Queen Elizabeth II Gets in Some Quality Saddle Time

If you’re the Queen of England, you can do whatever you want – including taking the horses out for a stroll on a sunny afternoon.

Top photo from People.com article, linked below.

Queen Elizabeth II took her horse, Carltonlima Emma, out for a stroll around Windsor Great Park this morning, looking supremely comfortable in the saddle. (Perhaps a #mindyourmelon is in order, though?) If you’re surprised to see the Queen out and about on horseback, don’t be.

Read the full scoop on People.com.

Queen Elizabeth has dedicated a lot of her time to horses, even taking a stake in ownership for racehorses. She’s had 10 horses run in the Epsom Derby, coming the closest to a win in 1953.

Side note: People magazine says that the Queen rode in the races herself, with the most recent one being in 2011. I would love to be jockeying a horse around at the age of 85 (how old she was in 2011), but I’m going to have to say that is not very likely in any case. At any rate, though, it’s lovely to see the Queen getting involved with our beloved equines.

The 2011 Epsom Derby, when the Queen’s entry Carlton House finished 3rd:

Wondering what royalty does compete? Zara Phillips is one example; she is an accomplished eventer who represented Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics. You can only imagine how big her cheering section was while she galloped around cross country.