Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, died on September 8 at the age of 96 and is remembered as a devoted pet parent, especially in the long lineage of corgis. But these royal canines aren’t the only creatures that captured the Queen’s heart: she was also a devoted horsewoman and appreciated horses.
Her love of horses began when she was just four years old after she was given a Shetland pony and she loved and enjoyed riding. During her long life, the Queen owned hundreds of horses, including many winning racehorses.
Royal Winners
Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty After developing an interest in horses, Queen Elizabeth inherited the breeding and racing stock of her late father, King George VI. The Queen enjoyed many victories with her horses over the years, winning the title of British Flat Champion in 1954 and 1957, according to the Racing Post. This honor goes to the owner whose horses have won the most prize money during a season.
Queen Elizabeth and her horses have continued to enjoy victories throughout her reign, with one of the most recent triumphs coming in 2022. In April, Educator, a 3-year-old colt bred and owned by the monarch, won the bet365 Handicap Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse.
Family charm
CENTRAL PRESS PHOTO LTD/AFP via Getty Queen Elizabeth passed her love of horses and riding on to the next generation of royals, including King Charles III and Princess Anne. Princess Anne became the first royal to compete in the Olympics when she rode in the three-day equestrian event at the 1976 Games in Montreal. Following in her footsteps, Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall competed at the 2012 Olympics and won a silver medal as part of the Great Britain Eventing Team.
Trooping of the Color
David Levenson/Getty Queen Elizabeth brought her equestrian talents to her role as monarch. Throughout her reign as Queen until 1986, she rode on horseback during the annual Trooping the Color ceremony. After Burma – the beloved black mare that the Queen rode during the ceremony from 1969 to 1986 – was retired, Queen Elizabeth decided to stop riding the Trooping of the Color and began attending the event in an open carriage, according to The Guards magazine.
The hooves that stole her heart
Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Queen Elizabeth cared for dozens of horses during her lifetime, but some of them left a lasting impression on the monarch. In a 2020 feature with Horse & Hound, the Queen’s son-in-law Terry Pendry shared many of the Queen’s favorite horses, including Burmese. her Trooping of the Color horse and Columbus, a horse owned by Winston Churchill’s stallion.
Not on the list, but a frequent visitor with the Queen, is the Shetland pony Cruachan IV, the mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Cruachan IV often greeted the Queen when she moved to Balmoral Castle for the summer and was known for his hilarious and mischievous behaviour.
Celebrating 96 with her ponies
Queen Elizabeth. photo by Henry Dallal Such a big part of her life, it’s no surprise that horses were involved in Queen Elizabeth’s 96th birthday celebration. The portrait of the monarch released in April to celebrate her birthday featured the Queen standing between two of her favorite Fell ponies, Bybeck Katie and Bybeck Nightingale. Henry Dallal – who has photographed the Queen on numerous occasions – was tapped to take the stunning photo.
