Bruno Pugh
Queen Elizabeth II formed a deep, lifelong connection with horses—she trained them, bred them, rode them, and built lasting relationships with breeders around the world. Her days often began in the stables, and her legacy continues in royal riding traditions today. Flip through these moments that show how horses stayed close to her heart.
Queen Elizabeth’s First Pony Ride On Peggy At Age Four
Winning The Royal Ascot With Aureole In 1954
When Aureole stormed to victory in the Hardwicke Stakes, the Queen celebrated her very first Royal Ascot win. Bred by her father, King George VI, the horse captured her heart. She followed his journey closely, and his success drew Britain’s full attention to her royal stables.
Hosting The Royal Windsor Horse Show Since 1943
Originally launched in 1943 as a wartime fundraiser, the Royal Windsor Horse Show became a lifelong fixture for the Queen, who attended both public and private events with consistency. As a young Princess, she even competed in driving classes and once entered horses under pseudonyms for fun.
Riding Burmese At Trooping The Colour For 18 Years
In 1969, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police presented the Queen with a black mare named Burmese, who went on to accompany her during Trooping the Colour ceremonies for the next 18 years. After the mare retired, the Queen never rode another horse for that tradition.
Becoming The First Monarch To Breed A Classic Winner
In 1974, Highclere gave the Queen an unforgettable moment by winning both the 1,000 Guineas and the Prix de Diane. She personally influenced the horse’s training path. Later, Highclere was sent to Japan for stud, carrying royal bloodlines across continents and expanding her breeding legacy.
Visiting Kentucky Horse Farms Annually
The Queen made five visits to Kentucky horse farms between the 1980s and early 2000s, building close ties with breeders and sharing her vast knowledge. These transatlantic exchanges shaped her royal breeding program and deepened mutual respect between British and American horse communities.
Receiving The FEI Lifetime Achievement Award In 2014
Princess Anne presented her mother with the Federation Equestre Internationale’s first Lifetime Achievement Award at Windsor Castle in 2014. The private ceremony paid tribute to the Queen’s decades of devotion to horses, as the award acknowledged her lasting influence in both equestrian sport and animal care worldwide.
Personal Involvement In Naming Her Foals
The Queen personally named many of her foals, favoring thoughtful choices like Estimate and Carlton House that reflected history, family, or cherished places. She maintained handwritten naming logs over decades, and among those carefully selected names, Estimate would later claim a celebrated Gold Cup victory at Ascot.
Riding Into Her 90s With Her Beloved Fell Ponies
Well into her nineties, the Queen remained an active rider at Windsor, often choosing Fell ponies like Carltonlima Emma for their calm nature and reliability. Riding stayed part of her daily rhythm, and her timeless attire rarely changed, which echoed decades of devotion to life in the saddle.
Sharing Her Passion With Grandchildren
The Queen passed her passion on to younger royals by introducing ponies to children like Princess Charlotte at an early age. She often supervised their first lessons and gifted ponies, creating lasting memories that could carry her deep love of horses into the next generation.