Mitsubishi Motors is celebrating 25 years of its sponsorship of the iconic Badminton Horse Trials this year, and has joined with World Horse Welfare as the event’s Charity of the Year, to sponsor one of the horses on the trail. Painted in silver, the sculpture will embody the story of World Horse Welfare Yogi, a pony rescued by the charity in 2006 who is now a key player on the UK competitive carriage driving circuit. The stunning sculpture will be wearing a unique, one-of-a-kind hat designed from a Mitsubishi Motors steering wheel by world-renowned hat designer and sculptor, David Shilling.
David Shilling said:
“I’m delighted to be part of the Invisible Horse Trail, supporting World Horse Welfare whose important work makes this world a better place and makes you proud to be a part of it. Young people and adults alike take great joy from their involvement in the charity’s work to care and repatriate horses, so everyone is a winner.”
Judy Boyt’s muse for the original maquette, World Horse Welfare’s Adoption horse May, will be brought to life through a design inspired by World Horse Welfare Field Officer, Claire Gordon. The inspiration behind the design details the ’16 pairs of hands’ that helped take May from her terrible condition when she was found fly-grazing to the healthy, happy horse she is now. Celebrated-tattooist and cartoonist, Judi Milne, is currently translating Claire’s idea onto the fibreglass sculpture in a black outline and visitors to World Horse Welfare’s stand at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials will be able to help ‘colour-in’ the sculpture. Entitled, ‘The People’s Horse’ – the sculpture has kindly been sponsored by media planning and buying agency, TCS Media.
Judi Milne said:
“It’s an honour to be involved in the creation of ‘The People’s Horse’ and the idea of the public interacting with her, led to the idea for the design to be made up of small areas easily coloured in. I have previously been involved in a similar project in Aberdeen and was amazed at the public response. As we become so indulged in our own lives it is very easy to just jolly on, with blinkers on, not absorbing the issues that surround us.
With such an amazing eye catching exhibition, you can’t help but want to look at it and touch it and with May, actually get to have some personal input, the experience stays with you for life and so does the message. I volunteered at World Horse Welfare’s Belwade Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre, working with the lovely Susie Main who became my great friend and has always been a true inspiration due to her amazing strength and character. Susie very sadly passed away a couple of years ago, so I am dedicating my sculpture to her.”
World Horse Welfare’s iconic Clydesdale Adoption horse, Digger, is being embodied through a farming heritage themed design by talented, self-taught rural artist, Judith Stowell. Kindly sponsored by insurance provider, NFU Mutual, Judith’s design will highlight the role of working horses in agriculture and will feature the tartan of Belwade Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre. Judith Stowell said:
