Giant horse sculpture weighing three quarters of a ton is lifted into place at the Great Yorkshire Showground ahead of opening of 2023 event

The 12ft equine ode has been created by 31-year-old North Yorkshire sculptor Ollie Holman. Weighing about 750 kilograms – three-quarters of a ton – the intricately welded design captures a powerful horse rearing upon its hind legs.

It was craned into position outside the Yorkshire Event Centre today (Friday) where it will welcome visitors to the art show and food hall at the Great Yorkshire Show from Tuesday, July 11 to Friday, July 14.

Ollie, from near Selby, who began experimenting with metal sculpting when he was a teenager, has been working on the masterpiece for five years in between other projects and cannot wait to see it at the heart of the Great Yorkshire Show.

“I hope it stops people in their tracks and creates a big crowd around it. It will be nice to see people’s reactions,” he said.

Charles Mills, show director, said: “Ollie’s sculpture is a true epic that I have no doubt will turn heads at the Great Yorkshire Show.

"We are proud of the high-quality equestrian classes we have at the show each year, so this is a very fitting sculpture to have in such a prominent position on the Showground.”

Ollie learned to weld as a 13-year-old under the guidance of his father David and later studied at Leeds College of Art.

The horse sculpture is entitled Os II after the Yorkshire slang for horse and because this is Ollie’s second attempt at sculpting a full-scale rearing horse. His first was sold to the prestigious Cheltenham Racecourse.

Ollie said: “The driving force behind this one was to improve myself as an artist and really capture the raw physical power of the horse in more detail. For this one, I layered up the horseshoes to give it that sense of power.

“To get the form right, I relied on images of horses online and my mum and dad rent a field off for horses, so a quick hop over the fence came in handy too.”

Ollie would move a scaffolding frame around his developing sculpture and would jump on and off to get a wider perspective after each adjustment to ensure the form of the horse was just right.

Ollie, who first attended the Great Yorkshire Show as a schoolboy, added: “It’s nice to be bringing it to the show.

"Being a Yorkshireman and bringing a sculpture made of horseshoes from all over Yorkshire to a place that celebrates Yorkshire feels very fitting.”

Ollie’s metalwork horses were initially inspired by his sister’s horse riding, but his repertoire extends beyond the equine to sculptures of human form.

Some of Ollie’s other work will be available to view and purchase in the Great Yorkshire Show’s art show, which will host 14 of Yorkshire’s finest established artists, with work inspired by the beauty of the county and beyond.

As for Os II, which has also been displayed at Wetherby Racecourse and Newby Hall, Ollie said: “It’s for sale or could be rented out.

"I’ve had enquiries for weddings – but it would be nice to keep it in Yorkshire!”