They are, possibly, the greatest loves of her life.
At 94 and still riding out at Windsor each week, the Queen is synonymous with horses.
Whether it be watching her favourite flat racers or hacking on her beloved Fell Pony, Emma, her passion and extraordinary expertise shines through.
Indeed, in the words of her head groom, she is a ‘living encyclopaedia of all things equine’.
Now the monarch has chosen her favourite steeds from the seven decades of her reign for Horse & Hound magazine, published today.
Among them are eight special horses that she and her family have loved riding and watching, plus five of the most memorable racehorses of all time that she has bred and owned.
The choice of each horse reveals a deeply personal connection, from the memory of her late father, King George VI, to the very special moment when Princess Anne won the European Eventing Championships on a horse bred by The Queen, and the racehorse which won the Ascot Gold Cup, the first win for a reigning monarch.
Two of the men who know her best, Terry Pendry, The Queen’s Stud Groom and Manager at Windsor Castle, and John Warren, her Bloodstock and Racing Adviser, have also explained the reasons for her choices, in consultation with Her Majesty, and illustrated them with some previously unseen photographs.
The Queen rides one of her favourite horse Burmese, which was presented to her in 1969 by The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, during a Trooping The Colour ceremony in 1979
Her Majesty smiles as she pats her horse Estimate after it wins the Gold Cup during Ladies’ Day at the Royal Ascot in June 2013
Among the Queen’s favourite horses is Phantom Gold (pictured being ridden by Frankie Dettori in 1996) who is the great granddaughter of the royal’s superb broodmare Amicable
Mr Pendry writes: ‘The Queen breeds racehorses, carriage horses, hunters, sports and riding horses, and also polo ponies when, back in the day, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh was playing at a very high level. Her knowledge and expertise is well known.
‘She names all of her horses and ponies herself and can remember the parentage of every single one.
‘She still rides to this very day, and it is an important part of her life. Her Majesty has a fountain of knowledge in all things equine, you might say a living encyclopaedia.’
The Queen’s selection of riding horses includes Doublet, the horse ridden by Princess Anne when she won the European Eventing Championships at Burghley in 1971.
‘The Queen bred both the horse and the rider!’ Jokes Mr Pendry.
Emma, the Queen’s beloved Fell pony has also been chosen. ‘A wonderful servant to Her Majesty and is still going strong at the age of 24 as one of The Queen’s riding ponies,’ he adds.
On the Queen’s choice of her favourite five racehorses, Mr Warren, likens Her Majesty to an expert watchmaker, trying to fit the pieces of breeding, temperament and talent together.
He writes: ‘Her Majesty has developed a deep, profound knowledge, which she has consistently worked on and thought about throughout most of her life.
‘It takes the same sort of precise expertise as a watchmaker to produce a somewhat fragile racehorse to perform on the big occasions and indeed any occasion at all – especially when they are expected to race at speeds of up to 40 mph.
The monarch smiles as she strokes the then four-year-old Aureole, which was bred by King George VI and was the first horse the Queen inherited from her late father, after his victory in the King George VI and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at the Ascot races
The monarch offers a pat to Doublet, who was bred as a polo pony and became the horse Princess Anne won the European Eventing Championships at Burghley with in 1971, as she stands next to her daughter Princess Anne
The Queen appears in high sprits as she watches Highclere in 1974 following its win at the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket. The Dual Classic winner won both the 1000 Guineas and Prix de Diane in Paris
‘These incredibly highly charged creatures, full of blood and muscle, are developed from birth with kid gloves and the sophisticated jigsaw of trying to put all the pieces together is a constant challenge that continues to intrigue The Queen.
‘To deal with the constant challenges and disappointments, as all horse people will know, the greatest asset you need to have with horses is patience – which luckily The Queen has in spades.’
Leading the list of The Queen’s favourite racehorses is Aureole, bred by King George VI and the first horse The Queen inherited from her late father.
Estimate, a bay filly which won the Ascot Gold Cup at the Royal meeting as a four year old has also been chosen.
‘No reigning monarch had won the Gold Cup and it gave Her Majesty great pleasure in achieving an ambition to breed such a great horse of true stamina and grit,’ Mr Warren adds.
Princess Anne rides one of the Queen’s favourite horse Doublet after winning the European Eventing Championships at Burghley in 1971
The royal points to her one of her favourite horses Doutelle after it wins the 2,000 Guineas Trial Stakes at the Kempton Park races in 1957. The chestnut stallion was the first top-class horse by The Queen in her own right
Sarah Jenkins, Editor-in-Chief, Horse & Hound, said: ‘We are honoured that Her Majesty has chosen Horse & Hound to share her favourite horses over the past 70 years.
‘With The Queen’s official birthday on Saturday, followed by Royal Ascot behind closed doors and a scaled-back Trooping the Colour, our Royal Special is a wonderful, timely treat for our readers and horse lovers everywhere.
‘Together with an interview with Zara Tindall on her hopes for an Olympic place, this is a true collectors’ edition.’
*The Royal Special of Horse & Hound is on newsstands from today
All the Queen’s horses:
Betsy
Betsy a black-brown mare that Her Majesty used to ride in the 1960s. ‘Betsy was full of character and spirit and much loved by The Queen,’ comments head groom Terry Pendry.
Burmese
Burmese was presented to Her Majesty in 1969 by The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and The Queen rode her in Trooping the Colour for 18 years.
Doublet
Doublet is a favourite, bred as a polo pony, and the horse Princess Anne won the European Eventing Championships at Burghley in 1971. ‘The Queen bred both the horse and the rider!’ writes Mr Pendry.
The monarch shared a list of her favourite horses with The Horse and Hound
Columbus
Columbus was sired by Colonist, Winston Churchill’s stallion. Princess Anne first evented Columbus, but found him too strong, but he was a favourite of her ex-husband, Captain Mark Phillips.
Columbus won Badminton in 1974. ‘Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother always said he was the Grand National horse that never was. She would have loved him for herself,’ Mr Pendry writes.
Sanction
Sanction was a brown riding horse and a firm favourite for many years. ‘Sanction was almost telepathic and had a very strong bond with Her Majesty…Sanction was the last home-bred horse that Her Majesty rode before making the decision to start riding native ponies. A little closer to the ground, so to speak,’ her head groom says.
Balmoral Jingle and Balmoral Curlew
Balmoral Jingle and Balmoral Curlew were two Highland ponies who were both a huge success in the show ring and eventually went on to become broodmares at the Balmoral Stud.
Emma
Emma the Fell pony has been ‘a wonderful servant to Her Majesty’ and is still going strong at the age of 24 as one of The Queen’s riding ponies. Her full name is Carltonlima Emma. The Queen adores the solid little breed so much she has become patron of the Fell Pony Society.
The Queen’s top five favourite racehorses:
Aureole
Aureole was bred by King George VI and was the first horse The Queen inherited from her late father. ‘Her Majesty has chosen Aureole as one of her most memorable horses as in addition to him becoming The Queen’s first top-class exciting racehorse, Aureole stood at Sandringham Stud throughout his whole career as a stallion, where he sired many top-class horses,’ writes The Queen’s Bloodstock and Racing Advisor John Warren.
Doutelle
Doutelle, a Chestnut stallion, was the first top-class horse by The Queen in her own right, winning many races. He also retired to the Sandringham Stud where his career was tragically cut all too short, dying at the age of only eight.
Highclere
Highclere, a Dual Classic winner, winning both the 1000 Guineas and Prix de Diane in Paris ‘in front of an enormous delighted Parisian crowd, who famously chanted ‘Vive La Reine,’ writes Mr Warren.
Phantom Gold
Phantom Gold is the great granddaughter of The Queen’s superb broodmare Amicable. Winner of the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot, St Simon and Geoffrey Freer Stakes. ‘This remarkable mare will inevitably continue to be at the core of the Royal Studs’ broodmare band for future generations to enjoy and nurture,’ comments Mr Warren.
Estimate
Estimate, a bay filly won the Ascot Gold Cup at the Royal meeting as a four year old. ‘No reigning monarch had won the Gold Cup and it gave Her Majesty great pleasure in achieving an ambition to breed such a great horse of true stamina and grit,’ her racing manager says.
The Queen’s official birthday to be marked by Window Castle Ceremony
The Queen’s official birthday is to be marked by a brief ceremony staged in place of Trooping the Colour – and held under social distancing rules.
Buckingham Palace has released details of the Windsor Castle event that will see the Queen take two royal salutes from the Welsh Guards on Saturday – but the event will be closed to spectators.
The head of state was last seen at a major event on March 9 when she attended the Westminster Abbey Commonwealth Day service with senior members of the monarchy and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who made their final appearance as working royals.
The ceremony will be carried out by a detachment from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, whose colour – or military flag – was due to be trooped this year at the Queen’s Birthday Parade on Horse Guards in Whitehall.
Stationed at Windsor Castle, the servicemen have played a key role in the military response to the Covid-19 pandemic over the past few months.
Buckingham Palace has revealed the Queen’s (pictured with the Duke of Edinburgh) official birthday will see the moarch take two royal salutes from the Welsh Guards on Saturday
When the Queen arrives at the castle’s quadrangle she will receive a royal salute which will be followed by a set of military drills and a musical performance by a Band of the Household Division.
The drills will include the colour being paraded in front of the servicemen and the ceremony will end with a second royal salute followed by the Guardsmen and the military musicians marching from the quadrangle.
The ceremony is expected to last about 20 minutes and will see the Guardsmen performing their drills two metres apart with the military musicians also observing social distancing.
Broadcaster Huw Edwards will host a BBC One programme covering the event which replaces Trooping the Colour, the national celebration of the Queen’s official birthday which traditionally is staged every year in June.
It famously features a gathering of the royal family on Buckingham Palace’s balcony to acknowledge the crowds in The Mall and watch a flypast.
Trooping also attracts thousands of spectators, friends and family of the soldiers taking part in the military spectacle, who fill stands around Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall where the event is normally staged.
A few days after lockdown was announced Buckingham Palace said in line with Government advice Trooping the Colour would ‘not go ahead in its traditional form’ and a number of options were being considered.