SUPERSTAR horse Valegro may be more used to gold - but now he’s going to be immortalised in bronze!

Plans for a community sculpture in the centre of the three-time Olympic champion’s home town of Newent have been given the green light by Forest Council planners after a two-year-long £160,000 fundraising campaign.

The half life-size bronze statue of the dressage horse, who was ridden to Olympic glory at London 2012 and Rio 2016 by Charlotte Dujardin, will be mounted on a stone plinth beside the town’s Market House, where a rowan tree previously stood.

A report to planners said: “The proposal to install a statue to commemorate the significant achievements of the equestrian champion horse Valegro, who was trained and stabled in Newent, has been discussed over recent years.

“Following an extensive round of local, county and national public consultation exercises, the community of Newent, including the town and district council, overwhelmingly agreed to support a statue.”

The Newent Initiative Trust who are behind the scheme said it would complement the gold post box outside the post office that honours Valegro and Charlotte’s London 2012 achievements, which attracts visitors who like having their photo taken with it.

They also say the statue, which will measure 1.8m high and 1.4m long with the plinth, will help Newent become a “destination of choice for visitors and bolster current business in the unique market town.”

Gloucestershire animal artist and sculptor Georgie Welch is currently working on the commission having won a competition to make the bronze, which will show Valegro plaited and wearing his competition tack.

She said: “Through my sculpture I attempt to portray the natural power, grace and beauty of my favourite subjects… working with horses is often overwhelmingly irresistible.”

Valegro’s tribute will be sited close to a plaque to another of the town’s famous sons - legendary music producer Joe Meek, who was born in a house beside the Market Hall.

The original plan was for a full life-size statue, but Valegro owner and Olympic medallist Carl Hester agreed with the trust that its scale would be “overpowering” in the historic square, which is looked over by seven listed buildings.

Valegro and Charlotte made the short trip from Carl’s Malswick yard to meet townspeople at the launch of the sculpture project in 2017, when she said: “This is an exciting project for Valegro, myself and Carl.

“We can’t wait to see the finished sculpture which will transform the centre of Newent, commemorating Valegro’s achievements forever.”

Valegro, who retired from competition after Rio, also won two world and five European titles, plus two World Cup crowns, in a glittering career.

But not everyone supports a statue in Market Square, Ginny James telling planners the conservation zone open space site was “inappropriate” for a large sculpture and would replace a bench used by shoppers and visitors.

She said it “would be more in keeping with the traditional look of Newent’s conservation area” to plant a tree.

“There are other places in Newent which I feel are better suited to the erection of this statue, namely the Shambles, Cheapside nearer the gold letter box, and the Lake area.”

And Jean Sampson added: “In light of the tree charter recently agreed by Newent Town Council and the ‘Climate Emergency’ adopted by the district council I think it would be far more appropriate to replant a tree in Market Square than to erect a half-size statue.”

For more information, see www.newentvalegrosculpture.co.uk and Valegro The Dancing Horse Sculpture Campaign’s Facebook page.