JUST a few short weeks ago, Irish international event rider Jonty Evans decided to start a crowd-funding campaign in a bid to raise £500,000 to buy his Olympic horse Cooley Rorkes Drift (ISH).

Affectionally known at home as Art, Evans described his Rio partner as his “best friend” and the “horse of a lifetime”.

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 in the individuals at the Rio Olympics, best of the Irish.

With time running out to secure the necessary funding, Evans turned to the public to help secure Art, pledging that the horse will never be sold again and will have a lifetime home with him.

Evans set up the website jontyandart.com, through which people could donate.

The deadline for securing Art was set as August 10th, ahead of next week’s European Eventing Championships.

Around 3,500 people contributed to the cause, with two major donors pledging £250,000 between them.

Then on Wednesday, Evans proudly announced that the campaign had been successful and the £500,000 target had been reached.

On Thursday of this week Evans made a public statement on social media to thank those that helped his cause: “I am genuinely speechless, the sentiment, the messages and the kindness has been mind blowing. I cannot find suitable words to thank you all so much.”

UNPRECEDENTED

Evans also stated that he would be taking a little time “to let this incredible thing sink in, to make sure I make the right plans and decisions by the horse, and to make sure I do the same for the part owners and crowd fund members.

“We have a stack of ideas on how to keep you all involved and how to create the family around Art that we envisaged at the beginning.

“What you have done for Art and I is unprecedented, we need to work out our best ways of thanking you and our best ways ways of keeping you involved.”