Five Household Cavalry horses from Hyde Park Barracks in Knightsbridge, including black steed Tennyson, bolted after being spooked by builders during routine exercises in April
A Cavalry horse injured when it broke free from its rider and charged through London will take a leading role at the King’s Birthday Parade this weekend.
Black steed Tennyson was treated for wounds sustained in the mad six-mile dash across the city, but was deemed fit to return to duty in May. He was one of five Household Cavalry horses from Hyde Park Barracks in Knightsbridge, central London, who bolted after being spooked by builders during routine exercises.
Now, Tennyson has now been given a key role at Trooping the Colour – riding in the prestigious Sovereign’s Escort which leads the King down the Mall from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade. Corporal of Horse Harvey, the Life Guards Squadron Equitation Instructor, will ride Tennyson in the rear rank of the second division. And the steed’s stablemates Trojan and Vanquish, who were also injured after throwing their riders, will be back in the public eye as part of The King’s Life Guard.
The two more seriously injured mounts, Vida and Quaker, continue to receive respite care. Captain Charles Carr-Smith, of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, said: “Military Working Horse Tennyson is the epitome of a Cavalry Black. Bold and brave as a war horse should be, yet a gentleman to ride and groom.
“Tennyson has returned to service without missing a step. His return has lifted the spirits of those in 1 Troop the Life Guards. Knowing that this brilliant horse will once again carry its rider carefully down the Mall or canter off, leaping over log piles in Melton Mowbray, is a comfort to our less experienced riders, who will undoubtedly scramble to put their names alongside his for daily exercise. Due to so many well-wishers sending in mints, it goes without saying that Tennyson has the freshest breath of any horse on parade.”
Four soldiers were thrown off after being spooked during an extended exercise in Belgravia on Wednesday. It is understood that three Household Cavalry personnel have been assessed at hospital for their injuries, but they were not seriously hurt. An eyewitness described seeing the man lying in the street “screaming in pain” outside the Clermont Hotel on Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria. He told The Telegraph: “One of my colleagues called the police. The man hit the floor hard, he was screaming in pain. You could see blood all over the parked car.”
One tour bus worker described chaotic scenes near Victoria as people ran for safety. He said: “I saw horses come from the bus station in front of Victoria run around in a frenzy. People were running around to avoid them – it was total mayhem.”
