The Royal Family: Queen Elizabeth II’s lifelong love of horses inspired a generation of women to attend the races

Queen Elizabeth II showed a great passion for horse riding and all things equine, before her death today aged 96.

She contributed her expertise and remained personally involved in the production of top class racehorses, while also working to help preserve pony breeds native to Britain.

The beloved monarch was presented with the first ever International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Lifetime Achievement award in recognition of her dedication to the sport.

Having had her first riding lesson at just age three, the monarch was gifted her very own Shetland pony from her grandfather, King George V at the age of four.

She fell in love with riding after two two years with the pony and went on to become a skilled equestrian by her teen years.

In 1943, a 17-year-old Elizabeth attended the first Royal Windsor Horse Show, which was initially held to help raise funds for the war effort. At the event, she showed off her equestrian skills and ended up winning the Pony & Dogcart class.

Queen Elizabeth would often go horse riding alongside her little sister Princess Margaret, who passed away in 2002, at just 39-years-old.

Following King George’s death in February 1952, Queen Elizabeth inherited his thoroughbred racing horses.

The monarch’s evident love of horses led her to become the subject of a documentary, in 1974, titled ‘The Queen’s Race Horses: a Private View’ - which she narrated herself.

As part of her 60th anniversary coronation celebrations, another documentary was released called ‘The Queen: a Passion for Horses,’ which again showcased her love and dedication for the animal.

Over the years, she showed great enjoyment and enthusiasm when attending events, where horses are concerned.

She would look forward to events such as the Royal Windsor Horse Show, Royal Ascot, Epsom derby, and the Trooping of Colour.

Over the past year, the Queen had been struggling with mobility issues and had to step back from attending all engagements and riding the animals she loved.

However, she managed to attend the Platinum Jubilee Horse Show Spectacular earlier this year, where she arrived with a walking stick and a grey lightly bedazzled shawl.

The Queen’s love of horses has been passed down to not only her daughter Princess Anne, but also her granddaughter, Zara Tindall.

The Princess Royal was the first member of the British Royal family to compete in the Olympic Games, in 1976 in Montreal.

She rode her mother’s horse at the event, and although she didn’t win a medal, she later became president of the British Olympic Association and a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Her daughter, Zara Tindall, 41, competed in Athens in 2004, and Beijing in 2008, but it wasn’t until London 2012, that she won a silver medal for the evening team.