0:00:04 > 0:00:07She's the most famous woman in the world.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10As the figurehead of grand ceremonies
0:00:10 > 0:00:14meeting world leaders and heads of state
0:00:14 > 0:00:16or meeting her subjects,
0:00:16 > 0:00:21the Queen has a public face that's instantly recognisable to billions.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27But there's a private side, a side most of us hardly ever see.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31It is possible to get a closer look at the woman
0:00:31 > 0:00:34behind the dutiful monarch on parade.
0:00:34 > 0:00:39And that's when she's indulging her lifelong love of horses.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Everyone knows that the Queen loves racing.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Before she does anything else in the morning
0:00:44 > 0:00:46she will read her copy of the Racing Post,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48but what most people don't realise is that
0:00:48 > 0:00:53the Queen has an in-depth fascination for and great knowledge
0:00:53 > 0:00:56of the creature that is at the centre of this sport.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02For the Queen, horses are both an escape and an emotional outlet.
0:01:02 > 0:01:08Far from the demands of royal duty, they reveal a different side.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12We've been allowed inside that private world for a close-up look
0:01:12 > 0:01:15at the Queen's horses, the people who look after them
0:01:15 > 0:01:18and the pleasure she derives from it all.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20- Oh, you silly fool! - Look at him.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22LAUGHTER
0:01:22 > 0:01:25At Balmoral, we meet a rare native pony breed
0:01:25 > 0:01:28the Queen has helped save from obscurity.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31The Queen just adores the fact they're so easy
0:01:31 > 0:01:33and so uncomplicated.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38All her life, the Queen has enjoyed the company of horses,
0:01:38 > 0:01:42and it's a love she's passed down to the rest of her family.
0:01:42 > 0:01:43Horses were everywhere,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47and ponies were a natural extension to the pram, basically.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50This is the Queen at her most relaxed.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54That's mine. My horse! I've got one on sweep!
0:01:54 > 0:01:57There's a very good magnetic field when the Queen is close
0:01:57 > 0:02:00to horses and the people that are involved with the horses.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08HORSE NEIGHS
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Sandringham - the Queen's estate in Norfolk.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15It's mid January, and three of the Queen's
0:02:15 > 0:02:1935 active racehorses are having their morning exercise.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25It's just a few weeks before their fitness regime ramps up
0:02:25 > 0:02:27and they'll head to a training yard.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Winter is also the season for new life to begin.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41The Queen's heavily pregnant mares have spent the day in the paddocks,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43and it's time to bring them in.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Three generations of my family are amongst those
0:02:47 > 0:02:50who have trained horses for the Queen,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53and now I've come to see the crucial first stages
0:02:53 > 0:02:55of producing a royal racehorse.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Horses usually foal at night,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01safely hidden from the eyes of predators.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04- Such a pretty yard. - It is lovely, isn't it?
0:03:08 > 0:03:11The Queen has around 25 broodmares,
0:03:11 > 0:03:15and in matching them with the right stallions, she's trying to create
0:03:15 > 0:03:17an ever-improved racehorse -
0:03:17 > 0:03:20faster, fitter, and happier.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25So, this is one of the new additions to the stud, this is Memory.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29And, as a racehorse in training, she was really talented,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31but a couple of times on the racecourse she decided
0:03:31 > 0:03:34she just didn't fancy it, she had ideas completely of her own,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36the stalls opened and she just stood there.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39But it's interesting that the Queen has decided
0:03:39 > 0:03:42to take a chance with her, because she clearly has a lot of ability,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45she's very well bred, so her offspring could be very good
0:03:45 > 0:03:48as long as they can sort the mental side out.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49Eh?
0:03:49 > 0:03:52And she's ready to pop any minute now.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54She's heavily in foal, she's actually overdue.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Yes, all right, I'm sorry. "Don't touch my tummy."
0:03:59 > 0:04:02'One of the Queen's stud grooms is Anne-Lise Riis Jensen.'
0:04:02 > 0:04:03Cor, magic door.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Yes, very good.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09'Her job is to make sure every foal has a safe passage into the world.'
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Talk me through Memory, the mare here, and how close she is.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16She's overdue, she was due on the 15th January.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21Their gestation is eleven months, so hopefully she'll foal very soon.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23She's holding on a bit because of the weather -
0:04:23 > 0:04:28we've had quite a cold snap here, so she's not quite ready yet.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29But she's...
0:04:29 > 0:04:32What I do is every day I check, make sure the udders
0:04:32 > 0:04:35are coming the right way, so check underneath her and...
0:04:35 > 0:04:37All right, sweetheart.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40And she's starting to bag up, so hopefully...
0:04:40 > 0:04:43When you say "She's starting to bag up"...?
0:04:43 > 0:04:45She's getting milk in the udder.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47- But not much yet. - No, but being a first foal
0:04:47 > 0:04:50the bag might not be as big as an old, experienced mare.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54And how many foals have you actually helped bring into the world?
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Four...400, probably.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59- 400?! Really?!- Yes.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01So, you are a horse midwife.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05If there was a Call The Midwife for horses, you would be the star!
0:05:05 > 0:05:06I would be one, yes.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13The Queen funds her equestrian pursuits from her own private purse.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16She has around 180 horses and ponies of different breeds
0:05:16 > 0:05:19at stables in Norfolk and Hampshire,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22and at Balmoral, Hampton Court and Windsor.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25She still goes riding whenever she can.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28She always looks happy on a horse.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31She's totally at home with them.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33I think because she's always ridden,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36since she was knee high to a grasshopper, you know.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39According to Margaret Rhodes, the Queen's cousin,
0:05:39 > 0:05:44her fascination was obvious from the start in her choice of nursery toys.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47I can remember, when I was quite small,
0:05:47 > 0:05:53how the Queen had a stable of ponies that were in the nursery.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56She organised them very tidily,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58and they were always, you know...
0:05:58 > 0:06:00She probably fed them and watered them, I don't know,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04but they were always very much a part of nursery life,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07and I mean they had to be put to bed at the right time
0:06:07 > 0:06:09and put into stables and everything, you know.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13We played horses a very great deal in a field near the house,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17where we could be circus horses, or carriage horses,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19or ponies riding - every kind of horse,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22but we galloped, we trotted, we walked,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25we did all that kind of thing for ever,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27round and round in circles.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Which she enjoyed enormously, I found slightly boring.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32SHE LAUGHS
0:06:33 > 0:06:37The young Princess Elizabeth was given her first pony, called Peggy,
0:06:37 > 0:06:42as a fourth birthday present from her grandfather, George V.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50This is rarely seen private royal footage -
0:06:50 > 0:06:54the six-year-old princess confidently riding Peggy.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05And it wasn't just ponies.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Whenever she was near horses,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10the princess wanted to reach out and touch them.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14I think she has a wonderful feel for horses,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16and I think from a very early age
0:07:16 > 0:07:18she was just completely absorbed by it.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20And it happens, it happens to a lot of people,
0:07:20 > 0:07:25but we're particularly lucky that the Queen was caught by the bug
0:07:25 > 0:07:30and has become so interested and so devoted to her horses.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33'Based here at Sandringham, Joe Grimwade has been managing
0:07:33 > 0:07:37'the Queen's Thoroughbred breeding programme for the past 15 years.'
0:07:37 > 0:07:40When it comes to breeding, when you're matching a stallion
0:07:40 > 0:07:43with a mare and you're trying to create the ultimate racehorse,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46is that luck, or is that science?
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Both. The process involves...
0:07:49 > 0:07:53an artistic approach and a scientific approach,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56and there's a massive art to using all the available tools
0:07:56 > 0:07:58to try and find a perfect mate.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00And then, once you've done all of that,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03then there's a whole element of luck that dictates whether
0:08:03 > 0:08:07it's going to produce a great racehorse or a lesser horse.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08A lot of it's luck.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Over the years, the Queen has built a reputation
0:08:12 > 0:08:16as one of Britain's most successful Thoroughbred breeders.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21'My philosophy about racing is simple.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25'I enjoy breeding a horse that is faster than other people's.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29'And, to me, that is a gamble from a long way back.'
0:08:30 > 0:08:32'I enjoy going racing.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34'But I suppose, basically, I love horses,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38'and a Thoroughbred epitomises a really good horse to me.'
0:08:39 > 0:08:42I wonder whether it does become even more addictive
0:08:42 > 0:08:44the more you get involved, because of that combination
0:08:44 > 0:08:46of the intellectual side of things,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48of, "Right, let's try and make this work,"
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and then the emotional response, "Here's a horse I love."
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Yes, and highs and lows.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56It has to be said it's often the lows that make the highs so special,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59and the Queen can take each with equal grace.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Foaling season is Joe's busiest time.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07It's hard to predict when a foal will be born.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10We waited a week at Sandringham with no luck.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12So we've left some kit with Joe and his team
0:09:12 > 0:09:15to capture those first moments on camera.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19The next mare to foal was one called Daring Aim.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24Her trust in Joe allowed him to get some extraordinary footage.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27- Fairly gruesome start. - It is fairly gruesome.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30You have to bear in mind, I don't watch Call The Midwife,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32because I don't like the birth scenes!
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Oh, well, sit tight!
0:09:36 > 0:09:41So, the mare's been through the first stage, walking around.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45I've picked it up as the foal's actually starting to be born.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Anne-Lise has established here it's the way round,
0:09:48 > 0:09:50everything's going tickety-boo,
0:09:50 > 0:09:54and the mare's lying down and straining quite hard.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Are you not constantly amazed, looking at that...
0:09:59 > 0:10:00Constantly amazed.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04..that that big shape can come through that little hole?
0:10:04 > 0:10:05It's absolutely staggering.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09As the foal comes out though, it doesn't look alive.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12No, at the moment it's still getting all its nutrition
0:10:12 > 0:10:14from the umbilical cord.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16There's no need for it to breathe now.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18It's happily working on the system that's been keeping it going
0:10:18 > 0:10:20right through pregnancy.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24Here it comes.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Oh, and you can see the foal blinking there.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Now the foal's starting to move.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33- Oh, my word! - Now, I don't know if you see it,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35but now the foal is breathing.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39She's looking round, the mare, saying, "Hello, there you are."
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Beautiful head already.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46And the ears sort of strangely disengaged to start with.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Yeah. Take a little while for them to perk up.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50HORSES WHICKER
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Listen, they're just whickering at each other, oh.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Such a sweet sight. Shall we just move forward a little bit?
0:10:56 > 0:10:57Yeah.
0:11:00 > 0:11:01They are just extraordinary.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04And that foal's going to stand up, try to.
0:11:04 > 0:11:05Oh! Crossed legs, crossed legs!
0:11:06 > 0:11:09It's amazing how quickly the instinct takes over,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12I must stand up, I must be prepared
0:11:12 > 0:11:14to flee if needs be, if you're in the wild.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Exactly. The lions are coming!
0:11:17 > 0:11:19JOE LAUGHS
0:11:19 > 0:11:21The boxes have forgiving walls,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23so if the foal is bouncing off the walls
0:11:23 > 0:11:25as it stands up for the first time,
0:11:25 > 0:11:27that takes a lot of the concussion out
0:11:27 > 0:11:30and really no chance of them hurting themselves.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33The poor old mares, they get treated absolutely awfully by the foals.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37They'll get a hoof in the face on a fairly regular basis.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- There's going to be a big push in a moment.- Yeah.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44It seems so unlikely, doesn't it?
0:11:44 > 0:11:46It seems impossible, it really does.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48And...go!
0:11:48 > 0:11:52- Oh, clever girl. - Brilliant. Brilliant.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57And when she went for it, it was all in one movement.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59That was very civilised.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01You can have a fair bit more lurching around the box
0:12:01 > 0:12:04before this actually happens, but, er...
0:12:04 > 0:12:05And they're still very wobbly.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Yes.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11It's like they're walking on stilts, isn't it?
0:12:11 > 0:12:14It is, very much. On a ship.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Yeah, exactly! On very rough seas.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19- Having had a few drinks.- Yeah, yeah.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26And already, you can see this wonderful sort of athletic frame.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30The shoulder and the hindquarter and the great limbs and...
0:12:31 > 0:12:33So, we're dreaming already, you know,
0:12:33 > 0:12:37we've got the Oaks in mind now. 2016.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42And that's the wonderful thing about racing.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44I think what draws so many people to it
0:12:44 > 0:12:49- is that - dreams, they are limitless.- They are, yeah.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52Because this filly has as much chance of winning the Oaks
0:12:52 > 0:12:56- as any other filly born right now, this year.- Yeah.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58And a huge element of uncertainty.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02But we're hoping that, because the Queen gets the matings right
0:13:02 > 0:13:04and hopefully we get all the rearing right
0:13:04 > 0:13:06and we get the mental training right,
0:13:06 > 0:13:10we're hoping to give ourselves that little bit of advantage later.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24'When the Queen comes to Sandringham,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26she'll try to see the new foals as soon as possible
0:13:26 > 0:13:29'to assess them and get to know them.'
0:13:29 > 0:13:30Morning, Your Majesty.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37This year's cold temperatures
0:13:37 > 0:13:40have produced some particularly furry foals.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42It's got a thick coat on.
0:13:42 > 0:13:43It's very woolly, isn't it?
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Yes. Very sensible.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Now, this is a foal that was born just last night,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50so the Queen's come down to have a first look.
0:13:57 > 0:13:58THE QUEEN LAUGHS
0:13:58 > 0:14:01The Queen is accompanied by her racing adviser, John Warren.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03But she's not the sort of breeder
0:14:03 > 0:14:06who just leaves others to run the business.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12The pleasure is in these moments - the personal contact,
0:14:12 > 0:14:16the development of a relationship with another living,
0:14:16 > 0:14:17albeit hairy, being.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Having greeted the newest arrival,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24the Queen heads for the main stable yard
0:14:24 > 0:14:26to see the rest of this season's batch of foals.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31They'll be shown in age order, youngest first,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34and asked to parade in front of the Queen and our cameras.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45So, the Queen's now being shown the foals that were born
0:14:45 > 0:14:47here at Sandringham this year.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51And any time one is a bit skittish - and they are nervous at this age,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53this is their first sort of public parade -
0:14:53 > 0:14:54Anne-Lise will step in.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57And bear in mind she foaled most of these, so the foals know her,
0:14:57 > 0:15:01the mares know her, she just puts a calming hand round them.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Bit wobbly.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14She's a monster.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18The Queen is fascinated by every detail.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21She's got the breeding on a piece of paper in front of her.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24She wants to see the foals walk. She wants to know how they behave.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33This foal was only born on the 29th of March,
0:15:33 > 0:15:34so not even a month old
0:15:34 > 0:15:37and he's quite immature still, you know.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39He's all legs.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47'Good stability is only a first step.'
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Well, at least it's standing on its feet.
0:15:57 > 0:15:58But it's so interesting.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01You can start to see bits of their personality come out -
0:16:01 > 0:16:03those that are naturally more confident,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06those that are a bit more hesitant, like this one is.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09'The Queen has seen enough generations of the same family
0:16:09 > 0:16:14'to be able to make comparisons in terms of shape, size and attitude.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16'But it's only when these babies start to gallop
0:16:16 > 0:16:20'that anyone will know if they're any good.'
0:16:20 > 0:16:21So interesting.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36'Sandringham stud has just opened a brand-new yard,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39'complete with a circular horse walker
0:16:39 > 0:16:41'for exercising up to eight mares.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44'We're with the Queen as she sees it for the first time.'
0:16:44 > 0:16:45Lovely yard.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48It's been such a joy, Clare, this new yard.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52- It's fantastic. And is that...? Are we facing south?- Yeah.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53It's lovely.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58I must say, it does improve the horse walker by having some blossoms.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Brings it up a little bit.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06'This mare, called Set To Music, has just been covered
0:17:06 > 0:17:09'so she'll be foaling in about 11 months' time.'
0:17:11 > 0:17:13'British kings and queens
0:17:13 > 0:17:16'have been breeding racehorses for nearly 500 years.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21'They've played a huge part in the creation and development
0:17:21 > 0:17:25'of the Thoroughbred, the fastest equine breed on the planet.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28'And the Queen has played a key role.'
0:17:28 > 0:17:29Thank you very much.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31She knows so much about horses
0:17:31 > 0:17:34and how they behave and how they react
0:17:34 > 0:17:39that I think she has done more than anybody in the royal family
0:17:39 > 0:17:43in history to improve things and raise the standard all round.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47By the time she was 18,
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Princess Elizabeth was an accomplished rider,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52often accompanied by her sister Margaret.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57But the moment that would open a whole new world to her
0:17:57 > 0:17:59was a visit to see her father's racehorses.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05'I suppose I first became interested in racing during the war, when
0:18:05 > 0:18:08'my father had leased Big Game and Sun Chariot from the National Stud.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12'Well, my father took me down to Beckhampton to see them working,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15'which I had never seen before,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18'and I was able to pat them in the stable afterwards.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22'I'd never felt the satiny softness of a Thoroughbred before.
0:18:22 > 0:18:23'It's a wonderful feeling.'
0:18:28 > 0:18:32She quickly became devoted to racing and, in partnership
0:18:32 > 0:18:36with the Queen Mother, bought a jumper called Monaveen.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39At Hurst Park in 1949,
0:18:39 > 0:18:44she watched Monaveen triumph - the first horse to win in her name.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47On to the final jump and, with a six-length lead, Monaveen heads
0:18:47 > 0:18:50for the home stretch while royal excitement rises to fever pitch.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11This newly found thrill in racing
0:19:11 > 0:19:14would become a healthy counterbalance
0:19:14 > 0:19:16to the demands of monarchy.
0:19:16 > 0:19:21In those sort of moments she can let rip with real excitement, you know.
0:19:21 > 0:19:26You see, I think that early on, when she became Queen,
0:19:26 > 0:19:33I think that she had to sacrifice within herself,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35an awful lot of emotions
0:19:35 > 0:19:38and thoughts of the future and everything else.
0:19:38 > 0:19:44But I think with horses, it's another world in that it reduces you
0:19:44 > 0:19:47to just the person in relation to the animal,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50and you're not a queen, you're just a human being.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Just four days after her coronation in 1953,
0:19:55 > 0:19:59the young Queen had a well-fancied horse running in the Derby -
0:19:59 > 0:20:02a colt bred at Sandringham called Aureole.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04The nation was gripped.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Would this be the icing on the cake for the newly crowned Queen?
0:20:07 > 0:20:11Or would it go to the legendary jockey Sir Gordon Richards,
0:20:11 > 0:20:15riding Pinza, who had never won the Derby in 27 attempts?
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Aureole takes up the challenge as befits a Queen's champion,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21overtaking Shikanpur and gaining on Pinza.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27But Pinza won't be denied, nor Gordon Richard, the 49-year-old
0:20:27 > 0:20:30veteran of the saddle, recently knighted by the Queen.
0:20:30 > 0:20:35He's won 4,670 races, but never the Derby.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38And today his 28th Derby try is crowned with glory.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40First of his profession to be knighted,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Sir Gordon beat the daylights out of his Queen's entry.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45It was a great day for a knight.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50'I think it was very exciting to have a horse,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54'so soon as an owner, to run in the Derby.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56'And one couldn't really be sad not to win,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59'because Sir Gordon had at last won a Derby.'
0:21:03 > 0:21:07The Queen has always been enterprising about the training
0:21:07 > 0:21:09and treatment of her horses.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14In the 1950s, she asked a Harley Street neurologist to help
0:21:14 > 0:21:16calm the over-excitable Aureole -
0:21:16 > 0:21:20the same colt who was second in the 1953 Derby.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22The laying on of hands
0:21:22 > 0:21:25was very definitely not standard practice at the time,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28though it did seem to have a soothing effect,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32and he went on to win major races at Epsom and Ascot.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37It's amazing how open her mind is.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40And the fact that when she saw something new,
0:21:40 > 0:21:44she didn't go back to this traditional feeling of, "Oh!"
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Because the racing world can be a bit like that...
0:21:46 > 0:21:51It can be very much that way and it would be safer for her to do that.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53But she didn't.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57The Queen's interest seems to me to be not just winning races,
0:21:57 > 0:22:01but, "Am I giving my horses a better life?"
0:22:02 > 0:22:06'Monty Roberts is the man they call the real life horse whisperer.'
0:22:06 > 0:22:10In 1989, the Queen heard about Monty's innovative
0:22:10 > 0:22:14and instinctive approach to handling horses and invited him
0:22:14 > 0:22:16to demonstrate at Windsor Castle.
0:22:17 > 0:22:23This Californian one-time rodeo star used the horse's own body language
0:22:23 > 0:22:26to win their trust, which flew in the face of more
0:22:26 > 0:22:29traditional methods of breaking in a horse through fear.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32The Queen was so impressed,
0:22:32 > 0:22:36she encouraged Monty to write about his methods and, to this day,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40'she calls on him for help with her most difficult yearlings.'
0:22:40 > 0:22:41So who's this, Rachel?
0:22:41 > 0:22:45This is Sharp Lookout, a two-year-old colt bred by the Queen,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47and owned by her as well.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51And, Monty, what are the challenges that he has presented you?
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Well, Clare, this is the most sensitive yearling
0:22:54 > 0:22:56I've ever dealt with.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58He is absolutely incredible.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02In the early stages, he was just Mount Vesuvius.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Any time you went to touch him, everything exploded.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09So we've had a challenge but things are coming around now really well
0:23:09 > 0:23:12and he's had his first rider in this last week.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14- Well, I'd love to see you work on him.- OK.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20'The Thoroughbred is a naturally highly-strung animal
0:23:20 > 0:23:23'and the early stages of training are often a challenge.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26'As a foal, Sharp Lookout was so jumpy,
0:23:26 > 0:23:30'he gave himself an eye injury, now on the mend.'
0:23:30 > 0:23:31Let's go.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36'For our benefit, Monty is going to demonstrate the process this
0:23:36 > 0:23:40'difficult horse has gone through to prepare him for a rider.'
0:23:40 > 0:23:46So you can get the personality traits of this horse pretty quickly
0:23:46 > 0:23:49when you see all of this volatility and that head up
0:23:49 > 0:23:53and tail up and all this flying around.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57'If a Thoroughbred's skittish energy can be properly channelled,
0:23:57 > 0:23:58'anything is possible.'
0:23:58 > 0:24:06But watch as his ear comes to me on this side and he licks and chews.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08The adrenaline is falling down.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11And if the adrenaline gets down far enough,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13you'll see him lower his head.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18And when they do, the adrenaline really falls.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20'Having driven Sharp Lookout to flight,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22'Monty now turns his back on him.'
0:24:22 > 0:24:28So let me just step over here and have him look at me
0:24:28 > 0:24:32with my shoulders away from him and my eyes away from him
0:24:32 > 0:24:37and just see if I can get him to want to come to me.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41'Monty is mimicking the behaviour of a mare disciplining her foal.'
0:24:41 > 0:24:47Just those little steps are so important
0:24:47 > 0:24:49to get this whole thing started.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51That's a good boy.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58OK, I'll just take that plastic bag there now.
0:24:58 > 0:25:03'Now trust is won, the next step is to reduce Sharp Lookout's
0:25:03 > 0:25:06'alarm at random moving objects.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08'Like plastic bags.'
0:25:08 > 0:25:13So I want him to take these kind of things and stand here
0:25:13 > 0:25:16and accept it wherever it goes.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Honestly, I'm just dumbfounded.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22'And now this is a crucial moment -
0:25:22 > 0:25:26'getting the horse to accept something on his back.'
0:25:26 > 0:25:28It is incredible, this,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31because the connection that Monty has with the horse is so strong
0:25:31 > 0:25:35and this is a horse who's clearly wanting to do things for him.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38And it's almost impossible to believe that this was
0:25:38 > 0:25:41the most difficult, difficult animal in the place,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43probably one of the most difficult they've ever had.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45This is one that's just been invented...
0:25:45 > 0:25:48'Monty's now introducing the horse to a training dummy
0:25:48 > 0:25:50'that was recently invented by an Irish trainer.'
0:25:50 > 0:25:53I love the fact that the mannequin's got the...
0:25:53 > 0:25:54CLARE LAUGHS
0:25:54 > 0:25:57..has got the jacket on. Has got the uniform, that's brilliant.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00He's got the Queen's jacket on.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05Now, this horse would absolutely freak out
0:26:05 > 0:26:10and just blow completely apart when we first started with the mannequin.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14So if the human being got up there,
0:26:14 > 0:26:16human being is going to come down.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20And when the rider comes down,
0:26:20 > 0:26:26a habitual pattern of behaviour gets set up, so the horse finds
0:26:26 > 0:26:30freedom from that rider and you've seen horses that are habitually
0:26:30 > 0:26:35loose on the racecourses and get one rider after another down -
0:26:35 > 0:26:37it's very bad.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43Now we have our mannequin rider in place.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45It does look very funny, I'm sorry.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Yep, but he rides well doesn't he?
0:26:48 > 0:26:49Yeah, he does.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54'The next step is to get a real live jockey on the horse.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58'Even a mature racehorse can be quite tricky at this stage
0:26:58 > 0:27:01'and the leg-up is often done on the move.'
0:27:01 > 0:27:02This is only the second time
0:27:02 > 0:27:05I've schooled him to this standing still. Here we go.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18- How many racehorses will do that? - I know.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22Ah, he's nice.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26OK, you can give us a trot around.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31'Adrian the jockey quickly has Sharp Lookout
0:27:31 > 0:27:33'at an impeccable trot.'
0:27:33 > 0:27:35You can give him a little canter now.
0:27:37 > 0:27:38That is amazing.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49Good.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Very nice.
0:27:53 > 0:27:54You can stop now.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59'After a few circuits, Sharp Lookout finishes...
0:27:59 > 0:28:00And a step back.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02..with a neat reverse.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Good. Very, very nice.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09Hey, fella.
0:28:09 > 0:28:10How about that?
0:28:11 > 0:28:15Honestly, that is like watching a miracle in process,
0:28:15 > 0:28:19because I know how... They told me how difficult you were.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21You just want to do it now, don't you?
0:28:22 > 0:28:28- So one day I might get to be talking about you...- Yeah.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30..running at Royal Ascot or something.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Yeah, wouldn't that be something?
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Polhampton is the Queen's private yard in Hampshire.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44'This is where stud groom Rachel Murat teaches last year's
0:28:44 > 0:28:47'batch of foals to be comfortable around humans.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54'The Queen has come to see for herself how they're getting on.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01'With the help of John Warren and Rachel, the Queen takes in
0:29:01 > 0:29:05'the physical development of these young horses and watches them walk.'
0:29:05 > 0:29:09- That just looks really quite small. - It is for a February birth.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11It's a February foal?
0:29:11 > 0:29:13'She assesses their natural athleticism
0:29:13 > 0:29:17'and their conformation - how their bodies are put together.'
0:29:17 > 0:29:19- Nice shape, isn't it?- Lovely shape.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27Lovely head. Attractive horse.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29Now this is such an interesting stage of a racehorse's
0:29:29 > 0:29:32development because these are yearlings
0:29:32 > 0:29:36and the Queen hasn't seen most of them since they were foals.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39So, a bit like children getting ready to go to big school,
0:29:39 > 0:29:41they'll go into training next year.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44They still look overgrown and hairy.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Can't really believe that they're racehorses, but they will be.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53'All of the yearlings have behaved beautifully, apart from two,
0:29:53 > 0:29:55'who take fright - possibly at me
0:29:55 > 0:29:58'standing at the side of the field - and they start to play up.
0:29:58 > 0:30:03'Ollie and Jo, who are leading them, remain completely calm.'
0:30:03 > 0:30:06I tell you something, it's very impressive the way these
0:30:06 > 0:30:09yearlings are handled because you can see how skittish they are -
0:30:09 > 0:30:11how the slightest thing will spook them.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15But they do so well just to keep a loose rein.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20And they've calmed down again now.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23'The Queen has seen flighty behaviour like this before
0:30:23 > 0:30:26'and knows just how to deal with it.'
0:30:26 > 0:30:30There's a certain amount of intuition, as you can see.
0:30:35 > 0:30:42Just so gently and so sensibly and very slow in the movements.
0:30:42 > 0:30:43Just, "Hello there."
0:30:56 > 0:30:58I can't tell you how impressive that is.
0:30:58 > 0:31:03I mean, they're the only two so far that have come in here
0:31:03 > 0:31:05and behaved really badly.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09But the Queen's made sure that, with both of them, she's gone up to them.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13'Polhampton is also home to some older horses
0:31:13 > 0:31:15'whose racing days are over.'
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Now these are all retired horses, so Free Agent in front,
0:31:20 > 0:31:24who won the Chesham at Royal Ascot in 2008.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27'It's something that's particularly notable
0:31:27 > 0:31:29'about the Queen as a breeder.
0:31:31 > 0:31:32'She doesn't lose interest
0:31:32 > 0:31:36'in her horses at the end of their racing careers.'
0:31:36 > 0:31:38- He's aged.- He has.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40She always will do all she can
0:31:40 > 0:31:43to make sure the horse has a happy retirement.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48And that's, you know, she always wants to know
0:31:48 > 0:31:52what's happened to the horse when it's no longer able to race
0:31:52 > 0:31:56and it's not perhaps good enough to go to stud,
0:31:56 > 0:31:59but she'll always try and make sure it has a happy home.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03However disappointing or moderate it may have been,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06it has a happy life in retirement.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08Oh, you silly fool!
0:32:10 > 0:32:12He's saying, "Is that for me? Hello."
0:32:12 > 0:32:16All those babies with coats and then you get the older ones.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18'These Polhampton pensioners are being used to educate
0:32:18 > 0:32:20'the younger ones.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24'Their own racing careers have been ended by injury or old age
0:32:24 > 0:32:27'and the idea now is that their mature, calming influence
0:32:27 > 0:32:31'will teach the yearlings not to be frightened of their own shadows.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33'They're nannies, if you like.'
0:32:33 > 0:32:35Oh, dear. It's always sad, isn't it,
0:32:35 > 0:32:37when you see the things with legs gone?
0:32:37 > 0:32:41But they look happy. They look happy, Ma'am. They all look well.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43Got a job, haven't they?
0:32:43 > 0:32:47Yeah, that's the key. Giving them something.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50Well, they're very useful if you can use them for leading yearlings.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53Some of them are not. They're a bit spooky sometimes.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00Over the past 60 years, horses bred by the Queen have scooped up
0:33:00 > 0:33:03many of Britain's best races.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06One of the most successful results of her meticulously planned
0:33:06 > 0:33:10breeding programme was a filly called Highclere.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12Highclere is going to get caught towards home.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Polygamy is finishing fastest. It's Highclere from Polygamy.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19Polygamy from Highclere. Highclere and Polygamy in a photo finish.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23Highclere's victory in the 1974 1,000 Guineas convinced
0:33:23 > 0:33:27the Queen to take a trip across the Channel to the French Oaks.
0:33:27 > 0:33:33Chantilly, Sunday the 16th of June 1974. The Prix de Diane.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38'Well, I decided to send Highclere to run in the Prix de Diane
0:33:38 > 0:33:41'instead of the English Oaks, after the Guineas,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44'when it became apparent she was good enough to go to France.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49'I'd never been racing in France when I had a horse running.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51'Well, it was a lovely outing for me.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55'The President was very kind and made it very easy for me
0:33:55 > 0:33:57'to get to Chantilly.'
0:34:01 > 0:34:06Highclere made the trip thoroughly worthwhile with a resounding win.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09'The crowd was tremendously friendly.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11'And even after the race, when Highclere had won,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14'they seemed even more friendly, luckily.'
0:34:23 > 0:34:26'Careful breeding is just one part of the equation.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30'When her horses are old enough, the Queen tries to match each one
0:34:30 > 0:34:31'with a suitable trainer,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34'responsible for getting the best out of them.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36'It's a Sunday morning in the West Country
0:34:36 > 0:34:39'and the Queen is seeing her horses
0:34:39 > 0:34:42'in the relaxed but focused atmosphere of a racing yard.'
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Today is the Queen's 87th birthday,
0:34:46 > 0:34:50but instead of having an official function or a state dinner,
0:34:50 > 0:34:52she's here in Wiltshire at Richard Hannon's yard
0:34:52 > 0:34:56to have a close-up look at five horses she has in training here.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05'Richard Hannon is one of Britain's top trainers.
0:35:05 > 0:35:10'He looks after more than 260 horses for 150 different owners.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13'He's been champion trainer four times
0:35:13 > 0:35:17'and is notoriously plain-speaking and free of airs and graces.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20'He thinks owning racehorses should be fun
0:35:20 > 0:35:25'and he makes sure that's the case for everyone, including the Queen.'
0:35:32 > 0:35:34'Out on the gallops,
0:35:34 > 0:35:37'the Queen has a chance to see her horses working
0:35:37 > 0:35:39'and to discuss with the trainer
0:35:39 > 0:35:41'what type of race might suit each one.'
0:35:43 > 0:35:47'She also takes a keen interest in other good horses in the yard,
0:35:47 > 0:35:48'whoever owns them.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55'That feeling of being behind the scenes, in the know,
0:35:55 > 0:35:58'adds to the pleasure of watching the early morning gallops.'
0:36:02 > 0:36:06Richard, how much does it mean to you to train for the Queen?
0:36:06 > 0:36:09Well, I mean, she's a wonderful woman to deal with, you know.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13She's very easy to train for and she's very knowledgeable,
0:36:13 > 0:36:17- you know, about the whole situation. She doesn't miss very much.- No.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20What is the Queen looking for when she comes here to see
0:36:20 > 0:36:23the horses at this time of year? What are you trying to show her?
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Well, we want her to see, obviously, all the horses,
0:36:26 > 0:36:30all the horses working and to see what stage of the game we're at.
0:36:30 > 0:36:31They're nice horses.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33You know, they're by Invincible Spirit,
0:36:33 > 0:36:37and they're beautifully bred. You've got every chance.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39Do you have to watch your language at all?
0:36:39 > 0:36:41Certainly not.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44Only when Her Majesty's here.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46That's what I mean. So this morning?
0:36:46 > 0:36:49No, everything's fine. Nothing went wrong.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51Shouting and screaming - no, nothing.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53Everything all right, wasn't it? All went well.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05Race day at Newbury.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08This isn't one of the top meetings in the racing calendar,
0:37:08 > 0:37:10but it's attracted a wide range of people
0:37:10 > 0:37:12who've come to enjoy a good day out.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19It just so happens that one of them is the Queen,
0:37:19 > 0:37:21mingling with the crowd.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24When she's lucky enough to go racing, she can switch out of all
0:37:24 > 0:37:26the everyday work and worries
0:37:26 > 0:37:28to something which is totally different
0:37:28 > 0:37:32and I think it's very good for her to be able to do that.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36John Warren, the Queen's racing adviser, is once again by her side.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41John, do you think there's an attraction with racing folk
0:37:41 > 0:37:45that there's huge respect, but it's a very relaxed atmosphere
0:37:45 > 0:37:47because you have to be calm around horses
0:37:47 > 0:37:51and you can't be constantly, you know, curtseying or bowing
0:37:51 > 0:37:53and, you know, shuffling around -
0:37:53 > 0:37:56actually everybody's got to be on an equal level?
0:37:56 > 0:38:01I feel the Queen is extremely comfortable around animals.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05And that seems to transfer itself.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09People that work with animals are generally calm as well
0:38:09 > 0:38:13and therefore there's a very good magnetic field when the Queen
0:38:13 > 0:38:16is close to horses and the people that are involved with the horses.
0:38:16 > 0:38:21So people feel comfortable around her and vice versa, I think.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23- Yeah, so less fuss in a way. - Far less fuss.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27How impressed are you with the Queen's depth of knowledge?
0:38:27 > 0:38:31Well, she has such a tremendous memory.
0:38:31 > 0:38:36She can remember the bloodlines going back five or six generations.
0:38:36 > 0:38:41And I think that has allowed her to have so much knowledge
0:38:41 > 0:38:44that's accumulated over the years that it's...
0:38:44 > 0:38:48I think she would have made a wonderful racehorse trainer.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52'Today the Queen has a promising contender in the 4:15.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55'Sign Manual is a four-year-old gelding
0:38:55 > 0:38:59'she bred from the top class Derby-winning stallion Motivator
0:38:59 > 0:39:01'and one of her broodmares called New Assembly.'
0:39:03 > 0:39:05It's interesting. He looks quite a tricky horse.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08You know, he's pulling for his head, he's sweating up just a little bit.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11He's clearly not straightforward.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17And the attraction for the Queen is to see whether this horse
0:39:17 > 0:39:21can fulfil his potential - whether actually the breeding
0:39:21 > 0:39:25of a great stallion, Motivator, with a mare that the Queen knows well,
0:39:25 > 0:39:29is going to produce something that is better than either of them.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32Be quite hard to be better than Motivator.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36You just see - watch him come round. He just is a little bit difficult.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39He's seeing everything. He's noticing everything.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42- He looks a bit of a handful. - Oh, no.- Is he? No?
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Maybe he just knows it's race day, you know?
0:39:47 > 0:39:49He says, "Everybody's looking at me."
0:39:51 > 0:39:54'In the saddle will be Hayley Turner,
0:39:54 > 0:39:58'who rides many horses for Sign Manual's trainer Michael Bell.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01'She's ridden winners for the Queen before
0:40:01 > 0:40:05'and is rated as one of the most capable jockeys in the country.'
0:40:05 > 0:40:08Do you always feel a bit different if you're coming to the races
0:40:08 > 0:40:10and thinking, "Oh I'm riding for the Queen?"
0:40:10 > 0:40:13Yeah, I always get a little bit nervous just going into the paddock.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16When I get on the horse and I'm out on the track I'm fine,
0:40:16 > 0:40:18but it's just the, you know, left leg behind the right
0:40:18 > 0:40:21and ma'am not marm, or the other way round, isn't it?
0:40:21 > 0:40:24- Get it right.- It is, it's ma'am. - Ma'am, yeah.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28And... But, yeah, it's obviously a huge privilege to ride for her
0:40:28 > 0:40:31and I think racing's very lucky to have her involved in the sport.
0:40:31 > 0:40:32Definitely.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34And when you have that conversation in the paddock,
0:40:34 > 0:40:37what input do you...? I mean, what do you say about the horse
0:40:37 > 0:40:40to the Queen or is there a discussion about riding tactics?
0:40:40 > 0:40:45Yeah, obviously Michael Bell who trains the horses will be there,
0:40:45 > 0:40:49so he'll sort of give me his ideas about what he thinks
0:40:49 > 0:40:53and Her Majesty always has a keen interest on the horses' characters
0:40:53 > 0:40:56and she knows quite a lot so you have to be really on the ball.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58- Well, good luck. - Yeah, thank you, cheers.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01It'll be very exciting to see you ride a winner today, I think.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04Yeah, fingers crossed. Thank you.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06- COMMENTATOR:- And off.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10Two miles is the trip in the Dreweatts 1759 Handicap.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13And early on, Knox Overstreet it is, who sets off with purpose.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16This is the weirdest race. It's a two-mile race,
0:41:16 > 0:41:19and there's one horse that's gone absolutely miles clear
0:41:19 > 0:41:20called Knox Overstreet.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24The Queen's horse is now third last,
0:41:24 > 0:41:26not travelling that comfortably, I would say.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30He got very warm beforehand. He was a little bit geed up
0:41:30 > 0:41:33when Hayley got the leg up in the paddock.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35But the main bunch have got this amazing distance
0:41:35 > 0:41:36to make up on the leader.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39So it's a case of whether that jockey, Daniel Cremin, has got
0:41:39 > 0:41:42this absolutely right and slips the rest of the field,
0:41:42 > 0:41:45or whether he's mucked up and the rest of them could reel him in.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47Sign Manual's just travelling a little bit better now,
0:41:47 > 0:41:51just overtaking a couple of horses. It's a real stamina test.
0:41:51 > 0:41:52I mean, it's a long, long way.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54But Hayley's pushing now.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00They're catching the leader. It's quite exciting.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02Come on, Hayley, get through.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06Go on, Hayley. Sign Manual's moved into fifth.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08And a wall of horses in front of him.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12Now he's switched to the outside. Go on, Hayley.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15Making up ground, moving into third.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Go on, Hayley. Furlong to go.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20Moving into second.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22Go on, Hayley.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24Catching with every stride.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Go on, Hayley. Go on, Hayley.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31Just! Just! He's won!
0:42:31 > 0:42:34By that much! That was really exciting.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39How fantastic. Let's go to the winners' enclosure.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42APPLAUSE ANNOUNCEMENTS OVER TANNOY
0:42:46 > 0:42:49'You may think owners get blase about winning,
0:42:49 > 0:42:51'but every victory is a thrill,
0:42:51 > 0:42:55'especially when the Queen can be there to enjoy it in person.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57'And there's always room for another vase.'
0:42:57 > 0:43:01Very unexpected.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03How lovely. Very useful.
0:43:03 > 0:43:04'Not for the first time,
0:43:04 > 0:43:08'Hayley takes to the winner's podium with the Queen.'
0:43:08 > 0:43:10Thank you.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Yes, she's done this before, you realise, on another Motivator.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15You should claim you're a trainer.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17I suppose I should. Probably, yes.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25Away from the racecourse,
0:43:25 > 0:43:28the Queen has never lost her childhood love of ponies.
0:43:28 > 0:43:32In fact, she's been instrumental in helping to boost the profile -
0:43:32 > 0:43:35and the numbers - of several native British breeds.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40At Balmoral, stud manager Sylvia Ormiston
0:43:40 > 0:43:42breeds Highland ponies for the Queen.
0:43:42 > 0:43:46And she has an unusual way of rounding them up.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48SHE SHOUTS AND WHISTLES COMMANDS
0:44:02 > 0:44:06- Hello. Whoa, whoa, whoa.- Good girl.
0:44:06 > 0:44:11- Whoa, baby.- All right.- Whoa, baby. Well done. Lie down, Glen.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14Lie down. Good girl.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16I've seen dogs, you know, herding sheep and herding cattle -
0:44:16 > 0:44:19I've never seen them herd ponies before.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21The dogs are brilliant. They're just fantastic.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24They bring the ponies. Great for the ponies to respect the dogs too.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27- And these are all home bred here on the stud?- Yes.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30Bred specifically to carry deer off the side of the hill
0:44:30 > 0:44:33- or to carry, you know, big panniers either side of them.- Yes.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36Really good example here of the thickness of the coat.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40If I take my glove off, you sort of get right in there.
0:44:40 > 0:44:44I mean, that is a really, really warm, thick coat, isn't it?
0:44:44 > 0:44:45Good girl.
0:44:45 > 0:44:47What's the attraction for the Queen?
0:44:47 > 0:44:50What does she like about Highland ponies?
0:44:50 > 0:44:52I think, who wouldn't like them?
0:44:52 > 0:44:54Really, honestly, who wouldn't like them?
0:44:54 > 0:44:58I think the Queen just adores the fact they're so easy
0:44:58 > 0:45:02and so uncomplicated to do what they have to do here.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04It suits the Balmoral lifestyle.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07It suits the Highlands of Scotland lifestyle. This is what they do.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11When you go out the hill with a pony and be part of that team,
0:45:11 > 0:45:16you and it, doing its job and working as one together,
0:45:16 > 0:45:18it's extremely rewarding.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24Highland ponies have been used in this region for centuries.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28Ever since Queen Victoria bought Balmoral in 1852,
0:45:28 > 0:45:33the estate has kept an unbroken line of these hardy little animals.
0:45:35 > 0:45:40The Queen has continued to champion them, and other breeds.
0:45:40 > 0:45:44Today, when the Queen's out riding, it's on a Fell pony called Emma.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47Her stud groom Terry Pendry is alongside her
0:45:47 > 0:45:50on a Highland pony bred at Balmoral.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54Good girl.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57Just have a look at how different this is from a Thoroughbred.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00- Little ears.- Small ears, yeah.- Why?
0:46:00 > 0:46:02Reduce heat loss in the winter time.
0:46:02 > 0:46:06Plenty of hair keeping everything cosy and warm.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09So the mane acts as a sort of protective shield, does it?
0:46:09 > 0:46:12- Absolutely.- Now this is really distinctive, isn't it?
0:46:12 > 0:46:14And only certain breeds of pony have this -
0:46:14 > 0:46:18- the big stripe going down the back. - Yes.- What's that called?
0:46:18 > 0:46:21That's the eel stripe. Most Highland ponies have it.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24Most colours have it, but not all colours have it.
0:46:24 > 0:46:28And a lot of the grey ponies will actually lose it as they get older.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30- So prehistoric.- Absolutely.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33So how much weight can she carry?
0:46:33 > 0:46:36Well, this size of pony would happily carry a 16 stone stag.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39You know, it's a big weight,
0:46:39 > 0:46:43but they do it over a long period of time rather than over speed.
0:46:43 > 0:46:47Obviously, your Thoroughbreds do the speed for short bursts -
0:46:47 > 0:46:49this pony will do that all day.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53She seems very calm and laid back and, you know...
0:46:53 > 0:46:55It's essential for the breed, absolutely essential.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58To be able to do what we do, they've got to be calm.
0:47:00 > 0:47:01Come round here and just look at her bum.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04Now that... Good girl.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08- That is a good-looking backside, isn't it?- Built for strength.
0:47:10 > 0:47:16She's just such a little ball of muscle, aren't you?
0:47:16 > 0:47:18- And a bit of fat to keep you warm. - Definitely.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26'It's perhaps no surprise that the Queen's dedication to horses
0:47:26 > 0:47:29'has rubbed off on those around her.'
0:47:31 > 0:47:34Whether it's carriage driving,
0:47:34 > 0:47:37playing polo
0:47:37 > 0:47:39or three-day eventing,
0:47:39 > 0:47:44horses have always been an important unifying bond for the royal family.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49How much of an effect do you think horses have had through your life
0:47:49 > 0:47:52and through the Queen's life as well and that shared interest?
0:47:52 > 0:47:56Well, I think because we grew up, you know, horses were everywhere,
0:47:56 > 0:48:00and ponies were a natural extension to the pram basically.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06It never seemed that we were introduced, they were always there.
0:48:06 > 0:48:07That's what you did.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14Like their mother, the royal children grew up essentially
0:48:14 > 0:48:16children of the countryside.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18For Prince Charles and Princess Anne,
0:48:18 > 0:48:23the enjoyment of riding was taken into separate competitive spheres.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28My brother and I had different ways of riding
0:48:28 > 0:48:33and he went off down the polo scene slightly more seriously
0:48:33 > 0:48:36and I was instructed into the eventing world.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38So you go off in your own different directions,
0:48:38 > 0:48:41but it's still a very common bond in terms of the fact
0:48:41 > 0:48:45they were always there and that's a great thing for a family to have.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50By the time she was 21, Princess Anne had already won gold
0:48:50 > 0:48:53at the European Eventing Championships.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56Five years and two silver medals later,
0:48:56 > 0:48:59she'd be heading for the Olympic Games.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01Talking of the Olympics, when you were young,
0:49:01 > 0:49:05was that an ambition that you had or something that just happened?
0:49:05 > 0:49:08Oddly enough, as a youngster, it was never an ambition I had.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11- Really?- No, I mean, I just didn't think like that.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13And I suppose, when I first started, of course,
0:49:13 > 0:49:15I'd spent most of my young life watching polo, don't forget.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18I thought I was going to be a polo player.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21But nothing to do with eventing, that came much later.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23- Don't do that!- Don't bite my face.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26That would be a bad idea. Her face is her fortune.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29- SHE LAUGHS - It's definitely not.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33Montreal 1976.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36Princess Anne became the first member of the royal family
0:49:36 > 0:49:40to represent Great Britain at the Olympic Games.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43On the cross-country course, at the 19th fence...
0:49:44 > 0:49:47..the Princess took a dramatic fall.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50It was a sobering reminder that when it comes to horses,
0:49:50 > 0:49:54skill is no guarantee that things won't go wrong.
0:49:54 > 0:49:56I've no idea what happened,
0:49:56 > 0:49:58till about half an hour after I'd finished.
0:49:58 > 0:50:03And then I was having a conversation in the stables.
0:50:03 > 0:50:07And at the time I thought it was...
0:50:07 > 0:50:10I'm sure other people who've had concussion have had this,
0:50:10 > 0:50:12but I appeared to be sitting up there somewhere,
0:50:12 > 0:50:14listening to myself having a conversation in the dark.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17And then I suddenly reappeared in the stables, thinking,
0:50:17 > 0:50:21"Where have I been?"
0:50:21 > 0:50:24But I suspect concussion is like that for lots of people, you know.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26Do you think, having competed yourself,
0:50:26 > 0:50:28and being aware of the dangers as you are,
0:50:28 > 0:50:32does that make you better at watching Zara do it?
0:50:32 > 0:50:36Or can it be, you know, a case of knowing too much?
0:50:36 > 0:50:39Oh, well, I think in my case,
0:50:39 > 0:50:42and this I would put down to both parents,
0:50:42 > 0:50:43was their ability to say,
0:50:43 > 0:50:46"All right, you carry on, and just get on with it."
0:50:46 > 0:50:48And nobody ever said anything about,
0:50:48 > 0:50:50"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"
0:50:50 > 0:50:53They grew up watching me. They trusted me
0:50:53 > 0:50:55and my judgment and it was a learning experience
0:50:55 > 0:50:59and if I was good enough and got it right, that was absolutely fine.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03So it'd be extremely cheeky of me to turn around and say no.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05'Following in her mother's footsteps,
0:51:05 > 0:51:08'Zara Phillips has won several medals in three-day eventing,
0:51:08 > 0:51:13'including gold at both the European and World Championships.'
0:51:13 > 0:51:17What's the attraction for you, and indeed for your mother
0:51:17 > 0:51:20and for the Queen, of being around horses?
0:51:20 > 0:51:24I don't know, I think it's... It is a passion.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27They're very special animals and I think it's a connection, isn't it?
0:51:27 > 0:51:29You get friendships from them
0:51:29 > 0:51:32and, you know, they're characters as well
0:51:32 > 0:51:37and, you know, you don't have to get abuse back, do you?
0:51:38 > 0:51:42It's definitely a love that's been passed down anyway, that's for sure.
0:51:44 > 0:51:48Toytown, the horse that put Zara on the eventing map, is now retired.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52But he's a treasured friend and still lives at her yard.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55Toytown, four of us bought right at the beginning -
0:51:55 > 0:51:59my mum, my dad, me and my grandmother.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01So we all had shares in him.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05And then I've probably ridden four of her horses that she's bred.
0:52:05 > 0:52:09And this is him, this is Toytown, the horse that gave you
0:52:09 > 0:52:12- so many great moments.- I know.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15You do get all emotional inside when you start thinking about it.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19He's been a legend and I can't thank him enough.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22He loves it though. He's just... You know, you get those horses
0:52:22 > 0:52:28that just love being out, love performing, and he's one of those.
0:52:28 > 0:52:29He's a bit of a show off.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36More than once, Zara has received medals from her mother,
0:52:36 > 0:52:40including team silver at the London 2012 Olympics.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42And straight after every competition,
0:52:42 > 0:52:45she's been on the phone to the Queen.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48The first person I've always spoken to is my grandmother.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51She's been watching on the TV.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54And is that the one person you want to share it with as well?
0:52:54 > 0:52:57Yeah, because I think, as far as I'm concerned,
0:52:57 > 0:53:00the interest came from my grandmother
0:53:00 > 0:53:03and, because of her love and passion for horses,
0:53:03 > 0:53:07we've all grown up, you know, sitting on a horse.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10She's so supportive in a way that she can never be there,
0:53:10 > 0:53:13but she totally understands as well, you know,
0:53:13 > 0:53:15she's always massively proud, so...
0:53:15 > 0:53:19It's always good making your grandmother proud anyway.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21It's what we try.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25During the course of her reign,
0:53:25 > 0:53:30the Queen has bred the winners of over 1,600 races,
0:53:30 > 0:53:33including most of the sport's prestigious prizes.
0:53:33 > 0:53:37But there is a Holy Grail that remains elusive.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41The Queen has bred and owned the winners of every Classic race
0:53:41 > 0:53:44except the Derby, and some of them several... You know, more than once.
0:53:44 > 0:53:48But, you know, that's the one really important race,
0:53:48 > 0:53:50which has eluded her so far.
0:53:52 > 0:53:57As recently as 2011, it seemed the Queen had a real chance in the Derby
0:53:57 > 0:54:00with an impressive colt called Carlton House,
0:54:00 > 0:54:05originally a gift from the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08The papers were full of hopeful stories.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11On the day, the Queen's family turned out in force
0:54:11 > 0:54:12to show their support.
0:54:12 > 0:54:16- COMMENTATOR:- Here's Carlton House, called on for the final run...
0:54:16 > 0:54:19And he came there with a burst of speed that looked,
0:54:19 > 0:54:22for a stride or two, as if it might be decisive.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25Pour Moi is swimming. Treasure Beach just holding on.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28Grabbed by Pour Moi. Pour Moi is the winner.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32In a close finish, Carlton House was third.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39For the Queen, the Derby remains the unfulfilled dream.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43But the thrill of racing
0:54:43 > 0:54:46is only one part of her love for horses
0:54:46 > 0:54:48of every shape and size.
0:54:51 > 0:54:55Every year, the Queen hosts one of Britain's most famous horse events
0:54:55 > 0:54:58in what is effectively her back garden.
0:55:00 > 0:55:02The Royal Windsor Horse Show
0:55:02 > 0:55:05is a celebration of all things equestrian,
0:55:05 > 0:55:08from pony club games
0:55:08 > 0:55:11to exotic breeds
0:55:11 > 0:55:15to glittering displays by the Queen's Household Cavalry.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19The thing about the horse world is it's not always glamorous -
0:55:19 > 0:55:21you've got to muck in, come out whatever the weather.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24And the Queen has come today to the Royal Windsor Horse Show
0:55:24 > 0:55:29to watch Fell ponies and Highland ponies that she's bred being judged.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32The Queen has two Fell ponies in the first event,
0:55:32 > 0:55:34bred at her Hampton Court stables.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37The judges are looking for the best conformation -
0:55:37 > 0:55:40the shape, the size, the gait -
0:55:40 > 0:55:44ultimately promoting a healthier, better breed.
0:55:44 > 0:55:46You can see the real knowledge,
0:55:46 > 0:55:50the pride as these ponies go round the show ring.
0:55:50 > 0:55:54Just one of hundreds of people trying to win a prize,
0:55:54 > 0:55:56trying to judge her breed against others
0:55:56 > 0:56:00to find if these are better than anybody else's.
0:56:05 > 0:56:09In this class, the Queen manages only fifth place.
0:56:09 > 0:56:13But the next event is the one to watch out for.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16Sylvia Ormiston has come down from Balmoral
0:56:16 > 0:56:19to watch a very promising home-bred Highland pony -
0:56:19 > 0:56:23a two-year-old filly called Balmoral Harmony.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29Well, the Duchess of Cornwall has arrived to join the Queen.
0:56:29 > 0:56:34They're watching the judging for the Highland ponies.
0:56:34 > 0:56:38This would be a massive boost to Sylvia and the team at Balmoral
0:56:38 > 0:56:42if she's successful in front of the eyes of the judge.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47The first two places go to other breeders.
0:56:47 > 0:56:51- ANNOUNCER:- In third place, it goes to number 503 - Balmoral Harmony,
0:56:51 > 0:56:54owned by Her Majesty the Queen.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57But a respectable third isn't bad.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00Well done. So how's third place? Is that all right?
0:57:00 > 0:57:02Oh, delighted, absolutely delighted.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05She's a two-year-old filly shown on a rope halter,
0:57:05 > 0:57:07as a two-year-old filly should be shown.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11And a top place filly, cos she was only beaten by two colts.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14So very, very pleased. Strong class. And good job, Lizzie, well done.
0:57:14 > 0:57:17- Yeah, Lizzie you did the leading up there.- Yes.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19And she behaved pretty well, didn't she?
0:57:19 > 0:57:20A few of them didn't, but she did.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23She has got the most incredible temperament and she's so easy
0:57:23 > 0:57:26to work with, because no matter how beautiful they are,
0:57:26 > 0:57:28they have got to have the temperament to show
0:57:28 > 0:57:30and she's fabulous.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33You're a superstar, Harmony. Well done.
0:57:33 > 0:57:35Good girl. Very good girl. Very pleased with her.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42From the first contact with a newborn foal
0:57:42 > 0:57:47to the calm, gentle bonding with yearlings
0:57:47 > 0:57:53to the uncertainties and thrills of the racecourse,
0:57:53 > 0:57:57the horse world has shown us a more intimate side to the Queen.
0:57:59 > 0:58:03It's been so interesting watching the Queen up close with horses.
0:58:03 > 0:58:06And you can really appreciate her understanding of them,
0:58:06 > 0:58:08her connection with them as well.
0:58:08 > 0:58:11And I think that horses reflect the best in human nature.
0:58:11 > 0:58:15If you're kind with them, if you're consistent, if you're disciplined
0:58:15 > 0:58:18and if you show affection, they will show it back to you.
0:58:18 > 0:58:22You can't always win with horses - the Queen knows that.
0:58:22 > 0:58:24And, in some ways, that's not the point,
0:58:24 > 0:58:29because this animal, whether it be Thoroughbred or Highland pony,
0:58:29 > 0:58:30this is her passion.
0:58:36 > 0:58:39Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd