Princess Anne meets Grand National winner at vet school launch

A newly expanded equine veterinary hospital and a sculpture by Kelpies creator Andy Scott have been unveiled by the Princess Royal.

Princess Anne opened the new veterinary building this week (1 May) at the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School.

She also met 2017 Grand National winner One For Arthur, who was undergoing a routine heart scan as part of a study into the hearts of elite horses.

The facilities include new diagnostic and surgical suites and a critical care unit with 24-hour video monitoring.

Princess Anne also revealed the 15ft horse’s head sculpture, titled Canter, which stands at the centre of the entrance hall. The sculpture represents working horses and weighs 1.5 tonnes.

Professor David Argyle, head of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, said the school is “delighted” Princess Anne attended.

“The opening of the new expanded equine hospital represents a major step change in how we treat horses,” he said.

“We are also delighted with Canter — an incredible piece of art and fitting for a veterinary school that was originally established to support the treatment of working horses.”

Mr Scott added: “I chose a heavy horse to reflect the original intent of the school, which was set up to help work horses in the early 19th century.

“I am delighted with how it fits into the environment, blending with the unique architectural features of the building and the stone plinth.”

Article continues below…

You might also be interested in:

World-famous Kelpies given groom and ‘health check’

A team of specialists have been drafted in to "groom" the Kelpies' coats, inspect their teeth and give them a

Giant horse shoe sculpture of Scott Brash unveiled in his home town

The 3m sculpture is made of two tonnes of horse shoes — four of which were once worn by Hello

‘One For Arthur’s done Scotland proud’: Lucinda Russell becomes fourth female trainer to win the Grand National

The winning connections of Grand National hero One For Arthur reflect on a day they will never forget

The new building has been named after the former principal Orlando Charnock Bradley and is also home to a gym and the Roslin Innovation Centre, which provides laboratory and office space for animal and veterinary science start-up companies.

For all the latest news analysis, competition reports, interviews, features and much more, don’t miss Horse & Hound magazine, on sale every Thursday.

Also inside this week’s edition, 75 years of Royal Windsor Horse Show magic, ‘big dreamer’ sets up eventing grand slam bid and investment sparks debate over grass versus surfaces.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now