‘She completely adored her’: The past due Queen’s groom on her remaining, enjoyed pony Emma


  • The past due Queen’s stud groom has spoken of Her Majesty’s nice equine loves – together with her remaining and much-loved pony Emma.

    Terry Pendry used to be a visitor on episode 18 of the Fell Pony Podcast, hosted through Tom Lloyd, which used to be launched on 26 June. He mentioned his profession, from racing to the Family Cavalry, serving Her Majesty for almost part a century.



    Mr Pendry used to be made an army knight in honour of his provider this 12 months, the newest accolade in his outstanding profession.

    “I’d willingly give all my medals again to revel in only one extra day with Her Majesty,” he stated. “We omit her so badly.”

    Mr Pendry stated that, having had early driving studies on cows, on his uncle Ray’s farm, which used to be “exhilarating”, his first pony, Kelly, used to be a £40 Hereford marketplace purchase.

    “He used to be a difficult taskmaster, who may just greenback for England,” he stated. “I noticed the orchard from an upside-down place, striking out of apple and pear bushes, however he grew to become out to be an improbable pony.”

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    Mr Pendry rode tips, went into racing as an apprentice, then moved to London together with his spouse Sue.

    “She sought after to look Princess Anne’s wedding ceremony gifts, so we walked thru Horse Guards Parade,” he stated. “I believed ‘Horses. I know the way to try this’, which is how I joined the Family Cavalry.”

    Throughout his time with the regiment, Mr Pendry rode in Trooping the Color; his first in 1974 and annually since, escorting The Queen alongside The Mall on Burmese.

    “You by no means become bored with it,” he stated. “You’ll’t fail to be inspired through it, and it’s moderately excellent amusing, if truth be told.”

    Mr Pendry stated it used to be almost certainly his affect that ended in Her Majesty’s involvement with Fell ponies.

    “She used to be hooked in to all our uncommon breeds, about in need of to avoid wasting and take care of them, specifically Fells and Highlands,” he stated. “Sanction used to be her remaining driving horse, who we unfortunately misplaced in 2002, and in reality, she used to be attending to a definite age the place I didn’t need her driving horses an excessive amount of longer, as a result of if she got here off one, she wasn’t going to bop. I inspired her to change to ponies.”

    Appearing manufacturer Lizzie Briant put Mr Pendry involved with the past due Thomas Capstick, who owned Carltonlima Emma.

    “He had this pony, and realised she wouldn’t remaining a wintry weather at the fells,” Mr Pendry stated. “He had her bought to Holland however I persuaded him that perhaps he’d love to promote her to The Queen.

    “He stated he sought after pound notes with The Queen’s face on them. I stated ‘Awfully sorry, she doesn’t deal in money, however she banks with Coutts and he or she’s excellent for it’. He stated he’d do it – and I stated provided that he put her in foal to his most sensible stallion. He stated ‘You’re a difficult taskmaster, Mr Pendry’, however he did it.”

    Mr Pendry stated Emma all the time had “essentially the most superb disposition”, and continues to be, elderly 27, “firing on all cylinders”.

    “She’s semi-retired, however doesn’t need to be,” he stated. “She’s a fully superb pony.”

    Emma touched hearts the world over remaining 12 months as she and Mr Pendry stood at the Lengthy Stroll at Windsor to mention a last farewell to The Queen, and he stated: “That used to be one of the vital saddest days of my lifestyles.

    “I served Her Majesty for twenty years within the Family Cavalry and 28 direct. No less than two thirds of my lifestyles in provider to the sovereign, and I simply had to try this.”

    Mr Pendry stated he knew, at Royal Windsor Horse Display 2022, “we didn’t have an terrible lot of time left”.

    “She rode proper to the top,” he stated. “She rode Emma on 18 July, then two days later left for Scotland. And everyone knows how she got here house.”

    Mr Pendry stated there have been two animals with whom The Queen had a “telepathic” connection; Sanction and Emma.

    “If The Queen sought after to show left, Sanction did it with out her even considering it, and Emma used to be one of the vital identical,” he stated. “The Queen completely adored her.”

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