Four weeks ago today that interest from buyers, particularly in America, had led to Cooley Rorkes Drift’s owner Fiona Elliott considering selling the 11-year-old, with whom Jonty finished ninth and best of the Irish at the Rio Olympics last year.
Jonty had secured some funding towards the horse’s purchase and decided to start a crowd-funding campaign to attempt to make up the shortfall, with the aim of raising £500,000. He set up a website, jontyandart.com, through which people could donate.
Just after 10am this morning the counter on the website ticked over the £500,000 target. It was a case of just in time as Jonty had set the end of tomorrow (10 August) as the deadline for the fundraising as he needs to depart for next week’s European Eventing Championships in Strzegom, Poland as part of the Irish squad and he could not go with the horse’s ownership unresolved.
Two large lump sums were donated as part of the campaign, one of £150,000 and another of £100,000, which came in on Monday this week.