...my treasures do not sparkle they clink,
they shine in the sun and neigh in the night...

 

 

Project Islander Milan – a great success for Italian Horse Protection

12/02/2014

(12 February 2014)

Project Islander – a huge success for the three-day Milan fundraising event, organised by Nicole Berlusconi and Stefano Sapuppo, proceeds to go to Italian Horse Protection. The exhibition ‘Liberty Photos’, Spazio Oberdan (Milan) 1 and 2 February, attracted a high number of visitors with over 400 tickets sold on Saturday and Sunday. The images and videos which portrayed the realities faced by IHP every day visibly moved all who saw them.

The grand finale of the ‘Three Milan Days’ was an auction, held in the evocative Gattopardo Cafè. The event exceeded the highest hopes of the organisers, with people crammed into every last inch of space and who demonstrated a great interest in the real world of the many horses, ponies, donkeys, mules and hinnies who suffer mistreatment, starvation and abandon in Italy. The awareness-raising the whole event promoted was clear in the success of the auction, magnificently conducted by the well-known DeeJay and TV personality Ringo.

Notable personalities present were Vittorio Feltri, who over recent years has consistently given horses ample attention in his articles in Il Giornale; the Hon. Michela Vittoria Brambilla, active in the field of animal rights in general and dedicated campaigner in particular for a law to define horses as domestic pets and therefore protected from slaughter, which unfortunately in Italy is still the fate of a very large percentage of equines. Also present were journalists Luca Panerai, Director of Class Horse TV, Caterina Vagnozzi, Director of Equestrio Italia, Alicia Heiniger, publisher of Equestrio Europa, Umberto Martuscelli, Paolo Mali and Lilliana Ayres of Cavallo Magazine, Susanna Cottica of Cavalli Campioni, Rita Leo of Horseshowjumping, Claudio Gobbi, many journalists from the principal daily newspapers and TV networks, and many other noted personalities.

Class Horse TV did a great job of recording the entire evening. Most appreciated was the appearance of Edoardo Stoppa who, with his Striscia La Notizia TV programme supports the work of the IHP giving high visibility to cases of cruelty and legal seizures. Indisputable personality of the evening was Nicole Berlusconi who, with the support of her family – also present at the event – fulfilled her main objective: to help the horses.

The auction kicked off with enthusiasm and interest in the cause of the IHP. Up for bids were the photographs of Francesca DeFazio and Stefano Secchi, the paintings of Carlo Romiti, Carola Zerbone and Caterina Colognes, autographed caps by KEP Italia, autographed jackets by Animo Italia and stirrups by Jer Stirrups, plus two sweatshirts from the Milan football team and a football signed by all team members. The event went on till the late evening and many items and works of art are still available: another event is being planned! It is therefore not yet possible to calculate the final amount of money the event realised.

Antonio Nardi Dei da Filicaja Dotti, President of IHP, Sonny Richichi, Director of Operations IHP, and the staff of IHP would like to thank every single person who contributed to this extrarordinary event. Special thanks go to Nicole Berlusconi who, with this first event in Project Islander, has raised a significant amount of funds the Association desperately needs to face the enormous outlay needed to take daily care of the horses at the Centre, the veterinary costs, and also the raising of public awareness of the difficult work IHP carries out every day for equine welfare in Italy.