Uthopia – what we know so far
Uthopia fans were last week left heartbroken, when Carl Hester took to his personal Facebook page to confirm he was not involved in the £165,000 sale of Uthopia, on the 27th May. Many fans had been hopeful that although Carl was not present at the sale in person, that the buyer had been in connection with him or purchasing on his behalf.
A statement taken from Carl Hester’s official Facebook page:
“Sorry for the silence, I am so grateful for all the support from all over the world regarding Uthopia. Sadly, we couldn’t secure him with our investors. We are still hopeful and are working on a positive outcome.”
Carl, clearly upset by the outcome, also stated how filming a new programme with Charlotte Dujardin and Claire Balding called “Road to Rio” was helping to keep his mind occupied.
Wilson’s Auctions are unable to disclose the identity of the mystery buyer and although rumours have circulated throughout social media, the new owner has not been officially revealed. Carl Hester has however told Eurodressage that the purchaser is “apparently Irish” and had up until today to pay the agreed price for Uthopia. In an interview with Horse and Hound, Ian Wilson, owner of Wilson’s Auctions and keen horse rider said that he “did not recognise” the name of the top bidder, he also echoed many of the equestrian community’s sentiments, as he described the event as a “sad story”.
Many of the Equestrian community were saddened at Carl’s rejection of their donation pledge, which they believe could have helped secure Uthopia’s future with Carl. Other Uthopia fans however have just expressed how they wish Uthopia the happy retirement that he has well and truly earned.
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.