Poppy’s final blast: much-loved mare given special Household Cavalry send-off
An owner has told of the touching farewell her mare was given thanks to the Household Cavalry.
Penny Hume’s Welsh section D Poppy died on 13 June last year following a serious bout of laminitis.
Penny had owned the 10-year-old since she was two and the pair enjoyed pleasure and forest rides as well as occasional shows.
“She was my soul mate — it nearly killed me to let her go,” Penny told H&H.
“She was funny, ditzy, kind and everyone loved her. She was so gentle and never nasty.”
Penny wanted to give her mare a worthy send-off and having always wanted to take her on a beach ride, thought this would be a special place to scatter her ashes.
“Getting to the beach was our dream,” said Penny.
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“I decided to take her ashes to Holkham while the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment were visiting.
“My twin sister Kay approached the staff corporal and explained our situation. He kindly said that it would be his honour to take Poppy for a blast along the beach and scatter her ashes while doing so.
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“This was so unexpected and I was a emotional wreck as he went from walk to canter and took off along the beach with my girl.
“I will never forget that day. Poppy had the best send-off I could have ever given her.
“I have total admiration to the staff corporal who was so full of empathy and kindness and treated us with so much dignity.
“She did get her beach ride and a send-off by the best.”
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Rachael joined Horse & Hound in 2014, initially as a digital sub editor then became part of the news team as a writer in 2015. The philosophy graduate studied journalism at the Press Association before working as a local reporter at the Brentwood Gazette. Rachael is now a mum of two and still loves all things equestrian, including hacking, dressage and jumping with her cob Bert. Rachael left the H&H staff to go freelance in June 2019, but still contributes to our magazine and website, as well as our sister magazine Country Life, among others.