I specialise in creating pieces for celebration, and making a new trophy for Henley Royal Regatta, especially to celebrate the power of a group of young women, was an absolute joy. The Prince Philip Challenge Trophy was first presented in 2021, for the new Junior Women’s Eights race at Henley Roya Regatta. I focused on expressing the power of the rowers through the turbulence left behind as the boat slices through the water and disappears upstream. Eight symmetrical sets of whirlpools slowly decay as the wake widens. The image is a bird’s eye view, as from a bridge over the water, the sharp stern detail is gilded to contrast with the hammer chased ‘river’, with details of bubbles and polished highlights to evoke the sparkling water. 

The piece is constructed from several parts that are engineered to fit perfectly together, and connected by an invisible mechanism, in case the trophy ever needs repairing. This is an important feature of sports trophies, which can occasionally be damaged in high spirited celebrations! It is now part of the history of the Regatta, with the winning team’s names are engraved on the back each year, in a radial pattern. 

Dimensions 46cm diameter.

If you would like to find out more about the commissioning process, I would be delighted to have an informal no-obligation chat.

You can also find out more about how the commissioning process works here.