A Race Horse named '100' brings artistic talents together

100 students from Art Shape and Glenfall Primary School collaborated with local artists to decorate one of 10 horses that blaze a trail from Montpellier to the Racecourse to celebrate the centenary of the Cheltenham Festival.

The original horse sculpture was created by local artist P.J. Crooks and they are being exhibited as part of Cheltenha...m Art Gallery and Museum’s ‘Off the Wall, on the Move’ programme.

At the end of the exhibition, on 16th October, the horses will be auctioned to raise funds for local charities at the Racecourse.

The community project, coordinated by artist and deepspaceworks/studios/gallery​ owner, Su Billington and Cheltenham Open Studios Project manager, Niki Whitfield, was executed by artists Beth Forrester, Jo Lucas and Su who reproduced the designs created by Art Shape students and pupils at Glenfall Primary School onto the horse. The Students and Pupils had been asked to express what the Cheltenham Racecourse meant to them.

This Horse, number 9 of the 10, is currently in Pittville Park between the Pump Rooms and the playground there.

“I was invited to coordinate the community horse and chose this opportunity to involve Art Shape students and a school in a public art project …it took 3 weeks of dawn-til-dusk days to get their works on to the horse but it has all been worth it!” Su Billington – DeepSpaceWorks Studios & Art Gallery

We hope you agree!