made in 1938 and 1939, but also failed. Fraser and Friedlander completed work on their full-size models in 1939.

With the full-size plasters ready, the CFA made another push for funds in 1940. Money appeared to be available in the National Park Service budget, but bids for the granite and carving came in $70,000 too high. James Earle Fraser then suggested that the statues be cast in bronze or Benedict nickel (an alloy of copper and nickel). Friedlander and the CFA agreed with this suggestion, and in August 1941 both sculptors signed contracts to redesign their models for casting in bronze. For Friedlander, this meant removing the "web" supports beneath his horses and returning to his original design.

Lobbying Congress for money halted for a time while work proceeded onmade a survey American foundries, and told the CFA that few had been converted from war work back to art casting. Furthermore, only one foundry was large enough to handle the work, and it demanded an escalator clause in its contract. The park service expressed its opinion that an escalator clause would not be approved by federal budget officials. Members of Congress suggested, however, that a European nation be asked to cast the statues as part of the Marshall Plan. There was widespread agreement among CFA members and the sculptors that this should be pursued.

Meanwhile, on February 20, 1950, the CFA began reconsidering the height of the statues' pedestals. The previously approved pedestals were deemed to be too low, and the CFA considered raising them to . The