Escaped cavalry horse will take part in London parade

The army has revealed what roles the escaped Household Cavalry horses will fulfil at this year's Trooping the Colour ceremony.

- EMMA GUINNESS

Dramatic scenes unfolded when the horses were spooked by noise from a nearby building site in April, which prompted them to throw off their riders and gallop through London, injuring themselves and a number of pedestrians in the process. The incident prompted widespread public concern for their welfare, despite experts insisting that such incidents are rare.

Following professional assessment, Tennyson, “who was not badly injured”, will be taking part in the King’s birthday parade, while “Trojan and Vanquish will have supporting roles with the King’s Life Guard but will not be on the parade itself”, The Independent can reveal. Two of the horses who were more badly injured, Vida and Quaker, will continue their recovery in the countryside.

The revelation comes after an animal rights charity warned against the animals’ participation in the parade, claiming that “noisy, unpredictable crowds” would create a risk to the public and the horses. Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has called for the five horses injured in the panic to be retired from duty and not made to return for the King’s birthday parade, in a letter to the regiment’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Woodward.