“Horses Are Coming” Exhibit At Germantown Horse Show by Nancy Brannon The Horses Are Coming! The Horses Are Coming! art exhibit displayed 17 colorfully decorated life size horses all around the top of the main arena. The horses were designed by various artists from the area and will be auctioned October 15th after remaining on display at various locations. One unique to all the rest included a rider: “True Blue,” and stood at the main entrance to the arena. With the look of a bronze statue, artist Ann M. Moore spared no detail in sculpting her ultimate 60th anniversary commemorative design. Even the title, “‘True Blue’ represents a child’s bond with her horse developed through trust and teamwork. A child’s horse is often a beloved best friend and confidant. Caring for animals and learning to master riding skills instills a strong work ethic, good sportsmanship, and a sense of responsibility in children,” the artist explained. Moore, like all the other artists, began her work with a life-sized fiberglass horse form. She had an original concept drawing and built the form from that drawing. To get the hunter look she wanted, she had to do some major changes to the form itself. “First I removed the mane and tail and built up new forms with steel armature, then added epoxy putty, a Styrofoam reinforced foam called ‘Magic sculpt,’ and hardware cloth,” she said. The mane braids are all individually sculpted; she free sculpted the ears, and “even had to work on the feet” to get them right,” she said. The rider is a clay sculpted bust of Virginia Barron, chosen because she has special significance for the 60th anniversary show. Virginia is the daughter of Sally Foster Barron, who is daughter of “Sonny” Foster, one of the founders of the Germantown Charity Horse Show. So Virginia is a granddaughter of a main founder and active supporter of the show until his death in 2005. After sculpting the clay bust, Moore then cast a mold of it, made the body, and then attached the bust to the body. The rider’s hands were also sculpted separately and attached to the body. A close look shows every detail of a young rider and proper attire n from jodphur straps, buttons on the coat, and even the string holding on the number is secured. Her number? Sixty, of course! The saddle is sculpted in minute detail as well, complete with fleece saddle pad, dee rings and grommets on the saddle. On the horse’s head, the bridle shows every detail down to the buckle, with a ribbon sporting a 60th anniversary horse show logo. Even the horse’s body shows the varied hair patterns seen on real horses. The finish is painted to look like a bronze statue, complete with greenish patina. Moore said she comes to the Charity Show every year and this was a perfect project for her to honor the tradition of the show. “I put in 350 hours on the project n three months of very focused work,” she said. Moore said she’s glad it is completed, “but I’ll miss it in my studio. I would consider doing another one.” She had two other designs that she submitted to the committee along with “True Blue,” so she already has the ideas sketched. Moore works out of her parents’ 18-acre farm north of Arlington. She converts a lifelong love of animals into works of art, mainly sculpting horses and dogs in miniatures. “From my experiences riding and owning horses, I understand the bond between animals and the people who love, train, and care for them. I love to depict those teammates!” she said. Moore’s sculptures have received critical acclaim in juried art shows throughout the U.S. and Canada. Her works have been featured in Equine Images magazine and on the cover of The Chronicle of the Horse. For more information about Ann M. Moore’s work, call (901) 482-1012 or e-mail AnnMMoore@Earthlink.net.