A horse which was rescued as a foal from a freezing field with his emaciated mother is living the model life as a muse.
Several years on from his grim start in life, Lucas is thriving in his new home near Glenrothes and is to be the model for a new sculpture trail.
Some 40 statues based on him and painted by celebrities including Martin Clunes, Deborah Meaden, Sara Cox and Nick Skelton are to go on display across the UK.
Sculptor Judy Boyt created a maquette of Lucas which will be scaled up into 3ft 8in high fibreglass horses for the World Horse Trail to be launched at Windsor and Eton.
The trail in aid of the charity World Horse Welfare will also take in Kensington, Chelsea and the Royal Windsor Horse Show, where Lucas will compete in a show class.
Lucas was only 10 months old when he and several other horses were found in the bitterly cold winter of 2013.
They had been abandoned in Norfolk and were struggling to survive with little food or shelter.
He was still feeding from his mother India, who was emaciated and carrying another foal.
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They were rescued just in time and taken to a World Horse Welfare centre.
After being nursed back to health, he was re-homed by Colleen Macrae, from Glenrothes.
Colleen said: “It will be exciting and a little daunting to see so many Lucases on the sculpture trails and it’s a real honour to have him representing World Horse Welfare.
“People are always amazed at the fact that he is a rescue horse so he’s a brilliant example of what these horses can achieve, proving they can go on and have an incredible life after a difficult start.
“I’ve been asked if Lucas will let the fame go to this head but I’m not sure it will change the fact he spends about 90% of his time lying down, fast asleep.”
She said competing at the Royal Windsor Horse Show would be exciting, if a little nerve-wracking, but the pair were up for the challenge.
“I know that Lucas will do his best and that’s all I can ever ask for,” she added.
Six sculpture trails, all featuring different designs, will tell the story of World Horse Welfare’s work.
A mini trail of 13in high maquettes will be on display at the charity’s four rescue and rehoming centres, including Belwade Farm in Aberdeenshire, over the summer.
