The sad reason the Queen's favorite pastime has become bittersweet

The Queen's favorite pastime has become bittersweet as one of her trainers opens up about Her Majesty's 'greatest passion' and her love of equestrian pursuits.

• The Queen's love of horses has been discussed by her racehorse trainer Nicky Henderson.
• The trainer revealed that the Queen is still an avid lover of horses despite the fact that she can no longer ride.
• In other royal news, Prince William and Kate Middleton wish the Beckhams 'great deal of joy' ahead of wedding but declined invite for one key reason.

Nicky Henderson, the Queen's trusted Racehorse Trainer who meets with Her Majesty every Sunday, has opened up about the Queen's love of horses

In an interview with Sophie Braybrook, the Queen's trusted trainer spoke enthusiastically about the Queen and her love of everything equestrian including the breeding and racing of the impressive animals.

"She just loves horses, it's as simple as that. It wouldn't matter what sort wither, she loves racehorses she rides regularly," said Nicky. 

"She takes a great interest in what's happening every day. She'll always watch a race if she can," said Nicky but added that if she missed a race, she'd be sure to watch the recording in her own time so she remains up to date with what's going on.

The interview cut to a variety of lovely shots of Her Majesty on horseback and at horse races with other members of her equestrian team. 

Of course, this love of horses is now bittersweet for her Majesty who can no longer ride since she suffered from a sprained back and other health issues over the past years.

In addition to this, the Queen admitted that  Covid left her ‘very tired and exhausted.’ Although she caught this virus in February it is clear that her Majesty is still suffering from some long-term symptoms and is not in the best state to ride a horse.

At the age of nearly 96, it is perhaps not that surprising that the Queen is not the avid rider she once was and now prefers to focus on the aspects of the hobby that don't require her to ride on horseback.

Only a few months ago, the Queen was awarded a huge honor in recognition of her true passion in life. The Queen was inducted into the QIPCO British Champions Series Hall of Fame, as a gesture to honor her lifelong commitment to British horserace breeding and racing. 

In addition to racehorses, the Queen also breeds ponies and has worked to preserve some of the pony breeds in need of conservation. The Queen breeds her Fell ponies at Hampton Court and Shetland ponies at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Her Majesty also opened a Highland pony stud at Balmoral to preserve the breed of highland ponies that are native to that area of the Scottish Highlands.