The Queen: A Passion for Horses

She's the most famous woman in the world.

As the figurehead of grand ceremonies

meeting world leaders and heads of state

or meeting her subjects,

the Queen has a public face that's instantly recognisable to billions.

But there's a private side, a side most of us hardly ever see.

It is possible to get a closer look at the woman

behind the dutiful monarch on parade.

And that's when she's indulging her lifelong love of horses.

Everyone knows that the Queen loves racing.

Before she does anything else in the morning

she will read her copy of the Racing Post,

but what most people don't realise is that

the Queen has an in-depth fascination for and great knowledge

of the creature that is at the centre of this sport.

For the Queen, horses are both an escape and an emotional outlet.

Far from the demands of royal duty, they reveal a different side.

We've been allowed inside that private world for a close-up look

at the Queen's horses, the people who look after them

and the pleasure she derives from it all.

-Oh, you silly fool!

-Look at him.

LAUGHTER

At Balmoral, we meet a rare native pony breed

the Queen has helped save from obscurity.

The Queen just adores the fact they're so easy

and so uncomplicated.

All her life, the Queen has enjoyed the company of horses,

and it's a love she's passed down to the rest of her family.

Horses were everywhere,

and ponies were a natural extension to the pram, basically.

This is the Queen at her most relaxed.

That's mine. My horse! I've got one on sweep!

There's a very good magnetic field when the Queen is close

to horses and the people that are involved with the horses.

HORSE NEIGHS

Sandringham - the Queen's estate in Norfolk.

It's mid January, and three of the Queen's

35 active racehorses are having their morning exercise.

It's just a few weeks before their fitness regime ramps up

and they'll head to a training yard.

Winter is also the season for new life to begin.

The Queen's heavily pregnant mares have spent the day in the paddocks,

and it's time to bring them in.

Three generations of my family are amongst those

who have trained horses for the Queen,

and now I've come to see the crucial first stages

of producing a royal racehorse.

Horses usually foal at night,

safely hidden from the eyes of predators.

-Such a pretty yard.

-It is lovely, isn't it?

The Queen has around 25 broodmares,

and in matching them with the right stallions, she's trying to create

an ever-improved racehorse -

faster, fitter, and happier.

So, this is one of the new additions to the stud, this is Memory.

And, as a racehorse in training, she was really talented,

but a couple of times on the racecourse she decided

she just didn't fancy it, she had ideas completely of her own,

the stalls opened and she just stood there.

But it's interesting that the Queen has decided

to take a chance with her, because she clearly has a lot of ability,

she's very well bred, so her offspring could be very good

as long as they can sort the mental side out.

Eh?

And she's ready to pop any minute now.

She's heavily in foal, she's actually overdue.

Yes, all right, I'm sorry. "Don't touch my tummy."

'One of the Queen's stud grooms is Anne-Lise Riis Jensen.'

Cor, magic door.

Yes, very good.

'Her job is to make sure every foal has a safe passage into the world.'

Talk me through Memory, the mare here, and how close she is.

She's overdue, she was due on the 15th January.

Their gestation is eleven months, so hopefully she'll foal very soon.

She's holding on a bit because of the weather -

we've had quite a cold snap here, so she's not quite ready yet.

But she's...

What I do is every day I check, make sure the udders

are coming the right way, so check underneath her and...

All right, sweetheart.

And she's starting to bag up, so hopefully...

When you say "She's starting to bag up"...?

She's getting milk in the udder.

-But not much yet.

-No, but being a first foal

the bag might not be as big as an old, experienced mare.

And how many foals have you actually helped bring into the world?

Four...400, probably.

-400?! Really?!

-Yes.

So, you are a horse midwife.

If there was a Call The Midwife for horses, you would be the star!

I would be one, yes.

The Queen funds her equestrian pursuits from her own private purse.

She has around 180 horses and ponies of different breeds

at stables in Norfolk and Hampshire,

and at Balmoral, Hampton Court and Windsor.

She still goes riding whenever she can.

She always looks happy on a horse.

She's totally at home with them.

I think because she's always ridden,

since she was knee high to a grasshopper, you know.

According to Margaret Rhodes, the Queen's cousin,

her fascination was obvious from the start in her choice of nursery toys.

I can remember, when I was quite small,

how the Queen had a stable of ponies that were in the nursery.

She organised them very tidily,

and they were always, you know...

She probably fed them and watered them, I don't know,

but they were always very much a part of nursery life,

and I mean they had to be put to bed at the right time

and put into stables and everything, you know.

We played horses a very great deal in a field near the house,

where we could be circus horses, or carriage horses,

or ponies riding - every kind of horse,

but we galloped, we trotted, we walked,

we did all that kind of thing for ever,

round and round in circles.

Which she enjoyed enormously, I found slightly boring.

SHE LAUGHS

The young Princess Elizabeth was given her first pony, called Peggy,

as a fourth birthday present from her grandfather, George V.

This is rarely seen private royal footage -

the six-year-old princess confidently riding Peggy.

And it wasn't just ponies.

Whenever she was near horses,

the princess wanted to reach out and touch them.

I think she has a wonderful feel for horses,

and I think from a very early age

she was just completely absorbed by it.

And it happens, it happens to a lot of people,

but we're particularly lucky that the Queen was caught by the bug

and has become so interested and so devoted to her horses.

'Based here at Sandringham, Joe Grimwade has been managing

'the Queen's Thoroughbred breeding programme for the past 15 years.'

When it comes to breeding, when you're matching a stallion

with a mare and you're trying to create the ultimate racehorse,

is that luck, or is that science?

Both. The process involves...

an artistic approach and a scientific approach,

and there's a massive art to using all the available tools

to try and find a perfect mate.

And then, once you've done all of that,

then there's a whole element of luck that dictates whether

it's going to produce a great racehorse or a lesser horse.

A lot of it's luck.

Over the years, the Queen has built a reputation

as one of Britain's most successful Thoroughbred breeders.

'My philosophy about racing is simple.

'I enjoy breeding a horse that is faster than other people's.

'And, to me, that is a gamble from a long way back.'

'I enjoy going racing.

'But I suppose, basically, I love horses,

'and a Thoroughbred epitomises a really good horse to me.'

I wonder whether it does become even more addictive

the more you get involved, because of that combination

of the intellectual side of things,

of, "Right, let's try and make this work,"

and then the emotional response, "Here's a horse I love."

Yes, and highs and lows.

It has to be said it's often the lows that make the highs so special,

and the Queen can take each with equal grace.

Foaling season is Joe's busiest time.

It's hard to predict when a foal will be born.

We waited a week at Sandringham with no luck.

So we've left some kit with Joe and his team

to capture those first moments on camera.

The next mare to foal was one called Daring Aim.

Her trust in Joe allowed him to get some extraordinary footage.

-Fairly gruesome start.

-It is fairly gruesome.

You have to bear in mind, I don't watch Call The Midwife,

because I don't like the birth scenes!

Oh, well, sit tight!

So, the mare's been through the first stage, walking around.

I've picked it up as the foal's actually starting to be born.

Anne-Lise has established here it's the way round,

everything's going tickety-boo,

and the mare's lying down and straining quite hard.

Are you not constantly amazed, looking at that...

Constantly amazed.

..that that big shape can come through that little hole?

It's absolutely staggering.

As the foal comes out though, it doesn't look alive.

No, at the moment it's still getting all its nutrition

from the umbilical cord.

There's no need for it to breathe now.

It's happily working on the system that's been keeping it going

right through pregnancy.

Here it comes.

Oh, and you can see the foal blinking there.

Now the foal's starting to move.

-Oh, my word!

-Now, I don't know if you see it,

but now the foal is breathing.

She's looking round, the mare, saying, "Hello, there you are."

Beautiful head already.

And the ears sort of strangely disengaged to start with.

Yeah. Take a little while for them to perk up.

HORSES WHICKER

Listen, they're just whickering at each other, oh.

Such a sweet sight. Shall we just move forward a little bit?

Yeah.

They are just extraordinary.

And that foal's going to stand up, try to.

Oh! Crossed legs, crossed legs!

It's amazing how quickly the instinct takes over,

I must stand up, I must be prepared

to flee if needs be, if you're in the wild.

Exactly. The lions are coming!

JOE LAUGHS

The boxes have forgiving walls,

so if the foal is bouncing off the walls

as it stands up for the first time,

that takes a lot of the concussion out

and really no chance of them hurting themselves.

The poor old mares, they get treated absolutely awfully by the foals.

They'll get a hoof in the face on a fairly regular basis.

-There's going to be a big push in a moment.

-Yeah.

It seems so unlikely, doesn't it?

It seems impossible, it really does.

And...go!

-Oh, clever girl.

-Brilliant. Brilliant.

And when she went for it, it was all in one movement.

That was very civilised.

You can have a fair bit more lurching around the box

before this actually happens, but, er...

And they're still very wobbly.

Yes.

It's like they're walking on stilts, isn't it?

It is, very much. On a ship.

Yeah, exactly! On very rough seas.

-Having had a few drinks.

-Yeah, yeah.

And already, you can see this wonderful sort of athletic frame.

The shoulder and the hindquarter and the great limbs and...

So, we're dreaming already, you know,

we've got the Oaks in mind now. 2016.

And that's the wonderful thing about racing.

I think what draws so many people to it

-is that - dreams, they are limitless.

-They are, yeah.

Because this filly has as much chance of winning the Oaks

-as any other filly born right now, this year.

-Yeah.

And a huge element of uncertainty.

But we're hoping that, because the Queen gets the matings right

and hopefully we get all the rearing right

and we get the mental training right,

we're hoping to give ourselves that little bit of advantage later.

'When the Queen comes to Sandringham,

she'll try to see the new foals as soon as possible

'to assess them and get to know them.'

Morning, Your Majesty.

This year's cold temperatures

have produced some particularly furry foals.

It's got a thick coat on.

It's very woolly, isn't it?

Yes. Very sensible.

Now, this is a foal that was born just last night,

so the Queen's come down to have a first look.

THE QUEEN LAUGHS

The Queen is accompanied by her racing adviser, John Warren.

But she's not the sort of breeder

who just leaves others to run the business.

The pleasure is in these moments - the personal contact,

the development of a relationship with another living,

albeit hairy, being.

Having greeted the newest arrival,

the Queen heads for the main stable yard

to see the rest of this season's batch of foals.

They'll be shown in age order, youngest first,

and asked to parade in front of the Queen and our cameras.

So, the Queen's now being shown the foals that were born

here at Sandringham this year.

And any time one is a bit skittish - and they are nervous at this age,

this is their first sort of public parade -

Anne-Lise will step in.

And bear in mind she foaled most of these, so the foals know her,

the mares know her, she just puts a calming hand round them.

Bit wobbly.

She's a monster.

The Queen is fascinated by every detail.

She's got the breeding on a piece of paper in front of her.

She wants to see the foals walk. She wants to know how they behave.

This foal was only born on the 29th of March,

so not even a month old

and he's quite immature still, you know.

He's all legs.

'Good stability is only a first step.'

Well, at least it's standing on its feet.

But it's so interesting.

You can start to see bits of their personality come out -

those that are naturally more confident,

those that are a bit more hesitant, like this one is.

'The Queen has seen enough generations of the same family

'to be able to make comparisons in terms of shape, size and attitude.

'But it's only when these babies start to gallop

'that anyone will know if they're any good.'

So interesting.

'Sandringham stud has just opened a brand-new yard,

'complete with a circular horse walker

'for exercising up to eight mares.

'We're with the Queen as she sees it for the first time.'

Lovely yard.

It's been such a joy, Clare, this new yard.

-It's fantastic. And is that...? Are we facing south?

-Yeah.

It's lovely.

I must say, it does improve the horse walker by having some blossoms.

Brings it up a little bit.

'This mare, called Set To Music, has just been covered

'so she'll be foaling in about 11 months' time.'

'British kings and queens

'have been breeding racehorses for nearly 500 years.

'They've played a huge part in the creation and development

'of the Thoroughbred, the fastest equine breed on the planet.

'And the Queen has played a key role.'

Thank you very much.

She knows so much about horses

and how they behave and how they react

that I think she has done more than anybody in the royal family

in history to improve things and raise the standard all round.

By the time she was 18,

Princess Elizabeth was an accomplished rider,

often accompanied by her sister Margaret.

But the moment that would open a whole new world to her

was a visit to see her father's racehorses.

'I suppose I first became interested in racing during the war, when

'my father had leased Big Game and Sun Chariot from the National Stud.

'Well, my father took me down to Beckhampton to see them working,

'which I had never seen before,

'and I was able to pat them in the stable afterwards.

'I'd never felt the satiny softness of a Thoroughbred before.

'It's a wonderful feeling.'

She quickly became devoted to racing and, in partnership

with the Queen Mother, bought a jumper called Monaveen.

At Hurst Park in 1949,

she watched Monaveen triumph - the first horse to win in her name.

On to the final jump and, with a six-length lead, Monaveen heads

for the home stretch while royal excitement rises to fever pitch.

This newly found thrill in racing

would become a healthy counterbalance

to the demands of monarchy.

In those sort of moments she can let rip with real excitement, you know.

You see, I think that early on, when she became Queen,

I think that she had to sacrifice within herself,

an awful lot of emotions

and thoughts of the future and everything else.

But I think with horses, it's another world in that it reduces you

to just the person in relation to the animal,

and you're not a queen, you're just a human being.

Just four days after her coronation in 1953,

the young Queen had a well-fancied horse running in the Derby -

a colt bred at Sandringham called Aureole.

The nation was gripped.

Would this be the icing on the cake for the newly crowned Queen?

Or would it go to the legendary jockey Sir Gordon Richards,

riding Pinza, who had never won the Derby in 27 attempts?

Aureole takes up the challenge as befits a Queen's champion,

overtaking Shikanpur and gaining on Pinza.

But Pinza won't be denied, nor Gordon Richard, the 49-year-old

veteran of the saddle, recently knighted by the Queen.

He's won 4,670 races, but never the Derby.

And today his 28th Derby try is crowned with glory.

First of his profession to be knighted,

Sir Gordon beat the daylights out of his Queen's entry.

It was a great day for a knight.

'I think it was very exciting to have a horse,

'so soon as an owner, to run in the Derby.

'And one couldn't really be sad not to win,

'because Sir Gordon had at last won a Derby.'

The Queen has always been enterprising about the training

and treatment of her horses.

In the 1950s, she asked a Harley Street neurologist to help

calm the over-excitable Aureole -

the same colt who was second in the 1953 Derby.

The laying on of hands

was very definitely not standard practice at the time,

though it did seem to have a soothing effect,

and he went on to win major races at Epsom and Ascot.

It's amazing how open her mind is.

And the fact that when she saw something new,

she didn't go back to this traditional feeling of, "Oh!"

Because the racing world can be a bit like that...

It can be very much that way and it would be safer for her to do that.

But she didn't.

The Queen's interest seems to me to be not just winning races,

but, "Am I giving my horses a better life?"

'Monty Roberts is the man they call the real life horse whisperer.'

In 1989, the Queen heard about Monty's innovative

and instinctive approach to handling horses and invited him

to demonstrate at Windsor Castle.

This Californian one-time rodeo star used the horse's own body language

to win their trust, which flew in the face of more

traditional methods of breaking in a horse through fear.

The Queen was so impressed,

she encouraged Monty to write about his methods and, to this day,

'she calls on him for help with her most difficult yearlings.'

So who's this, Rachel?

This is Sharp Lookout, a two-year-old colt bred by the Queen,

and owned by her as well.

And, Monty, what are the challenges that he has presented you?

Well, Clare, this is the most sensitive yearling

I've ever dealt with.

He is absolutely incredible.

In the early stages, he was just Mount Vesuvius.

Any time you went to touch him, everything exploded.

So we've had a challenge but things are coming around now really well

and he's had his first rider in this last week.

-Well, I'd love to see you work on him.

-OK.

'The Thoroughbred is a naturally highly-strung animal

'and the early stages of training are often a challenge.

'As a foal, Sharp Lookout was so jumpy,

'he gave himself an eye injury, now on the mend.'

Let's go.

'For our benefit, Monty is going to demonstrate the process this

'difficult horse has gone through to prepare him for a rider.'

So you can get the personality traits of this horse pretty quickly

when you see all of this volatility and that head up

and tail up and all this flying around.

'If a Thoroughbred's skittish energy can be properly channelled,

'anything is possible.'

But watch as his ear comes to me on this side and he licks and chews.

The adrenaline is falling down.

And if the adrenaline gets down far enough,

you'll see him lower his head.

And when they do, the adrenaline really falls.

'Having driven Sharp Lookout to flight,

'Monty now turns his back on him.'

So let me just step over here and have him look at me

with my shoulders away from him and my eyes away from him

and just see if I can get him to want to come to me.

'Monty is mimicking the behaviour of a mare disciplining her foal.'

Just those little steps are so important

to get this whole thing started.

That's a good boy.

OK, I'll just take that plastic bag there now.

'Now trust is won, the next step is to reduce Sharp Lookout's

'alarm at random moving objects.

'Like plastic bags.'

So I want him to take these kind of things and stand here

and accept it wherever it goes.

Honestly, I'm just dumbfounded.

'And now this is a crucial moment -

'getting the horse to accept something on his back.'

It is incredible, this,

because the connection that Monty has with the horse is so strong

and this is a horse who's clearly wanting to do things for him.

And it's almost impossible to believe that this was

the most difficult, difficult animal in the place,

probably one of the most difficult they've ever had.

This is one that's just been invented...

'Monty's now introducing the horse to a training dummy

'that was recently invented by an Irish trainer.'

I love the fact that the mannequin's got the...

CLARE LAUGHS

..has got the jacket on. Has got the uniform, that's brilliant.

He's got the Queen's jacket on.

Now, this horse would absolutely freak out

and just blow completely apart when we first started with the mannequin.

So if the human being got up there,

human being is going to come down.

And when the rider comes down,

a habitual pattern of behaviour gets set up, so the horse finds

freedom from that rider and you've seen horses that are habitually

loose on the racecourses and get one rider after another down -

it's very bad.

Now we have our mannequin rider in place.

It does look very funny, I'm sorry.

Yep, but he rides well doesn't he?

Yeah, he does.

'The next step is to get a real live jockey on the horse.

'Even a mature racehorse can be quite tricky at this stage

'and the leg-up is often done on the move.'

This is only the second time

I've schooled him to this standing still. Here we go.

-How many racehorses will do that?

-I know.

Ah, he's nice.

OK, you can give us a trot around.

'Adrian the jockey quickly has Sharp Lookout

'at an impeccable trot.'

You can give him a little canter now.

That is amazing.

Good.

Very nice.

You can stop now.

'After a few circuits, Sharp Lookout finishes...

And a step back.

..with a neat reverse.

Good. Very, very nice.

Hey, fella.

How about that?

Honestly, that is like watching a miracle in process,

because I know how... They told me how difficult you were.

You just want to do it now, don't you?

-So one day I might get to be talking about you...

-Yeah.

..running at Royal Ascot or something.

Yeah, wouldn't that be something?

Polhampton is the Queen's private yard in Hampshire.

'This is where stud groom Rachel Murat teaches last year's

'batch of foals to be comfortable around humans.

'The Queen has come to see for herself how they're getting on.

'With the help of John Warren and Rachel, the Queen takes in

'the physical development of these young horses and watches them walk.'

-That just looks really quite small.

-It is for a February birth.

It's a February foal?

'She assesses their natural athleticism

'and their conformation - how their bodies are put together.'

-Nice shape, isn't it?

-Lovely shape.

Lovely head. Attractive horse.

Now this is such an interesting stage of a racehorse's

development because these are yearlings

and the Queen hasn't seen most of them since they were foals.

So, a bit like children getting ready to go to big school,

they'll go into training next year.

They still look overgrown and hairy.

Can't really believe that they're racehorses, but they will be.

'All of the yearlings have behaved beautifully, apart from two,

'who take fright - possibly at me

'standing at the side of the field - and they start to play up.

'Ollie and Jo, who are leading them, remain completely calm.'

I tell you something, it's very impressive the way these

yearlings are handled because you can see how skittish they are -

how the slightest thing will spook them.

But they do so well just to keep a loose rein.

And they've calmed down again now.

'The Queen has seen flighty behaviour like this before

'and knows just how to deal with it.'

There's a certain amount of intuition, as you can see.

Just so gently and so sensibly and very slow in the movements.

Just, "Hello there."

I can't tell you how impressive that is.

I mean, they're the only two so far that have come in here

and behaved really badly.

But the Queen's made sure that, with both of them, she's gone up to them.

'Polhampton is also home to some older horses

'whose racing days are over.'

Now these are all retired horses, so Free Agent in front,

who won the Chesham at Royal Ascot in 2008.

'It's something that's particularly notable

'about the Queen as a breeder.

'She doesn't lose interest

'in her horses at the end of their racing careers.'

-He's aged.

-He has.

She always will do all she can

to make sure the horse has a happy retirement.

And that's, you know, she always wants to know

what's happened to the horse when it's no longer able to race

and it's not perhaps good enough to go to stud,

but she'll always try and make sure it has a happy home.

However disappointing or moderate it may have been,

it has a happy life in retirement.

Oh, you silly fool!

He's saying, "Is that for me? Hello."

All those babies with coats and then you get the older ones.

'These Polhampton pensioners are being used to educate

'the younger ones.

'Their own racing careers have been ended by injury or old age

'and the idea now is that their mature, calming influence

'will teach the yearlings not to be frightened of their own shadows.

'They're nannies, if you like.'

Oh, dear. It's always sad, isn't it,

when you see the things with legs gone?

But they look happy. They look happy, Ma'am. They all look well.

Got a job, haven't they?

Yeah, that's the key. Giving them something.

Well, they're very useful if you can use them for leading yearlings.

Some of them are not. They're a bit spooky sometimes.

Over the past 60 years, horses bred by the Queen have scooped up

many of Britain's best races.

One of the most successful results of her meticulously planned

breeding programme was a filly called Highclere.

Highclere is going to get caught towards home.

Polygamy is finishing fastest. It's Highclere from Polygamy.

Polygamy from Highclere. Highclere and Polygamy in a photo finish.

Highclere's victory in the 1974 1,000 Guineas convinced

the Queen to take a trip across the Channel to the French Oaks.

Chantilly, Sunday the 16th of June 1974. The Prix de Diane.

'Well, I decided to send Highclere to run in the Prix de Diane

'instead of the English Oaks, after the Guineas,

'when it became apparent she was good enough to go to France.

'I'd never been racing in France when I had a horse running.

'Well, it was a lovely outing for me.

'The President was very kind and made it very easy for me

'to get to Chantilly.'

Highclere made the trip thoroughly worthwhile with a resounding win.

'The crowd was tremendously friendly.

'And even after the race, when Highclere had won,

'they seemed even more friendly, luckily.'

'Careful breeding is just one part of the equation.

'When her horses are old enough, the Queen tries to match each one

'with a suitable trainer,

'responsible for getting the best out of them.

'It's a Sunday morning in the West Country

'and the Queen is seeing her horses

'in the relaxed but focused atmosphere of a racing yard.'

Today is the Queen's 87th birthday,

but instead of having an official function or a state dinner,

she's here in Wiltshire at Richard Hannon's yard

to have a close-up look at five horses she has in training here.

'Richard Hannon is one of Britain's top trainers.

'He looks after more than 260 horses for 150 different owners.

'He's been champion trainer four times

'and is notoriously plain-speaking and free of airs and graces.

'He thinks owning racehorses should be fun

'and he makes sure that's the case for everyone, including the Queen.'

'Out on the gallops,

'the Queen has a chance to see her horses working

'and to discuss with the trainer

'what type of race might suit each one.'

'She also takes a keen interest in other good horses in the yard,

'whoever owns them.

'That feeling of being behind the scenes, in the know,

'adds to the pleasure of watching the early morning gallops.'

Richard, how much does it mean to you to train for the Queen?

Well, I mean, she's a wonderful woman to deal with, you know.

She's very easy to train for and she's very knowledgeable,

-you know, about the whole situation. She doesn't miss very much.

-No.

What is the Queen looking for when she comes here to see

the horses at this time of year? What are you trying to show her?

Well, we want her to see, obviously, all the horses,

all the horses working and to see what stage of the game we're at.

They're nice horses.

You know, they're by Invincible Spirit,

and they're beautifully bred. You've got every chance.

Do you have to watch your language at all?

Certainly not.

Only when Her Majesty's here.

That's what I mean. So this morning?

No, everything's fine. Nothing went wrong.

Shouting and screaming - no, nothing.

Everything all right, wasn't it? All went well.

Race day at Newbury.

This isn't one of the top meetings in the racing calendar,

but it's attracted a wide range of people

who've come to enjoy a good day out.

It just so happens that one of them is the Queen,

mingling with the crowd.

When she's lucky enough to go racing, she can switch out of all

the everyday work and worries

to something which is totally different

and I think it's very good for her to be able to do that.

John Warren, the Queen's racing adviser, is once again by her side.

John, do you think there's an attraction with racing folk

that there's huge respect, but it's a very relaxed atmosphere

because you have to be calm around horses

and you can't be constantly, you know, curtseying or bowing

and, you know, shuffling around -

actually everybody's got to be on an equal level?

I feel the Queen is extremely comfortable around animals.

And that seems to transfer itself.

People that work with animals are generally calm as well

and therefore there's a very good magnetic field when the Queen

is close to horses and the people that are involved with the horses.

So people feel comfortable around her and vice versa, I think.

-Yeah, so less fuss in a way.

-Far less fuss.

How impressed are you with the Queen's depth of knowledge?

Well, she has such a tremendous memory.

She can remember the bloodlines going back five or six generations.

And I think that has allowed her to have so much knowledge

that's accumulated over the years that it's...

I think she would have made a wonderful racehorse trainer.

'Today the Queen has a promising contender in the 4:15.

'Sign Manual is a four-year-old gelding

'she bred from the top class Derby-winning stallion Motivator

'and one of her broodmares called New Assembly.'

It's interesting. He looks quite a tricky horse.

You know, he's pulling for his head, he's sweating up just a little bit.

He's clearly not straightforward.

And the attraction for the Queen is to see whether this horse

can fulfil his potential - whether actually the breeding

of a great stallion, Motivator, with a mare that the Queen knows well,

is going to produce something that is better than either of them.

Be quite hard to be better than Motivator.

You just see - watch him come round. He just is a little bit difficult.

He's seeing everything. He's noticing everything.

-He looks a bit of a handful.

-Oh, no.

-Is he? No?

Maybe he just knows it's race day, you know?

He says, "Everybody's looking at me."

'In the saddle will be Hayley Turner,

'who rides many horses for Sign Manual's trainer Michael Bell.

'She's ridden winners for the Queen before

'and is rated as one of the most capable jockeys in the country.'

Do you always feel a bit different if you're coming to the races

and thinking, "Oh I'm riding for the Queen?"

Yeah, I always get a little bit nervous just going into the paddock.

When I get on the horse and I'm out on the track I'm fine,

but it's just the, you know, left leg behind the right

and ma'am not marm, or the other way round, isn't it?

-Get it right.

-It is, it's ma'am.

-Ma'am, yeah.

And... But, yeah, it's obviously a huge privilege to ride for her

and I think racing's very lucky to have her involved in the sport.

Definitely.

And when you have that conversation in the paddock,

what input do you...? I mean, what do you say about the horse

to the Queen or is there a discussion about riding tactics?

Yeah, obviously Michael Bell who trains the horses will be there,

so he'll sort of give me his ideas about what he thinks

and Her Majesty always has a keen interest on the horses' characters

and she knows quite a lot so you have to be really on the ball.

-Well, good luck.

-Yeah, thank you, cheers.

It'll be very exciting to see you ride a winner today, I think.

Yeah, fingers crossed. Thank you.

-COMMENTATOR:

-And off.

Two miles is the trip in the Dreweatts 1759 Handicap.

And early on, Knox Overstreet it is, who sets off with purpose.

This is the weirdest race. It's a two-mile race,

and there's one horse that's gone absolutely miles clear

called Knox Overstreet.

The Queen's horse is now third last,

not travelling that comfortably, I would say.

He got very warm beforehand. He was a little bit geed up

when Hayley got the leg up in the paddock.

But the main bunch have got this amazing distance

to make up on the leader.

So it's a case of whether that jockey, Daniel Cremin, has got

this absolutely right and slips the rest of the field,

or whether he's mucked up and the rest of them could reel him in.

Sign Manual's just travelling a little bit better now,

just overtaking a couple of horses. It's a real stamina test.

I mean, it's a long, long way.

But Hayley's pushing now.

They're catching the leader. It's quite exciting.

Come on, Hayley, get through.

Go on, Hayley. Sign Manual's moved into fifth.

And a wall of horses in front of him.

Now he's switched to the outside. Go on, Hayley.

Making up ground, moving into third.

Go on, Hayley. Furlong to go.

Moving into second.

Go on, Hayley.

Catching with every stride.

Go on, Hayley. Go on, Hayley.

Just! Just! He's won!

By that much! That was really exciting.

How fantastic. Let's go to the winners' enclosure.

APPLAUSE ANNOUNCEMENTS OVER TANNOY

'You may think owners get blase about winning,

'but every victory is a thrill,

'especially when the Queen can be there to enjoy it in person.

'And there's always room for another vase.'

Very unexpected.

How lovely. Very useful.

'Not for the first time,

'Hayley takes to the winner's podium with the Queen.'

Thank you.

Yes, she's done this before, you realise, on another Motivator.

You should claim you're a trainer.

I suppose I should. Probably, yes.

Away from the racecourse,

the Queen has never lost her childhood love of ponies.

In fact, she's been instrumental in helping to boost the profile -

and the numbers - of several native British breeds.

At Balmoral, stud manager Sylvia Ormiston

breeds Highland ponies for the Queen.

And she has an unusual way of rounding them up.

SHE SHOUTS AND WHISTLES COMMANDS

-Hello. Whoa, whoa, whoa.

-Good girl.

-Whoa, baby.

-All right.

-Whoa, baby. Well done. Lie down, Glen.

Lie down. Good girl.

I've seen dogs, you know, herding sheep and herding cattle -

I've never seen them herd ponies before.

The dogs are brilliant. They're just fantastic.

They bring the ponies. Great for the ponies to respect the dogs too.

-And these are all home bred here on the stud?

-Yes.

Bred specifically to carry deer off the side of the hill

-or to carry, you know, big panniers either side of them.

-Yes.

Really good example here of the thickness of the coat.

If I take my glove off, you sort of get right in there.

I mean, that is a really, really warm, thick coat, isn't it?

Good girl.

What's the attraction for the Queen?

What does she like about Highland ponies?

I think, who wouldn't like them?

Really, honestly, who wouldn't like them?

I think the Queen just adores the fact they're so easy

and so uncomplicated to do what they have to do here.

It suits the Balmoral lifestyle.

It suits the Highlands of Scotland lifestyle. This is what they do.

When you go out the hill with a pony and be part of that team,

you and it, doing its job and working as one together,

it's extremely rewarding.

Highland ponies have been used in this region for centuries.

Ever since Queen Victoria bought Balmoral in 1852,

the estate has kept an unbroken line of these hardy little animals.

The Queen has continued to champion them, and other breeds.

Today, when the Queen's out riding, it's on a Fell pony called Emma.

Her stud groom Terry Pendry is alongside her

on a Highland pony bred at Balmoral.

Good girl.

Just have a look at how different this is from a Thoroughbred.

-Little ears.

-Small ears, yeah.

-Why?

Reduce heat loss in the winter time.

Plenty of hair keeping everything cosy and warm.

So the mane acts as a sort of protective shield, does it?

-Absolutely.

-Now this is really distinctive, isn't it?

And only certain breeds of pony have this -

-the big stripe going down the back.

-Yes.

-What's that called?

That's the eel stripe. Most Highland ponies have it.

Most colours have it, but not all colours have it.

And a lot of the grey ponies will actually lose it as they get older.

-So prehistoric.

-Absolutely.

So how much weight can she carry?

Well, this size of pony would happily carry a 16 stone stag.

You know, it's a big weight,

but they do it over a long period of time rather than over speed.

Obviously, your Thoroughbreds do the speed for short bursts -

this pony will do that all day.

She seems very calm and laid back and, you know...

It's essential for the breed, absolutely essential.

To be able to do what we do, they've got to be calm.

Come round here and just look at her bum.

Now that... Good girl.

-That is a good-looking backside, isn't it?

-Built for strength.

She's just such a little ball of muscle, aren't you?

-And a bit of fat to keep you warm.

-Definitely.

'It's perhaps no surprise that the Queen's dedication to horses

'has rubbed off on those around her.'

Whether it's carriage driving,

playing polo

or three-day eventing,

horses have always been an important unifying bond for the royal family.

How much of an effect do you think horses have had through your life

and through the Queen's life as well and that shared interest?

Well, I think because we grew up, you know, horses were everywhere,

and ponies were a natural extension to the pram basically.

It never seemed that we were introduced, they were always there.

That's what you did.

Like their mother, the royal children grew up essentially

children of the countryside.

For Prince Charles and Princess Anne,

the enjoyment of riding was taken into separate competitive spheres.

My brother and I had different ways of riding

and he went off down the polo scene slightly more seriously

and I was instructed into the eventing world.

So you go off in your own different directions,

but it's still a very common bond in terms of the fact

they were always there and that's a great thing for a family to have.

By the time she was 21, Princess Anne had already won gold

at the European Eventing Championships.

Five years and two silver medals later,

she'd be heading for the Olympic Games.

Talking of the Olympics, when you were young,

was that an ambition that you had or something that just happened?

Oddly enough, as a youngster, it was never an ambition I had.

-Really?

-No, I mean, I just didn't think like that.

And I suppose, when I first started, of course,

I'd spent most of my young life watching polo, don't forget.

I thought I was going to be a polo player.

But nothing to do with eventing, that came much later.

-Don't do that!

-Don't bite my face.

That would be a bad idea. Her face is her fortune.

-SHE LAUGHS

-It's definitely not.

Montreal 1976.

Princess Anne became the first member of the royal family

to represent Great Britain at the Olympic Games.

On the cross-country course, at the 19th fence...

..the Princess took a dramatic fall.

It was a sobering reminder that when it comes to horses,

skill is no guarantee that things won't go wrong.

I've no idea what happened,

till about half an hour after I'd finished.

And then I was having a conversation in the stables.

And at the time I thought it was...

I'm sure other people who've had concussion have had this,

but I appeared to be sitting up there somewhere,

listening to myself having a conversation in the dark.

And then I suddenly reappeared in the stables, thinking,

"Where have I been?"

But I suspect concussion is like that for lots of people, you know.

Do you think, having competed yourself,

and being aware of the dangers as you are,

does that make you better at watching Zara do it?

Or can it be, you know, a case of knowing too much?

Oh, well, I think in my case,

and this I would put down to both parents,

was their ability to say,

"All right, you carry on, and just get on with it."

And nobody ever said anything about,

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

They grew up watching me. They trusted me

and my judgment and it was a learning experience

and if I was good enough and got it right, that was absolutely fine.

So it'd be extremely cheeky of me to turn around and say no.

'Following in her mother's footsteps,

'Zara Phillips has won several medals in three-day eventing,

'including gold at both the European and World Championships.'

What's the attraction for you, and indeed for your mother

and for the Queen, of being around horses?

I don't know, I think it's... It is a passion.

They're very special animals and I think it's a connection, isn't it?

You get friendships from them

and, you know, they're characters as well

and, you know, you don't have to get abuse back, do you?

It's definitely a love that's been passed down anyway, that's for sure.

Toytown, the horse that put Zara on the eventing map, is now retired.

But he's a treasured friend and still lives at her yard.

Toytown, four of us bought right at the beginning -

my mum, my dad, me and my grandmother.

So we all had shares in him.

And then I've probably ridden four of her horses that she's bred.

And this is him, this is Toytown, the horse that gave you

-so many great moments.

-I know.

You do get all emotional inside when you start thinking about it.

He's been a legend and I can't thank him enough.

He loves it though. He's just... You know, you get those horses

that just love being out, love performing, and he's one of those.

He's a bit of a show off.

More than once, Zara has received medals from her mother,

including team silver at the London 2012 Olympics.

And straight after every competition,

she's been on the phone to the Queen.

The first person I've always spoken to is my grandmother.

She's been watching on the TV.

And is that the one person you want to share it with as well?

Yeah, because I think, as far as I'm concerned,

the interest came from my grandmother

and, because of her love and passion for horses,

we've all grown up, you know, sitting on a horse.

She's so supportive in a way that she can never be there,

but she totally understands as well, you know,

she's always massively proud, so...

It's always good making your grandmother proud anyway.

It's what we try.

During the course of her reign,

the Queen has bred the winners of over 1,600 races,

including most of the sport's prestigious prizes.

But there is a Holy Grail that remains elusive.

The Queen has bred and owned the winners of every Classic race

except the Derby, and some of them several... You know, more than once.

But, you know, that's the one really important race,

which has eluded her so far.

As recently as 2011, it seemed the Queen had a real chance in the Derby

with an impressive colt called Carlton House,

originally a gift from the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed.

The papers were full of hopeful stories.

On the day, the Queen's family turned out in force

to show their support.

-COMMENTATOR:

-Here's Carlton House, called on for the final run...

And he came there with a burst of speed that looked,

for a stride or two, as if it might be decisive.

Pour Moi is swimming. Treasure Beach just holding on.

Grabbed by Pour Moi. Pour Moi is the winner.

In a close finish, Carlton House was third.

For the Queen, the Derby remains the unfulfilled dream.

But the thrill of racing

is only one part of her love for horses

of every shape and size.

Every year, the Queen hosts one of Britain's most famous horse events

in what is effectively her back garden.

The Royal Windsor Horse Show

is a celebration of all things equestrian,

from pony club games

to exotic breeds

to glittering displays by the Queen's Household Cavalry.

The thing about the horse world is it's not always glamorous -

you've got to muck in, come out whatever the weather.

And the Queen has come today to the Royal Windsor Horse Show

to watch Fell ponies and Highland ponies that she's bred being judged.

The Queen has two Fell ponies in the first event,

bred at her Hampton Court stables.

The judges are looking for the best conformation -

the shape, the size, the gait -

ultimately promoting a healthier, better breed.

You can see the real knowledge,

the pride as these ponies go round the show ring.

Just one of hundreds of people trying to win a prize,

trying to judge her breed against others

to find if these are better than anybody else's.

In this class, the Queen manages only fifth place.

But the next event is the one to watch out for.

Sylvia Ormiston has come down from Balmoral

to watch a very promising home-bred Highland pony -

a two-year-old filly called Balmoral Harmony.

Well, the Duchess of Cornwall has arrived to join the Queen.

They're watching the judging for the Highland ponies.

This would be a massive boost to Sylvia and the team at Balmoral

if she's successful in front of the eyes of the judge.

The first two places go to other breeders.

-ANNOUNCER:

-In third place, it goes to number 503 - Balmoral Harmony,

owned by Her Majesty the Queen.

But a respectable third isn't bad.

Well done. So how's third place? Is that all right?

Oh, delighted, absolutely delighted.

She's a two-year-old filly shown on a rope halter,

as a two-year-old filly should be shown.

And a top place filly, cos she was only beaten by two colts.

So very, very pleased. Strong class. And good job, Lizzie, well done.

-Yeah, Lizzie you did the leading up there.

-Yes.

And she behaved pretty well, didn't she?

A few of them didn't, but she did.

She has got the most incredible temperament and she's so easy

to work with, because no matter how beautiful they are,

they have got to have the temperament to show

and she's fabulous.

You're a superstar, Harmony. Well done.

Good girl. Very good girl. Very pleased with her.

From the first contact with a newborn foal

to the calm, gentle bonding with yearlings

to the uncertainties and thrills of the racecourse,

the horse world has shown us a more intimate side to the Queen.

It's been so interesting watching the Queen up close with horses.

And you can really appreciate her understanding of them,

her connection with them as well.

And I think that horses reflect the best in human nature.

If you're kind with them, if you're consistent, if you're disciplined

and if you show affection, they will show it back to you.

You can't always win with horses - the Queen knows that.

And, in some ways, that's not the point,

because this animal, whether it be Thoroughbred or Highland pony,

this is her passion.

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