King’s Troop horse put down after breaking leg in Royal Gun Salute

A horse from the King’s Troop had to be put down after an accident in the Royal Gun Salute in Hyde Park yesterday (2 June).

The horse, called Murphy, slipped during the parade and his legs got caught up in the gun carriage. He was put down at the scene.

The Royal Gun Salute takes place on the 2 June every year to mark The Queen’s coronation.

“Unfortunately the horse became entangled in the gun carriage which was being moved into position and very sadly broke its leg,” a spokesman for the Army told the Daily Mail.

“The vet officer in place immediately gave him pain relief but it was a very complex fracture and the only course of action was to put him down.”

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