‘Into The Wind’: 12ft bronze unveiled at Ascot in honour of Prince Charles
The Prince of Wales has unveiled a striking new sculpture of a horse’s head at Ascot racecourse on Friday (23 November) in honour of his 70th birthday.
The bronze statue, by Nic Fiddian-Green, is titled “Into The Wind” and was revealed in the pre-parade ring.
The 12ft-high statue weighs 1.5 tonnes and depicts a horse being ridden into a strong headwind, with his nose down, ears back, powering through.
Prince Charles was attending as part of the Prince’s Countryside Fund Charity raceday.
He met supporters, ambassadors and beneficiaries of the charity and also cut a detailed celebration cake, made by Fiona Ciarns.
The race day has raised an estimated £1.3 million for the fund over the past four years, which make it the largest fundraiser in the charity’s calendar.
The money goes towards helping enhance the prospects of family farm businesses and the quality of rural life across the UK.
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“Friday’s event was immensely successful,” said Lord Curry of Kirkharle, chairman of the Prince’s Countryside Fund.
“Not only did we raise a fantastic amount for the charity, but we also had the opportunity to share with racegoers and the wider racing community the valuable work we are doing to help secure a sustainable future for British farming and the countryside.
“We are incredibly grateful to the sponsors and visitors who supported the event and the team at Ascot for putting on such a memorable day.”
The 11 jockeys riding in the 2018 charity race have raised more than £25,000 in sponsorship.
Amateur jockey Rosie Margarson (pictured, above) won the race with Caribbean Spring, trained by her father, George.
Juliet Slot, chief commercial officer at the racecourse added: “We are proud to support this invaluable charity, which was set up in 2010 by HRH The Prince of Wales to help secure a brighter future for those in need in rural Britain.
“In its short history, the Fund has provided some £9 million to 225 projects, helping rural communities across the UK.”
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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.