The shoes of equine legends Valegro, Big Star and Many Clouds are among those making up a sculpture set to be auctioned this month.
Shoes from more than 40 horses were used to create the life-size replica of 12hh Clippy, which featured in World Horse Welfare’s gold medal-winning garden at the Chelsea Flower Show this year.
Tom Hill’s creation, which also includes shoes worn by Uthopia, Nip Tuck and Billy The Biz, is on display at the National Heritage Centre in Newmarket and will be auctioned as part of the Cheltenham Countryside Race Day on 17 November, when World Horse Welfare is the beneficiary.
The charity’s fundraising director Emma Williams, said: “This amazing sculpture was a real talking point at the Chelsea Flower Show and has since been receiving a lot of attention, both at our Glenda Spooner Farm rescue and rehoming centre and at the National Heritage Centre so he’d be a fantastic addition for any garden.
“The fact he is also made up of a number of shoes from equine stars, not to mention some World Horse Welfare ‘celebrities’ makes it unique and a must-have for any avid equestrian sport fan.”
Clippy was rescued from “terrible conditions” by World Horse Welfare and the inclusion of the sculpture was aimed at raising awareness of “invisible horses” across the world, whose suffering often goes unnoticed.
The artisan garden took the people’s choice award at Chelsea as well as the gold medal.
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“Whilst it was never the main aim of being here at RHS Chelsea, we are tickled pink to have been awarded this medal,” World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers said at the time. “Our garden gives us such a brilliant platform to tell a story that so well reflects the thousands of horses who desperately need our help today.”
Online bids can be submitted in advance via the charity’s website.
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