Three equine heroes have been immortalised in a painting commissioned to celebrate the 135th birthday of the Horse Trust, the world’s oldest equine charity.
Horse Trust Legends features the heads of three of the Buckinghamshire centre’s most famous residents — the late Sefton, the British Army horse who suffered horrific shrapnel injuries in the 1982 Hyde Park bombing, Met Police horse Boris, who was awarded the PDSA’s order of merit for bravery during the 2011 Tottenham riots and Viscount, the longest-serving military horse in history.
The painting has been created by former Derbyshire police officer Sarah Perkins, who is now an artist specialising in animals.
The Horse Trust, which was founded in 1886, provides retirement and respite care for horses and ponies that have served in the armed forces and police, making it a cause close to Sarah’s heart.
“I’m thrilled to have been commissioned to create such a meaningful piece of art for the Horse Trust. After serving in the police for over 20 years, I know just how vital horses are to the force, so I’m excited to be honouring them within this piece and helping to raise money for a very special cause,” Sarah said.
The painter created a Christmas card for the Blues and Royals Association in 2020 which sold more than 11,000 copies and raised £6,000.
Limited edition prints of Horse Trust Legends and the artwork itself will be available to buy, with a percentage of proceeds going to the charity.
Alice Morgan, director of fundraising at The Horse Trust, said: “We’re delighted to have Sarah creating our ‘Horse Trust Legends’ artwork for our 135th anniversary.
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“We work hard to make sure that our hardworking equine public servants are well looked after in their retirement, and the funds raised from this will help us to continue our work.”
The original artwork (measuring 61cm x 45cm) is available from www.sarahperkinsart.co.uk/product-category/original-art with 25% of profits being donated to The Horse Trust.
The limited edition prints of the piece can be bought from www.horsetrust.org.uk. There are 250 prints available, in both A4 and A3, priced from £49.50.
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