Princess Elizabeth started riding lessons that year with Henry Owen, groom at White Lodge, Richmond Park, and in 1938 she received more training as a rider from Horace Smith who had a yard at Holyport, Berkshire.
Major Dick Hern
The master of West Ilsley, four times champion trainer, trained many of the Queen's best horses during the 1970s and 1980s and supplied her with Classic success through the Oaks and St Leger winner Dunfermline, whose victories formed the perfect backdrop to the celebrations of Silver Jubilee year.
She started riding at age 3. Horses were one of Queen Elizabeth's true passions. The British monarch received her first riding lesson at age three, was given her first pony when she turned four, and throughout the years, she has often been spotted riding in Windsor Park.
The Times reported two years ago that she accepted gift horses from Sheikh Mohammed even after his wife fled to London. Last month, the German magazine Der Spiegel said it had found state papers documenting how the queen had asked for two horses as a gift while on a state visit to West Germany in 1978.
Horse racing was probably her biggest sporting fascination. She first rode at the age of three and was immediately smitten. She inherited the breeding and racing stock of her father, King George VI, when she acceded to the throne in 1952.
She toasted a winner at Epsom during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, when Steal A March won the feature 2m7f handicap hurdle. The Queen owned in excess of 100 horses at her death in 2022, and was believed to have earned around £8.7m from prize money down the years.
Her love for horses launched when she was just four years old after she was gifted a Shetland pony and grew fond of and adept at horseback riding. Over her long life, the Queen owned hundreds of horses, including numerous winning racehorses.
Speaking on the BBC during the Queen's final journey from Northolt to Buckingham Palace, Clare said: "The Queen's passions were horses and dogs. Racing was the passion she shared with the public. The Queen loved to go to the stables to see horses on gallops in the morning and talk to all the grooms."
Her Majesty's passion was sparked in 1952 when she inherited her father's horses, and she had a whopping 37 in races last year. After she died, most of those were given to King Charles, who has reportedly inherited around a third of his mother's stable, which is believed to be over 100 thoroughbreds.
“Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II left an indelible mark on our sport and her legacy will continue to be felt, not only through the horses that will continue to run in the name of King Charles III but also those she bred who are yet to be seen on the racecourse in the years to come.
The Queen is said to have been forced to temporarily give up her beloved pastime due to physical discomfort. The Queen is famous for her love of animals—her dedication to her dogs is practically iconic—but horses hold a special place in her heart.
Why did horses not pull the Queens coffin? The steeds' panic threatened to topple the coffin off the carriage, so the sailors had to step in to carry the Queen's coffin – therefore enshrining a new tradition that continues at state funerals today.
The 96-year-old monarch — who has always taken a keen interest in equestrianism throughout her 70-year- reign — was told to quit horse riding back in October 2021 as she battled through a series of “mobility issues” but has now reportedly been away for a trip around Windsor on horseback once again.
Initially, she rode a bay police horse named Tommy in 1947. When her father, King George VI, was unwell, she rode in his place on his chestnut horse Winston, and she rode Winston after George VI's death. Later she rode a chestnut horse named Imperial.
While Porchie and the Queen attended a number of events together throughout their young lives (and The Crown seems to hint at a potential romantic relationship), there is no evidence to suggest that they had an affair. Rather, they had a rich friendship, based in no small part on their shared love of horses.
“All horses in training previously owned by Her Majesty The Queen have been transferred to His Majesty King Charles III, and will race in the name of The King, wearing the colours previously registered to The Queen, specifically purple, gold braid, scarlet sleeves, black velvet cap and gold fringe,” said the ...
It was almost certainly a loss-making hobby for the queen, but the legacy is an impressive and extensive racing and breeding operation. King Charles has shown no sign of the obsessive interest that would be required to maintain it at its current level, which may explain the sell-off that has begun.
While it's difficult to know how many horses she had throughout her lifetime, before her death the Queen owned more than 100 horses, according to The New York Post.
A rare North East horse breed which faced extinction in the 1960s was saved from dying out by Her Majesty the Queen. A renowned horse lover, the Queen played a key role in saving the Cleveland Bay.
The Fell pony was brought outside to see her owner return home to Windsor, with a headscarf belonging to the late monarch placed over her saddle in a loving tribute. Some viewers even pointed out that Emma appeared to “curtsey”, stamping her hoof as the Queen's hearse drove past.
As well as breeding and racing thoroughbreds, Queen Elizabeth II also breeds British native Shetlands, Highlands and Fell ponies, which have enjoyed considerable success in the show ring, along with some of her retired racehorses produced by showing expert Katie Jerram.
“She loved animals when she was a child,” her mother said. “She loved everything that was small and furry or had feathers.” Diana learned to ride horses before she was four, but after she broke her arm in a riding accident, her love faded. Still, her empathy for all living creatures would be a hallmark of her life.
Isabell Werth
Isabell is one of the most famous horse riders in the world for good reason: she holds the most Olympic medals of any equestrian ever. From 1996 to 2020, she's won a total of 12 medals, with 7 golds in dressage and 5 silvers.
The late monarch's beloved fell pony Carlton Lima Emma, whom the Queen rode into her nineties, stood on the grounds of Windsor Castle as Her Majesty's coffin made its final journey to St.
King Charles will formally inherit the Sandringham stud and ownership of Ascot racecourse.