Ipswich Town FC Bails Out Suffolk Punch Trust
The Premier League club will support the charity protecting the endangered horse breed that has appeared on its badge for decades.
By Isaac Medina ·
Ipswich Town Football Club has agreed to support the Suffolk Punch Trust, a charity dedicated to preserving the critically endangered Suffolk Punch horse. The intervention follows recent financial difficulties at the trust, which threatened the closure of its operations and the future of its breeding program. The announcement was made public to fans at Portman Road stadium.
The Suffolk Punch Trust operates the Colony Stud at Hollesley on the Suffolk coast. This site has bred the horses since 1759. The trust currently houses 19 horses of its own, including award-winning show animals. The breed is the oldest heavy horse type to exist in its current form. All modern descendants trace back to a single animal named Crisp's Horse of Ufford, foaled in 1768. Historically, thousands of these horses worked farms in East Anglia, but their numbers have declined sharply. Today, fewer than 500 breeding mares remain worldwide. This places the breed on the critical watch list of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, making them rarer than giant pandas.
Financial pressures forced the trust to close its visitor centre, cafe, and shop in February. High operating costs contributed to these closures. The organization later listed its 120-acre farm and visitor centre for sale at a price of 2.4 million pounds. The potential sale raised concerns among supporters about the destination of the 19 horses currently on the property.
Mark Ashton, the chairman and chief executive of Ipswich Town FC, announced the club's support during the halftime break of a match against Bournemouth. The team lost that game 2-1. Ashton stated that the horse has featured on the club's crest for more than 50 years. He noted that many supporters had written to him regarding the trust's situation. Ashton described the move as the right thing to do for the club and its community.
Ashton said the breed is not in immediate danger but requires long-term planning. He emphasized the need to secure the future of the horses rather than providing only short-term aid. The American ownership group of the football club has been described by Ashton as very supportive of the initiative.
The Suffolk Punch is always chestnut in color, with shades ranging from light to dark. Adult horses stand between 16.1 and 17.2 hands, which corresponds to heights between 1.65 meters and 1.77 meters. The trust's website notes that the site serves as a key location for the preservation of this unique genetic line.
