The Equestrian Queen

Queen Elizabeth II reigned for seven decades and during those years acquainted herself with a vast array of Britain’s most spectacular horses. From racing thoroughbreds to polo ponies and even native shetland and highland ponies, Her Majesty had a love for them all. And they all loved her back.

As the Queen of England, Scotland and 15 other Commonwealth realms (Canada being one of them), Her Majesty’s interest in horses has nurtured many corners of the horse world. Her love of horses has touched people at all stages of life and inspired everyday riders all over the globe.

The Queen grew up with horses. She had her first pony at the age of four and rode them for fun all through her youth. Then when she became the Queen, she inherited her father’s royal stables and channelled all of that passion into breeding steeplechase and flat race winners at the Sandringham Royal Stud. She also had a fascination with the breeding of Thoroughbred racehorses, and was a patron of the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association.

As an owner/breeder, Her Majesty had a great deal of success with her horses, including having five27 winning thoroughbreds. Her Majesty also bred Shetland and Highland ponies at Balmoral Castle and a handful of Fell ponies at Sandringham to keep these native breeds alive and well.

Her Majesty embraced the sport of equestrian and has always been known to be quite an out-and-out “horse addict.” She adored her racing thoroughbreds and enjoyed showing them at events like Royal Ascot. But she also was a keen rider and enjoyed trotting the field in the eventing ring.

Dressage is an advanced equestrian discipline that requires tremendous physical strength, balance and coordination. It also involves a lot of time and dedication. And it’s not easy to get a top-level result without the help of a trainer. The Queen is an ardent supporter of the sport and has been involved in numerous championships over the years.

She has won countless medals and awards over the years, and her trainers have been a big part of her successes. One such trainer is John Warren, who helped Her Majesty win the gold medal in the team eventing competition at the 2000 Olympics. Another trainer is Sarah Cook, a world-renowned dressage rider who has taught her Majesty the art of the “dressage smile.”

When it comes to training and working with horses, there are no shortcuts. As any equestrian knows, there is always room for improvement and the Queen has been no exception. She has spent countless hours with her trainers trying to perfect her skills and improve her performance.

In fact, Her Majesty has made such a great impact on the horse world that she is sometimes referred to as the Queen of the Equine Universe. The name was given to her by the British Equestrian Federation to honour her work in equestrian sport and her contribution to the community. And the federation has honored her by placing a bronze statue of the Queen at Windsor Castle’s Stables as a tribute to her dedication and commitment to the equine world.