Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at the age of 96 on September 8, 2022, at Balmoral Castle, her ancestral home in Scotland. Britain's longest-reigning monarch, she celebrated her 70-reign at the Platinum Jubilee earlier in the year. Serving alongside 15 prime ministers over her seven-decade service, she welcomed Britain's new prime minister, Liz Truss, just two days earlier. In her statement to the public, Truss recounts the Queen's extraordinary legacy and calls her the "rock on which modern Britain was built."
She's regarded by many as a devoted and warm leader. And between starring alongside Paddington Bear in a video as part of her Platinum Jubilee and celebrating the London 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony with James Bond as her sidekick, the public often caught glimpses of her sense of humour.
Her love for animals revealed much about her personality, too, and was a great source of pride and joy for Her Majesty.
It’s well known that Queen Elizabeth is an animal lover with a soft spot for her corgis. Her furry companions often travel with her to Balmoral and various other estates on vacation. But her corgis are not the only animals she was passionate about. Horses played an equally important role in her life, and she was still a passionate rider in the final years leading up to her passing.
As part of her upbringing, the queen began taking horse riding lessons at a young age and has become a passionate equestrian over the years. She received her first pony at age four, named Peggy, which planted the seed for a lifelong affinity with equines.
Along with hunting, horse riding is one of the sports she frequently takes part in at Balmoral and her various estates.
She attended Trooping the Colour each year on horseback, beginning in 1947 until 1986.
Aside from being an avid rider, she was an active racehorse breeder and worked closely with staff to care for the animals. She first tried her hand at breeding when she inherited her father, King George VI’s stock, following his death in 1952.
Over the years, Her Majesty entered her horses and won at every British Classic Race except Epsom Derby. Entering 3,441 races throughout the decades, her horses brought her 566 wins, according to research. Her wins have brought her GBP 8.7 million in prize money since 1988.
There are three races named in honour of the queen, the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes, the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Into her final years, the queen was still involved with the stud farm in Sandringham and checked in regularly with the staffers there. According to a news source, the queen and her staffer were still actively breeding horses, and it’s estimated that she owned at least 100 thoroughbreds.
The queen took a break from her favourite activity earlier this year, citing discomfort. However, by June, at the age of 96, she was spotted back in the saddle, riding a pony in Buckingham Palace.