Rocking horse signed by Paul McCartney auctioned

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A handmade Stevenson Brothers rocking horse signed by Paul McCartney was auctioned on eBay, from November 19 to November 29, 2015 ; and raised £8,300 for the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.

From eBay:

This bespoke handmade Rocking Horse was designed by Stevenson Brothers, and will be exclusively showcased at The Ultimate Christmas Fair, which takes place in Liverpool at the brand new Exhibition Centre next to the Echo Arena from 26th – 29th November. Paul McCartney has signed the base of the horse and written a line from the song, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,”Rockin’ horse people eat marshmallow pies”.

Stevenson Brothers Rocking Horses have been hand-crafting rocking horses for over 30 years and their exquisite creations have been made for Harrods, The Sultan of Brunei, Her Majesty the Queen and most members of the Royal Family.

The horse is modelled on Paul McCartney’s own horse, Moonstar and everything, from the miniature western saddle to the red quilted numnah and even the Hackamore bit, which is kinder to the horse’s mouth, has been copied from the original used by Paul. A finishing touch is that the horse has been fitted with real horse hair and a plait of hair from Moonstar has been woven into the tail of the rocking horse.

This is a totally unique opportunity to buy a hand crafted heirloom, signed by one of the greatest songwriters and musicians of our time with an extract from one of the most famous Beatles’ songs.

All profits from the sale of this auction will go to Alder Hey Children’s Charity. Shipping costs are not included in the winning bid and are the responsibility of the customer. Please note that shipping to Scotland and Northern Ireland will cost £400.00.

From paulmccartney.com, November 10, 2015:

This Christmas, one very lucky child could be receiving a personalised rocking horse signed by Paul. The horse – made by Stevenson Brothers – features Paul’s signature along with a handwritten lyric from the classic Beatles song ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’: “Rockin’ horse people eat marshmallow pies!!”

The signature and Beatles quote are not the only ties the wooden steed has to Paul: Stevenson Brothers – who have previously designed rocking horses for ‘Her Majesty’ the Queen – modeled this particular creation not on “Henry the horse” who of course “dances the waltz”, but on Paul’s own Appaloosa named ‘Moonstar’, copying both his colouring and markings. 

On top of this, Paul has also placed an additional surprise inside a “secret locking chamber” that’s been built into the underside of rocking horse!

This one-of-a-kind rocking horse is now up for auction to raise funds for the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool and will be exclusively showcased at The Ultimate Christmas Fair between 26th-29th November. Paul told us he knows the hospital well and believes his mother Mary may even have worked there for a stint as a nurse. 

The Alder Hey Children’s Hospital cares for over 270,000 children, young people and families each year and operates the biggest and busiest children’s Emergency Department in the UK, treating nearly 60,000 children every 12 months and operating as a Children’s Trauma Centre.

Alder Hey has launched a fundraising appeal to raise funds for life-saving medical equipment, arts and play activities and for vital research. The charity has just taken occupancy in a brand new hospital in Liverpool and a number of opportunities have been identified where charitable funding can make a demonstrable difference to the hospital, by enhancing the design and providing additional innovative services, which are both clinical and patient focused.

The auction to win Paul’s one-of-a-kind rocking horse will run from 19th November until 29th November. 

To place your bid on Paul’s rocking horse, you won’t need to jump over “men and horses, hoops and garters” – just head to the bidding website by clicking HERE!

Last updated on February 21, 2021