The Queen’s homebred, First Receiver – Her Majesty’s final show-ring winner before she died – has scored a first showing title for his new owner, The King. “When I first rode for Her Majesty 20 years ago she said she wanted to win HOYS with a home-bred, and I’ve finally done it for her,” said an emotional Katie. “I, like the rest of the world, was so upset when Her Majesty passed away. She had so much passion for horses, and the one thing she wanted to do was to win here with a horse she bred. I was so nervous before the class due to the anticipation; I just wanted to do the job properly for her.” H&H reporters are covering all the latest HOYS news throughout the week.
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 27: Volunteers load floral tributess to Queen Elizabeth II into a trailer in Green Park on September 27, 2022 in London, England. Once plastics and elastic bands have been removed, the flowers are transported by shire horse to the Kensington Gardens leaf yard where they will be composted down and used throughout the Royal Parks. (Photo by Rob Pinney/Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
A pair of Shire horses have undertaken a final act of service for The Queen, helping to collect the flowers left in tribute to Her Majesty in the Royal Parks in London. “We felt that it was appropriate to continue the story of the tributes by creating compost at our green-waste facility here in Kensington Gardens, to support new shoots of life and colourful displays of flowers in spring,” says Andrew Williams, park manager at Kensington Gardens, the Royal Parks. “The mulch generated from the organic material will enrich the soil of the Royal Parks over the coming years. The flowers will provide pleasure to the millions of visitors to the Royal Parks in the future, and will enhance these incredible green spaces within London by providing a valuable habitat for invertebrates including bees and butterflies.”
The British Horse Society and Cycling UK have united in their condemnation of Government proposals, which would effectively exclude riders and cyclists from a new national trail. The organisations claim they “should have been consulted”. Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK’s head of campaigns, describes the move as “tunnel vision”. “There’s so much to celebrate about the new trail’s aims to increase opportunities for people to experience the outdoors, but what is frustrating is the tunnel vision automatically excluding specific groups like people cycling or horse riding, that is also contrary to Government policy on outdoor access,” he adds.
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.
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
Horse & Hound Newsletter
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
