She might be 92, but Queen Elizabeth hasn’t given up horseback riding just yet, and this week she went riding twice with her son Prince Andrew on the Windsor estate. The two rode earlier this week in honor of the prince’s 59th birthday, and then again this morning in the early hours of the day.
The Daily Mail reports that the mother and son both rode black Fell ponies through the morning fog, with Prince Andrew wearing a riding helmet and the queen donning her signature scarf.
The queen used to ride with her husband, Prince Philip, but the Duke of Edinburgh no longer rides horses since his hip replacement surgery last year (the prince still drives horse-drawn carriages around the Windsor estate).
Harper’s Bazaar reports that Queen Elizabeth has been an avid horsewoman since she was a child, but now generally rides once or twice a week. The monarch is still seen riding with her son Prince Charles and her daughter Princess Anne who competed in equestrian events in the Olympics back in the ’70s.
Fans of the Netflix series The Crown have learned that in addition to being a keen rider, the queen has also been a horse breeder since her early 20s.
Prince Andrew joins the Queen for a trip out horse riding https://t.co/Dnb9HaG499 pic.twitter.com/WpgsQM7zCf
— Susie Blackmon (@SusieBlackmon) February 24, 2019
Last month, Queen Elizabeth suffered an equine loss after one of her horses, a fan-favorite named PH Keston, passed away, reports The Inquisitr . For years, Keston was the go-to horse for the Mounted Branch of London’s Metropolitan Police often chosen to pull the queen’s carriage for parades, weddings, and other events.
The Mounted Police posted a message on their Twitter page to let his many fans know that Keston had died.
“It’s with the greatest of sadness to announce that PH Keston has passed away. PH Keston regularly escorted HM The Queen on various state events and other high profile occasions. He was a real crowd pleaser with people around London. Thank you for your service Keston. Rip.”
Queen Elizabeth made a number of appearances with Keston over the years where the equine joker was known to nibble at flowers that the monarch was given by well-wishers and even take a taste of her hat.
The queen was given her first Shetland pony as a gift for her fourth birthday, courtesy of her grandfather, George V. Over the years Queen Elizabeth has continued to be the patron of several equine organizations including The British Horse Society, The Fell Pony Society, and The Highland Pony Society.
