Royals British Royal Family British Royal Family Deaths It's Not Just Corgis: Looking Back at Queen Elizabeth's Lifelong Love of Horses Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8 at age 96, received her first horse — a Shetland pony —at age four and went on to own dozens of horses throughout her life By Kelli Bender Kelli Bender Kelli Bender is the Pets Editor at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2013. Her work has previously appeared on MTV, The Frisky, Vice, and Best Friends Magazine. People Editorial Guidelines Published on September 9, 2022 06:56PM EDT Close Queen Elizabeth. Photo: Getty 01 of 08 The Pony that Started it All Central Press/Getty Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, died on September 8at age 96 and is remembered as a devoted pet parent, especially to her long lineage of corgis. But these royal canines aren't the only creatures that captured the Queen's heart: she was also a dedicated horseback rider and appreciator of horses. Her love for horses launched when she was just four years old after she was gifted a Shetland pony and grew fond of and adept at horseback riding. Over her long life, the Queen owned hundreds of horses, including numerous winning racehorses. 02 of 08 Royal Winners Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty After developing an interest in horses, Queen Elizabeth inherited the breeding and racing stock of her late father, King George VI. The Queen enjoyed numerous wins with her racehorses over the years, earning the Champion Owner title in British flat racing in 1954 and 1957, according to Racing Post. This honor goes to the owner whose horses have won the most prize money during a season. Queen Elizabeth and her racehorses continued to enjoy wins throughout her reign, with one of the most recent triumphs occurring in 2022. In April, Educator, a 3-year-old colt bred and owned by the monarch, won the bet365 Handicap Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse. 03 of 08 Family Facsination CENTRAL PRESS PHOTO LTD/AFP via Getty Queen Elizabeth passed her love for horses and horseback riding on to the next generation of royals, including King Charles III and Princess Anne. Princess Anne became the first royal to compete in the Olympics when she rode in the equestrian three-day event at the 1976 Games in Montreal. Following in her footsteps, Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, competed in the 2012 Olympics and won a silver medal as a member of the Great Britain Eventing Team. 04 of 08 Trooping of the Colour The late Queen Elizabeth at Trooping the Colour. David Levenson/Getty Queen Elizabeth brought her horseback riding talents into her role as monarch. Throughout her reign as Queen until 1986, she rode on horseback during the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony. After Burmese — the beloved black mare the Queen rode during the ceremony from 1969 to 1986 —retired, Queen Elizabeth decided to stop riding horseback in the Trooping of the Colour and started attending the event in an open horsedrawn carriage, according to The Guards Magazine. 05 of 08 Horse Show Regular Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Queen Elizabeth often attended the Royal Windsor Horse Show, the UK's largest outdoor horse show, each year at Windsor Park. For the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, the Royal Windsor Horse Show hosted "A Gallop Through History," which paid tribute to the monarch's 70 years on the throne through acting and musical performances. 06 of 08 The Hooves that Stole Her Heart Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Queen Elizabeth cared for dozens of horses during her life, but a special few left a lasting impression on the monarch. In a 2020 feature with Horse & Hound, the Queen's head groom Terry Pendry shared several of the Queen's favorite horses, including Burmese. her Trooping of the Colour horse, and Columbus, a horse that was sired by Winston Churchill's stallion. Not on the list, but a frequent visitor with the Queen, is Shetland pony Cruachan IV, the mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Cruachan IV often greeted the Queen when she moved into Balmoral Castle for the summer and was known for his hilarious and naughty behavior. 07 of 08 Always a Horseback Rider Queen Elizabeth (with a horse groom) on a ride at Windsor Castle in 2016. Rex Features/startraksphoto Accomplished horseback rider Queen Elizabeth continued to ride well into her nineties, often enjoying jaunts around the grounds of Windsor Castle and her Balmoral estate in Scotland. In October 2021, it was reported that the Queen had to stop her favorite pastime due to "discomfort." It has since emerged that she had been experiencing "episodic mobility problems." Her Majesty returned to riding in June, going for gentle strolls on her Fell pony. 08 of 08 Celebrating 96 with Her Ponies Queen Elizabeth. henry dallal photography Such a large part of her life, it's unsurprising that horses were involved in Queen Elizabeth's 96th birthday celebration. The portrait of the monarch released in April to celebrate her birthday featured the Queen standing between two of her favorite Fell ponies, Bybeck Katie and Bybeck Nightingale. Henry Dallal — who photographed the Queen on several occasions — was tapped to take the stunning photo.