A UNIQUE public art display and fundraising initiative trail and exhibition was launched at Naas Racecourse last Saturday and caused plenty of interest among racegoers. The project, under stARTers orders, was to task 21 of Ireland’s top equine artists to each paint their own unique version of a life-sized resin fibreglass horse sculpture.

The project was established to celebrate the redevelopment of the Curragh Racecourse and aims to raise much needed funds for Kildare based charities, the Irish Injured Jockeys fund and Sensational Kids. Some interesting names are involved in the project including U2’s The Edge, who created Sheba in collaboration with Duda, and top artists Lia Laimbock, Sarah Lennon and Marina Hamilton.

The Edge commented: “This is a wonderful initiative to be a part of in aid of two most worthy charities, Irish Injured Jockeys and Sensational Kids. Duda has captured my vision of Sheba perfectly, I’m thrilled with it. The concept is a simple one, I’ve always loved zebras but as a kid discovered that they could never be tamed or ridden like their cousin the horse. This is my fantasy: a cross between an Arabian horse and a zebra!”

The horses will be dispersed around Co Kildare over the coming months. Some have already been pre-sold, others are available for sale over the coming weeks and a small selection have been earmarked for auction at the Curragh on Friday June 28th, as part of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby festivities, with all the proceeds raised benefiting both charities.

For further information visit startersorders.ie.