JUST a few short weeks ago, Irish event rider, Jonty Evans decided to start a crowd-funding campaign in order to raise the necessary £500,000 to secure the ride on his Olympic horse, Cooley Rorkes Drift or Art as he is affectionately known.

Art's owner, Fiona Elliott had significant interest from buyers and was considering selling the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse with whom Evans finished ninth with at the Olympics in Rio.

Evans set up the website jontyandart.com, through which people could donate and the deadline for securing Art was tomorrow, August 10th. Two large sums of money, £150,000 and £100,000, were donated as part of the campaign, with the latter coming in just this week.

This second donation gave the campaign the final bit of momentum it needed and today, Wednesday, Evans announced that the target had been reached.

More on this story in this week's The Irish Field, in shops Saturday, August 12th.