After five wonderful days at the Royal Windsor Horse Show (13-17 May), the H&H team have pretty much seen it all — from unexpected dressage dismounts to cavalry charges and a visit from The Queen. Have a look through our gallery of weird and wonderful sights to find out why we loved this year’s equine extravaganza…
1. Royal spectators
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The Queen enjoys popping out to her back garden for a glimpse of the action, not least when some of her own horses and ponies are in the ring. Other royal visitors this year included Peter Phillips and his family and the Duchess Of Cornwall. Strictly no selfies allowed though.
2. A sack race to decide national honours
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Competitors in the DAKS Pony Club Mounted Games showed athletic ability and great bouncing coordination as England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland battled it out for the top prize. Who knew a common sack could be such a speedy mode of transport?
3. Four seasons in one day
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You needed industrial strength suncream on day one and a heavy duty umbrella on day two. Welcome to the traditional British weather in May.
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4. A wealth of tourist attractions
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Tourists pay good money to look around Windsor Castle but competitors in the CEI2* Royal Windsor Endurance ride enjoyed some of the local sights for free as they completed the 120km competition.
5. The next generation of National Hunt jockeys
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Olive Nicholls, daughter of champion National Hunt trainer Paul Nicholls, looks to have inherited the racing genes as she leads the field to victory in the Shetland Pony Grand National. Next stop Aintree?
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6. Dressage horses who would rather be showjumping
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Tantoni Sir Socrates shows tremendous scope to clear the white boards in the prize-giving under dressage rider Alice Oppenheimer. Rumours that they will be competing in next year’s showjumping grand prix remain unfounded.
7. Horses enjoying a snooze in the main arena
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After a long day in the saddle, members of the Musical Ride of The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment took time out to enjoy 40 winks — and we don’t blame them.
8. Hunts celebrating with a £1,000 win
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The WHMG Inter-Hunt Team Knock Out competition is won by the Bicester with Whaddon Chase. The quartet collected a juicy £1,000 prize. Definitely worth battling the elements for.
9. The cleanest tack you’ve ever seen
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Competitors from the Coaching Marathon arrived at the Castle Arena in tremendous style. To the dedicated teams who have to keep this lot clean, we salute you.
10. Queuing for hours for refreshments that will cost you a week’s wages
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Spectators could enjoy a feast of food and drink at the show — but you had to dig deep in your purse to pay for it.
11. A Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey turned winning show rider
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His “Toast Of New York” jacket was spotted around the showground and then, mounted on the spottiest of Appaloosas, Perfect Storm, racehorse trainer Jamie Osborne adds a new string to his bow by winning Sunday’s ridden class.
12. Showjumpers matching the dressage riders for bling
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South African competitor Genene Burnett, who runs equestrian clothing company Equiporium, showed off her immense flair for co-ordinating her outfits and tack in the CSI* showjumping classes.
13. Ponies going so fast they don’t touch the ground
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A member of the Welsh team in the DAKS Pony Club Mounted Games sprouts wings for a dash to the finish line.
14. You’re not fully dressed without a bowler hat
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We love the tradition of Royal Windsor, not least the strict dress codes — where else can you see gentlemen in bowler hats these days?
15. Badly parked Land Rovers
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Actually no, this isn’t a case of a Discovery owner forgetting to apply the handbrake, but the title sponsor’s cars make a fantastic distraction — and possible hazard — for competitors in the four-in-hand driving marathon.
16. Some of the most badly behaved horses are in the tradestands
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This rearing wooden horse in the tradestands certainly had spectators coming in for a second look.
17. The best seats in the house are on a London bus
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Revellers could enjoy a glass of champagne while watching all the action in the ring.
18. It’s great to be British
Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment
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Foreign competitors at the show see it as a real eye-opener — where else can you see native breeds crossing paths with world class showjumpers and military riders? The evening performances in particular kept the crowds enthralled and we were proud to celebrate being British. Bring on 2016!
Don’t miss the full report from Royal Windsor in the 21 May issue of Horse & Hound magazine
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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
