Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal will today visit the Easter Bush Campus to open new facilities and unveil a sculpture by creator of The Kelpies, Andy Scott. Image Canter by Andy Scott The Princess Royal, who is Chancellor of the University and Patron of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, will unveil the sculpture at the opening of the new Charnock Bradley building. Her Royal Highness will also open the School’s newly expanded equine hospital. The new building has been named after the former Principal of the School, Orlando Charnock Bradley. It houses new vet school facilities including a gym and a public outreach centre. It is also home to the Roslin Innovation Centre, which provides laboratory and office space for animal and veterinary science start-up companies. Her Royal Highness will tour the new building and meet local school students taking part in laboratory science experiments at the outreach centre. As part of the visit, The Princess Royal will also tour expanded facilities in the equine hospital. These include new diagnostic and surgical suites, a critical care unit with 24 hour video monitoring and many features that enhance teaching. Her Royal Highness will meet 2017 Grand National winner One For Arthur who will be undergoing a routine heart scan as part of a research study into the hearts of elite athletic horses. Professor David Argyle, Head of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, said: “The opening of the new expanded Equine Hospital represents a major step change in how we treat horses and we are delighted that The Princess Royal was here today for this event. We are also delighted with “Canter” by Andy Scott, an incredible piece of art and fitting for a veterinary school that was originally established to support the treatment of working horses.” The 15 foot steel sculpture of a horse’s head, by Andy Scott, forms the centre piece of the landscaped entrance plaza to a new hub for staff and students. Canter has a similar composition to the Kelpies but creator Andy Scott said he wanted to produce something more animated, with a long flowing mane. Weighing in at around a ton and a half, the steel structure took one year from initial sketches to completion. Andy Scott said: “I chose a heavy horse to reflect the original intent of the School, which was set up to help workhorses in the early 19th Century. I am delighted with how it fits into the environment, blending with the unique architectural features of the building and the stone plinth.” Links The Easter Bush Campus Andy Scott Sculptor Easter Bush Science Outreach Centre Publication date 01 May, 2018
