YEAR 7 English students at Tavistock College who are currently studying Michael Morpurgo's novel War Horse met a real horse last week, to illustrate their studies and bring the topic to life. Fitz, a retired eventer belonging to college physics teacher Mike Harris, met several groups of Year 7 students — and as one of the students said, 'looked just like the War Horse'. The visit also acted as a literacy stimulus exercise for the gifted and talented English students, who are working on creative writing. The end result of their work will be a book, including illustrations of Fitz, and their forthcoming trip to the War Horse Museum at Iddesleigh. Teacher Helen Harris said the impact of the visit by Fitz was seen immediately, with the students coming up with a selection of phrases that they will work into their writing: 'strong and shining in the summer heat', 'dark like a conker in the sun', and in the context of the sufferings of the horses in the First World War, 'his big brown eyes tell a tale of bravery and justice'. Mrs Harris said: 'Fitz had never been to school before and we were careful. 'We had him on one side of the fence and the children on the other but in fact Fitz was very gracious to his public — he is convinced the whole world is there to admire him! 'When the drums of the music department started up, Fitz pricked his ears and looked up, as his ancestors would have done when the guns on the Western Front sounded. 'He was very calm but wanted to know what that was as he had never heard it before. 'Overall the visit was a great success — it was worth doing. 'I want to thank the children for their sensible and calm behaviour.' Student Erin Bolding remarked at the end: 'Seeing the horse in real life really made me appreciate what it was like for them during the war.' l Pictured above, enthusiastic students line up to stroke the college's special visitor, Fitz.