UK
Poignant new picture of Emma, Queen’s favourite horse, released by palace
Buckingham Palace has released a new picture of one of the Queen’s favourite ponies, who made a poignant appearance at her funeral.
Emma the Fell Pony stood at the side of the Long Walk on the approach to Windsor Castle as the coffin carrying her devoted owner was driven past at her final farewell last month.
And now a portrait of the black pony, who was born in 1996, has been released in tribute.
During the ceremonial procession on 19 September, Emma stood in a gap between the hundreds of thousands of floral tributes, in the care of the Queen’s trusted stud groom and manager at Windsor Castle, Terry Pendry.
Emma standing beside floral tributes as the Ceremonial Procession of the coffin arrived at Windsor Castle
Mr Pendry, in his bowler hat, black jacket and riding boots, bowed his head as the coffin passed.
Behind them were grooms from the Royal Mews at Windsor wearing black armbands in mourning.
Emma’s ears twitched, and she swished her tail, stomping on the ground twice with one of her front hooves as the Queen’s coffin moved past in the state hearse with a military parade.
Mr Pendry once described Emma, who was bought by the Queen in 2004, as “a wonderful servant to Her Majesty” and one of her favourite-ever horses.
The Queen’s love of dogs was also reflected in her passing when her corgis Muick and Sandy stood in wait for the cortège on the day of the state funeral and burial
The Queen regularly rode Emma – whose full name is Carltonlima Emma – for light exercise in the grounds around Windsor Castle over the past 15 years.
During her career, Emma also qualified at the Horse of the Year Show Ridden Finals, and at Olympia in the Mountain and the Moorland Supreme Championship Final.
On her retirement in December 2007, she returned to the Royal Mews at Windsor, where she will continue to live.
The palace said she will be “much-loved and cared for”.
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Queen Elizabeth comes home to Windsor – her final resting place.
Gift from King George
Emma appeared in three Pageants at The Royal Windsor Horse Show to mark the Diamond Jubilee, the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations and the Platinum Jubilee.
The Queen was known for her life-long love of horses, which began when her grandfather King George V gave her a Shetland Pony called Peggy.
She became knowledgeable as a rider, owner and breeder of horses and her passion for them was evident at race meetings, which included the Derby at Epsom and Royal Ascot.
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Gold Cup success
On 18 June 1954, her horse Landau won the Rous Memorial Stakes and a stallion called Aureole won the Hardwicke Stakes.
In 1957, the Queen had four winners during Ascot week, and she became the first reigning monarch to have won Royal Ascot’s Gold Cup with her thoroughbred Estimate in 2013.
Her horse Highclere won the Prix de Diane at Chantilly in 1975.
The Queen was involved in ensuring the survival of a number of rare breeds of horses and ponies through the breeding programmes in both her private yards and the working yards which bred horses used for royal and state occasions.
She championed breeds including Highland Ponies, Fell Ponies and Cleveland Bays.