Horse sculpture marks FH Brundle 130th anniversary
The reception area of FH Brundle’s new Burton-on-Trent distribution centre now proudly displays a life-sized sculpture of a horse, marking the company’s 130th anniversary and honouring the memory of Richard Brundle MBE, who started working for the family business in 1956 and helped guide and grow the company into the modern era.
It is said that in the early years of FH Brundle’s trading history, before motor cars dominated the streets, that all horses on the roads of London were shod with horseshoes supplied by FH Brundle. The metal and wire sculpture, by Emma Stothard, is entitled Every Horse in London and shows a working horse being shod by a farrier.
Emma’s design was chosen from more than 100 entries from professional sculptors, blacksmiths, students, artists and fabricators, both from the UK and overseas. The brief was to design and install an internal freestanding sculpture for the main reception area, using FH Brundle products. The suggestions ranged from modern pieces to traditional sculptures and Emma was announced as the winner last June.
Emma has always enjoyed drawing the Holderness landscapes around her home and as a teenager connected with nature when she worked on local farms during school holidays and vacations from Southampton Solent University, where she studied for a BA Hons in Fine Art.
After graduating, she briefly moved to the Somerset Levels to learn the process of growing, coppicing, bundling and weaving willow.
She returned to Yorkshire to study for a PGCE at Bretton Hall, Wakefield, where she was surrounded by the inspiring work of Henry Moore and Elizabeth Frink in the grounds of what is now the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and began making geese and small animals from woven willow.
After teaching in West Yorkshire, Emma moved to Whitby and took a teaching post at Whitby Community College, where the art department supported her development as a sculptor.
On a cold December morning, the sculpture was collected from Emma’s workshop in Whitby, and travelled across the Yorkshire Moors strapped to the back of one of FH Brundle’s flat-bed lorries, turning many heads along the 150 miles journey to its permanent home in Burton-on-Trent.
The installation took place on January 30th. Emma Stothard, Richard Twiddy and Mike Brundle were on site to officially install the sculpture. After many weeks of planning and several months in the making, a few minor adjustments and some precise measuring was required before “Every Horse in London” was finally placed in position and will no doubt be turning more heads.
However, Emma had one more surprise for Mike and presented him with the original scaled prototype. This has now taken pride of place in Mike’s London office.
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