Badminton Horse Trials theft: hare statue worth £19,000 stolen

A bronze statue worth thousands of pounds was stolen from Badminton Horse Trials overnight on Saturday (7-8 May).

The bronze hare, created by Somerset artist Jan Sweeney, is valued at £19,000 and was stolen from a trade stand at the Gloucestershire five-star event, presented by Mars Equestrian, which concluded yesterday.

“Being bronze, the statue weighs a considerable amount and so it’s likely more than one person was involved in removing it from the trade stand it was on display at,” said PC Matt Leigh of Avon and Somerset Police, adding that the force would like to hear from anyone who may have seen it being removed or transported and also asked anyone who was there on the final day to keep their eyes open.

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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.

Police seek information after £19,000 statue stolen from Badminton

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“If you have information which could help us recover the statue and find those responsible for the theft, please contact us.”

To contact police, call 101 and give reference number 5222108421. Or call charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Update, 10 May: A spokesman for Badminton Horse Trials reported that the sculpture has now been recovered.

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