The Horse is a Noble Animal - New header picture

I like to change my header picture every now and then. Meet Big Bertie. He is a horse unlikely to end up in your burger any time soon. I manage to photograph him as he trotted into the Yorkshire Sculpture Park last year, before sampling their pastures new. The horse was commissioned by sculptor Marcia Farquhar, who calls the sculpture The Horse Is A Noble Animal, after a saying of her grandmother's.

Big Bertie was the biggest hand-made rocking horse in the world. He is 3.65m (12ft) tall and 4.9m (16ft) long He was made by craftsman Tony Dew, modelled on a real horse called Bertie who is stabled near the Rocking Horse Shop at Fangfoss, a village near York. Bertie at 17 hands is not as tall as his wooden replica.

However, Big Bertie has been overshadowed by Tony Dew's later creation of Bigger Bertie, who stands 15 feet tall and weighs in at almost two tons. Both horses were largely hand made, with just the assistance of hand held tools. No lathes or industrial machinery were involved.

Bigger Bertie is still stabled at Fangfoss with original Bertie. Big Bertie still grazes at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Whether the three Berties will ever get together is a matter of intense press speculation...