French cavalry joins Royal Windsor Tattoo

The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment will perform alongside its French counterparts — the Mounted Band of La Garde Republicaine — for the first time at this year’s Royal Military Tattoo at Windsor Castle (12-15 May).

It is likely that the troops will only have one day’s rehearsal together before the 56 participants perform the 14-minute ride.

But Captain Mark Avison, riding master of the Household Cavalry, said: “I have a DVD of one of their performances to watch and we had a 10-minute meeting in France.”

The French mounted band performs in walk, which makes planning a display more tricky.

“If problems arise, I am sure we will be able to canter around them!” said Capt Avison.

The French will bring 27 chestnut cavalry horses and three grey drum horses.

A spokesman for La Garde Republicaine said: “The Mounted Band takes enormous pride in performing for The Queen at Windsor.”

Tickets, which include entry to the Royal Windsor Horse Show earlier in the day, start at £25 and are available on 08712 305570 or www.rwhs.co.uk.

This news story was first published in the current issue of Horse & Hound (28 April, 2011)

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now