When cyclist and illustrator Laurie King heard about the Surrey Hills CowParade he couldn’t resist designing a cycling-themed cow to join the herd.

CowParade, the world’s largest open-air public art event, is coming to the Surrey Hills this summer. The event will see lots of one-off, highly decorated life-size cows (fibre glass btw, not real!) ‘grazing’ around the area before being auctioned for charity later in the year.

The area is already famous as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and home of iconic rides including Box Hill and significant sections of the Ride London 100 mile route and the London 2012 Olympic route.

Artists have been invited to submit ideas and we think ‘King of the Surrey Hills‘ (we know it’s a female cow, but its a pun based on the artists name!) is Best in Show.

It was designed by local cyclist and illustrator Laurie King  – who also painted the sofa on ITV’s Cycling Show. He told us: “This cow is a celebration of the Surrey Hills from a cyclist’s perspective. Each section features a different Surrey Hill, with details of each climb.” The illustration can be altered a little to include any sponsor’s team colours or chalk messages on the roads.

The National Trust have already expressed an interest in giving the cow a welcoming home on the slopes of Box Hill for the summer, so now there’s just the small matter of finding a sponsor to fund the £3,500 expenses involved in her creation.

We think this is a perfect opportunity for a bike brand, big team, cycling club or group of riders to get together and bring ‘King of The Hills’ to life. We also think she needs a name. Any suggestions?

For further details on sponsorship visit the CowParade website, here.