THE equine artist Nicola Russell died on Monday at the Marie Curie Hospice in Belfast. She had been living with breast cancer since 2007. Her funeral takes place today at 11am at Roselawn Crematorium, Belfast.

A renowned international artist who specialised in horse paintings and portraits, Russell was commissioned in 2009 to paint a giant portrait of Istabraq after readers of The Irish Field had voted the triple Champion Hurdle winner their favourite of recent years.