Britain’s first life-size memorial of a war horse is being unveiled in a park in Romsey, Hampshire this summer.
In World War One the Remount Camp just outside of the town trained 120,000 horses and mules for life on the front, where many died.
After the war the camp was completely demolished, but the remaining hardcore was used to raise the ground level of the War Memorial Park in Romsey.
A group of local people have commissioned equestrian sculptor Amy Goodman to create a statue for the park to commemorate the horses and men who served in the camp.
The commission is a life-long ambition for the 40 year-old Hampshire-based sculptor.
“All my career I’ve wanted to sculpt a life-size horse as a public memorial. It is such an honour to be involved in such a project as this,” she told H&H.
The trooper has a broken arm in the sculpture, to portray the injuries sustained in war, and is depicted holding his other arm out for his horse to nuzzle.
“I wish to convey the powerful bond between horse and soldier, despite their hardship through war,” added Amy.
She started her research in 2011 gaining inspiration from Lionel Edwards’ sketches and Munnings’ renditions of Major General Jack Seely and his famous horse, Warrior.
The project is costing £80,000 with public donations, auctions and local fundraising having raised three quarters of the funds so far.
A local brewer has created “the Romsey War Horse” ale to help with fundraising, and bronze limited-edition maquettes of the memorial project are being sold.
Amy Goodman’s Romsey War Horse maquette won the British Sporting Art Trust best sculpture award at the annual Society of Equestrian Artists “Horse in Art” exhibition in 2013.
The sculpture is being cast in bronze resin and will be unveiled on 3 July.
For more information visit: www.romseywarhorse.co.uk
