Next week, Princess Anne will unveil a new life-sized bronze of the Household Cavalry horse Sefton at the Royal Veterinary College in North Mymms, Hertfordshire.

The statue of Sefton is sited outside the College's Teaching and Research Centre, standing on the footprint of the former Sefton Equine Hospital, a facility which has now been relocated to a new Equine Referral Hospital on campus. 

Sefton suffered terrible injuries in the Hyde Park bombing of July 1982 in which four men and seven horses died. In the aftermath of the bombing, as the most severely injured horse, his story of recovery captured the nation's hearts and the horse came to symbolise the resilience that is characteristic of the armed forces.

Many who knew and rode Sefton have provided the detailed briefings necessary for the sculptor, Camilla Le May, to capture the character and spirit of a great horse. Camilla said: "It was fascinating to talk to those who rode and knew Sefton well and this, along with studying old photos, enabled me to find out some of his individual traits such as the way he often tilted his head, looking back over his shoulder, which I chose to represent in this work. He was by all accounts a strong character and quite a handful, especially in his youth. Perhaps it was partly this strength of character that helped him pull through his appalling injuries." 

Professor Josh Slater, head of the equine clinical group at the RVC, said: "The College has a proud tradition of furthering care and developing innovative treatments through dedicated equine veterinary surgeons and nurses. We were proud to have received a grant from The Horse Trust in 1986 to build our former equine hospital in Sefton's memory. Whilst we may have moved our practice to bigger and better facilities this new statue will serve as a reminder of the bravery and resilience of Sefton that inspired so many."

The new statue was commissioned to recognise and honour the life-time achievements of one of the College's longest servicing senior academics Professor Peter Lees, who retired in 2010. It was funded by RVC Honorary Fellow and Chairman of Norbrook Lord Ballyedmond OBE.

Professor Stuart Reid, Principal at the RVC, said: "I would like to thank the generosity of our friend Lord Ballyedmond for his kind donation in recognition of our esteemed colleague Professor Lees that has enabled us create this statue in memory of a great horse."

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