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The Queen Just Unveiled A Definitive List Of Her All-Time Favorite Horses

The Queen Just Unveiled A Definitive List Of Her All-Time Favorite Horses
By Laura Elston, PA Court Reporter

And now, the list we've all been waiting for! The Queen has revealed her favorite horses from the seven decades of her reign for the first time.

The Queen picked out her most-loved steeds for Horse & Hound magazine, showing a deep personal connection to each one.


Her choices include tributes to the memory of her late father George VI with Aureole, which she inherited from the King. And, the moment when her daughter Princess Anne won the European Eventing Championships on Doublet, a horse bred by the her.

The Queen with Doublet and Princess Anne (PA)

She also chose the racehorse Estimate, which triumphed in the Ascot Gold Cup with, making her the first monarch to win the trophy.

Others included Burmese, the one she rode at the Trooping of the Colour for 18 years, her trusty fell pony Emma, and Sanction with whom the monarch had an “almost telepathic" bond.

The Queen selected eight special horses that she and her family have loved riding and watching, plus five of the most memorable racehorses that she has bred and owned.

The Queen's stud groom and manager at Windsor Castle, Terry Pendry, and John Warren, the Queen's bloodstock and racing adviser, provided insights into her choices in consultation with the Queen.

Pendry paid tribute to the equestrian mastery of the monarch, who has bred racehorses, carriage horses, hunters, riding horses, and polo ponies.

“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," he said.

“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 encyclopedia."

The Queen on Sanction who appeared in the list of favourite horses she picked for Horse & Hounds magazine (Horse & Hounds/PA)

Warren heralded the Queen's patience as he told how she has continued to work on her understanding of equestrian matters over the decades.

“Her Majesty has developed a deep, profound knowledge, which she has consistently worked on and thought about throughout most of her life," he said.

“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 40mph."

“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."

The Queen has long been known for her love of horses.

She had her first riding lesson at the age of three, and continued riding at 94. Recently she was pictured on one of her fell ponies at Windsor while in lockdown.

Here are the Queen's favorite horses:

1. 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," Pendry said.

2. 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.

The Queen on Burmese during Trooping the Colour in 1969 (PA)

3. Doublet – Bred as a polo pony, it was the horse Princess Anne won the European Eventing Championships with at Burghley in 1971.

“The Queen bred both the horse and the rider!" Pendry said.

Princess Anne does a lap of honor after becoming the Individual European three-day eventing champion in 1971 (PA)

4. Columbus – This horse was sired by Colonist, Winston Churchill's stallion.

Anne first rode Columbus at novice and intermediate level but found him too strong. He was also a favorite of Captain Mark Phillips and won Badminton in 1974.

Captain Mark Phillips with the Queen's horse Columbus (PA)

“Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother always said he was the Grand National horse that never was. She would have loved him for herself," Pendry said.

5. Sanction – Sanction was a brown riding horse and a firm favorite 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," Pendry revealed.

6. Balmoral Jingle – The Highland pony was a huge success in the show ring and eventually went on to become a broodmare at the Balmoral Stud.

7. Balmoral Curlew – Another favorite of the Highland ponies who was also a key show ring performer and became a broodmare.

Emma the Fell Pony (far right) with some of the Queen's other horses (Steve Parsons/PA)

8. Emma the Fell pony – “A wonderful servant to Her Majesty and is still going strong at the age of 24 as one of the Queen's riding ponies," Pendry said.

The Queen's top five favorite racehorses are:

1. Aureole – Aureole was bred by George VI and was the first horse the Queen inherited from her late father.

The Queen smiles and gives her four year old colt Aureole a congratulatory pat on the nose after a win in 1954 (PA)

Warren said the memorable horse was the Queen's first top-class exciting racehorse, and although the animal was feisty and highly strung, the Queen knew how to get the best out of him.

2. Doutelle – The Chestnut stallion won many races for the Queen.

He retired to the Sandringham Stud but his career was cut short, dying at the age of only eight.

Princess Margaret listens as the Queen points to her colt Doutelle, who had just won the 2,000 Guineas at Kempton Park in 1957 (PA)

3. Highclere – Another all-time favorite was Highclere, a Dual Classic winner, who was ridden to victory in both the 1000 Guineas and Prix de Diane in Paris,

In Paris, an enormous delighted crowd chanted “Vive La Reine" after the win.

The Queen is all smiles after Highclere wins the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in 1974 (PA)

4. Phantom Gold – 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," Warren said.

Phantom Gold ridden by Frankie Dettori in 1996 (Fiona Hanson/PA)

5. Estimate – The bay filly won the Ascot Gold Cup as a four year old.

“No reigning monarch had won the Gold Cup," Warren said.

The Queen celebrating Estimate's win with racing manager John Warren in 2013 (Tim Ireland/PA)

“It gave Her Majesty great pleasure in achieving an ambition to breed such a great horse of true stamina and grit," he said.

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