Queen Elizabeth is about to receive a gift horse from Canada – a handsome RCMP gelding named Terror that has been prudently rechristened “George” ahead of its shipment to the royal stables this month, Centretown News has learned.
The 17-hand, nine-year-old horse is currently pictured at the website for the Mounties’ famed Musical Ride under its new name – a tribute to Elizabeth’s grandfather, George V – and with a reference to its 2009 promotion to the Queen’s collection of equine companions.
But a year earlier the same horse was shown as an eight-year-old, posing with its rider and named Terror.
The horse is to be presented in conjunction with the Windsor Horse Show, which runs from May 13 to 17. RCMP officials confirmed the planned gift and indicated that it was to be formally announced, along with a statement from the Royal Family, prior to the event.
The newly dubbed George, a black horse with a white star on its forehead, was specially selected after it spent three years in the Musical Ride – the drill cavalry team that performs across Canada – including a turn as lead horse last year.
George was originally named Terror in an annual contest that invites children to name the new foals birthed at the RCMP farm outside of Ottawa. But the animal has been distinguished by its calm temperament in performance with the Musical Ride.
The horse has undergone special training – being exposed to loud music, parades, crowds and even fake gunshots – to ensure its suitability as a gift to the Queen.
The relationship between RCMP horses and the Royal Family has a long history. During the Queen’s visit to Canada in 2002, she presented the RCMP with a horse named Golden Jubilee at a ceremony in Ottawa.