The news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death traveled the globe quicker than any other monarch in world history.
The last time a British monarch passed, few people in the world had television sets, and those who did watched the ceremony in black and white.
It is possible that Queen Elizabeth felt the same way about that day. Since her passing, I have cried a dozen times. Queen Elizabeth II was to so many people around the world as the bright shining star of our planet. She was the conscience of our civilization.
Her 70 year reign was the longest in the history of the British crown. Most of us have never met the Queen. She was different. There aren’t any words that can convey the sadness we feel in her death.
It has been strange to have deep feelings of grief as an American who has never been to the UK. I have always felt drawn to Queen Elizabeth, perhaps due to my paternal family heritage, confirmation in the Episcopal Church, or time spent in the British Commonwealth islands. I admired her leadership skills and found a kinship with her love of dogs and horses when I was a child.
Imagine how I felt when a package arrived on my doorstep in Washington, D.C., marked “Royal Mail” from “Windsor Castle.”
My friend Monty Roberts asked me to write a story about my life’s work protecting horses. Monty gave it to the Queen, who read it. She took the time to read it and that made a huge difference to my work.
The package has motivated me in a way I can’t explain. The Queen gave me an award for my work to reduce violence in the training of horses. She wrote her signature on it.
The Queen and I both had a love for horses that was very special to each of us.
When she was 11 years old, the Queen said what she wanted to be when she grew up. She said she wanted to be a horse.
It is possible that the Queen was born with a passion for horses. At the age of four, she was given a Shetland pony by her father. At the age of 96, she passed away, but one of her proudest moments was when her own horse Estimate won the Royal Ascot race.
The real paradigm shift began when she met Monty Roberts and learned of his training principles. Monty says that the principles are based on the language of horses that are non-violent and can be used to win the trust of the animals.
She knew what she had to do to help horses all over the world. Monty was commissioned by her to help spread the principles of the Royal Victorian Order around the world.
Monty has helped more horses than any other trainer in the history of the world. Polo ponies, once the most violent trained of all, are now some of the gentlest, most well cared for horses. The quality of life for racing thoroughbreds is better all over the world.
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act was signed into law in December of 2020 and Her Majesty was thrilled to hear about it. It was the first federal horse protection law enacted in the U.S. since 1971.
The painful practice of soring Tennessee Walking Horses is something she was aware of. The battle to end soring has been the most difficult battle I have ever fought. As long as the Queen was alive, the abhorrent practice has continued in the southeastern U.S.
We are going to keep on fighting. We will honor the Queen by doing everything we can to stamp out this and other abusive practices, execute her charge, and see horses freed from this all violence.
As sad as we are today, I take comfort in the fact that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be there to help us. I am eternally grateful for the honor she bestowed upon me, and I also pay tribute to the Queen for her dedication to protecting the voiceless.