Sculpture dedicated to Douglas Bunn at Hickstead
A memorial sculpture featuring Douglas Bunn on his most famous horse to locomote unveiled during the Hickstead Derby coming together this weekend.
Bunn (1928-2009) was the founder of the All England Jumping Course at Hickstead, as well as 1 of the biggest innovators inwards the sport of showjumping.
The sculpture – inwards the shape of a ‘relief’ – has been created past times creative soul Philip Blacker, who is a friend of the Bunn family. It is the outset fourth dimension Blacker has worked with this type of fine art form, which is somewhat apt for a tribute to Douglas Bunn, 1 of equestrian sport’s swell pioneers.
“The fine art of relief sculpture has rather fallen out of utilisation inwards recent years as well as and hence I was keen to do something that was unusual,” Blacker said. “Making a relief on this scale was non without its challenges, partly because of the foreshortening outcome of the Equus caballus as well as passenger coming towards 1 at such an needlelike angle. I am pleased with the termination immediately it has been cast inwards stone.”
Blacker has created to a greater extent than or less of the most iconic sculptures inwards equestrianism, including life-size statues of Red Rum, Desert Orchid, Best Mate as well as Farsi Punch. As Douglas had been a friend of Philip’s father, General Sir Cecil ‘Monkey’ Blacker, as well as had owned several pieces of Blacker’s artwork, the Bunn household unit of measurement felt Philip was the perfect choice to do a memorial statue inwards retention of their father.
“I was delighted to locomote asked to do the memorial because I knew Douglas when he was locomote as well as I was a swell admirer,” Blacker says.
“I felt that rather than conduct maintain simply a normal statue it would locomote ameliorate if it was inwards the context of Hickstead. The solution I felt was a relief panel of Douglas jumping a Hickstead wall on Beethoven, with the grandstand inwards the background. I idea it was of import to portray him inwards activeness inwards his heyday, as well as I promise the Bunn household unit of measurement mean value it is a plumbing equipment tribute to Douglas.”
The relief features an icon of Douglas riding his dearest Beethoven. Beethoven remains to this hateful solar daytime the exclusively British Equus caballus to ever locomote crowned World Champion, when David Broome rode him to victory at La Baule inwards 1970. “Bootsie”, every bit he was known inwards the stable, was famous for his large white blaze, as well as for flicking his tail high inwards the air when he jumped.
A successful showjumper inwards his ain right, Douglas had dreamt of creating a world-class sporting venue to challenger the best showgrounds inwards Europe. In 1959, he bought Hickstead Place, a manor solid dating dorsum inwards parts to the 13th century. With the buy of 100 acres of surrounding province inwards Sussex, he had establish the venue for the realisation of his dream — the All England Jumping Course. In May 1960, the outset Equus caballus exhibit was held at Hickstead.
The next winter, having seen a newsreel of the Hamburg Derby, Douglas Bunn flew out to Federal Republic of Federal Republic of Germany to reckon the course of report for himself. He arrived inwards a snowstorm as well as gear upwards virtually measurement the dimensions of all the permanent obstacles, including the Derby banking concern — which he planned to replicate dorsum at Hickstead. It may locomote due to the additional snowfall lying on top or perchance it was due to Douglas’s ain ambition, but Hickstead’s banking concern ended upwards a practiced half dozen inches higher than its Hamburg counterpart.
The Hickstead Derby has locomote 1 of the most famous classes inwards showjumping, as well as is immediately inwards its 52nd year. As good every bit the Derby meeting, the All England Jumping Course also hosts the Longines Royal International Horse Show, which features the Longines King George V Gold Cup as well as the FEI Nations Cup of Great Britain.
Following Douglas’s transcend inwards 2009, his household unit of measurement took over the running of the showground, as well as Hickstead continues to locomote from trace to strength. The International Arena went through a £500,000 redevelopment inwards 2011, as well as a novel national exhibit – the All England Jumping Championships – was added to the calendar final year.
It has been to a greater extent than than 5 decades since Douglas Bunn outset dreamed of opening a showground inwards West Sussex, as well as his legacy lives on to this day. The memorial statue at Hickstead volition locomote unveiled during this week’s British Jumping Derby Meeting (June 21 to 24).
“The All England Jumping Course was my father’s proudest achievement, as well as hence it’s plumbing equipment that this memorial statue should locomote sited correct adjacent to the International Arena as well as hence that all the visitors to the showground volition reckon it every bit they arrive,” says Hickstead manager Lizzie Bunn.
“Dad was a swell innovator, creating the sport of Team Chasing every bit good every bit the much-imitated Eventing Grand Prix,” Lizzie added. “But he volition ever locomote best remembered for founding the Hickstead Derby, as well as hence nosotros wanted to unveil this memorial during this year’s Derby meeting.”
The half dozen youngest Bunn children – Edward, Lizzie, John, Chloe, Daisy as well as Charlie – are all directors at Hickstead. Edward as well as Lizzie run the showground throughout the year, spell the others combine their roles at Hickstead with other careers.
John is Managing Director of the family’s other business, Bunn Leisure, as well as old showjumper Chloe runs Breen Equestrian at Hickstead with her husband, Irish Gaelic showjumper Shane Breen. Daisy combines her Hickstead duties with her ain photography business, Honeybunn Photography, as well as Charlie his with beingness an actor.
Douglas’s eldest 3 daughters, Claudia, Lavinia as well as Theresa, conduct maintain also taken a keen involvement inwards Hickstead, as well as his x grandchildren are all keen riders.
On Saturday, June 23, the entire household unit of measurement volition assemble at Hickstead to formally opened upwards the memorial statue, amongst creative soul Philip Blacker as well as Beethoven’s rider, showjumper David Broome.
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