users demanding context.

Critics immediately flooded the replies to question the necessity of a life-sized animal and human monument, with X user @redheadb89 simply posting, “For what?” Others shared the sentiment, with @Nancy11189538 asking, “Why?” and @timothysees adding, “What the f— for?”

Despite the internet’s collective confusion, the monument actually holds a deeper meaning for South Dakotans.

The statue was created by local artist John Lopez, who is widely known for his distinct, Western-style sculptures.

During her unveiling ceremony, Noem actually admitted that her initial reaction to the project was, “Shouldn’t I be dead first?” However, the foundation routinely honors living former governors.

Furthermore, South Dakota routinely commissions these bronze monuments for all of its former governors through the privately funded Trail of Governors initiative.

The outdoor bronze unveiling coincided with a ceremony inside the state capitol building, where Noem’s official gubernatorial oil portrait was also presented to the public.