SHEFFIELD

Handsome chap, Sheffield retired to us from the Royal Mews after 10 year’s service.

A little pocket rocket at only 16hh, Sheffield was born and bred at Hampton Court before spending his working career as a successful carriage horse. As a young horse in training, Sheffield was a lot smaller than the other horses but that never held him back! He proved to be a little bay powerhouse when it came to driving and would always be seen pulling his carriage with enthusiasm and a smile on his face.

Sheffield moved to Buckingham Palace as a 5-year-old, where he became a regular on State occasions, participating in his first State Visit after only 3 months in London. In his Mews career he has been a part of all major ceremonies, including Trooping the Colour, the State Opening of Parliament, Royal Ascot, and Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th Birthday Pageant.

Sheffield was so good at his job that he was used regularly for training and teaching members of the Mews the ropes of driving. Several of the staff perfected their driving skills with Sheffield, either as a single, in a pair or team and even in unicorns and tandems. Sheffield also spent a season as the ‘nanny’ for the young horses in training at Windsor, although a model example of a Royal carriage horse for the most part, he did not hesitate to show off his mischievous side!

Blessed with a pair of fantastically large ears, making him easy to spot anywhere, Sheffield was a huge character at the Royal Mews. His enormous overreactions to the smallest of puddles kept the team on their toes for many years! And not forgetting his ability to cover the ground like a racehorse, meaning he was always everyone’s top choice to ride in the Great Park!

Sheffield’s absolute favourite past time is having a good scratch! It was said that his favourite sight in the world is a human friend walking towards him with a curry comb. Well Sheffield, you came to the right place because scratches and attention is what we specialise in!

We are honoured to have Sheffield with us and it is clear to see he will be missed thoroughly by the Royal Mews team. Matthew Powers, Head Coachman of the Royal Mews commented “Sheffield’s time at the Mews has not been as long as some horses but he has been such an enjoyable horse to have. He will be missed by many but is very deserving to live out his days at The Horse Trust.”