Queen Elizabeth's Groom Recalls Her Final Ride on Her Beloved Pony Emma Before Her Death

Terry Pendry reflected on the surprising comment the late Queen made to him on that day in July 2022

Queen Elizabeth's longtime groom and riding companion is sharing the story of her final ride on her Fell pony Emma ahead of the second anniversary of the sovereign's death.

Terry Pendry worked with the Queen for over 28 years as her stud groom and manager at Windsor Castle, and recounted their final equestrian excursion together on the Sept. 6 episode of Gyles Brandreth's Rosebud podcast. The late Queen was a passionate horsewoman throughout her life and continued riding through the summer before she died in September 2022.

"The very last time with her wasn't a ride, I walked," Pendry began when Brandreth asked about their final ride together. "The very last day that she rode was the 18th of July, she rode on the 16th in the riding school. She was very, quite frail. She could go onto the mounting block and step on to Emma, but I always used to have to lift her off."

Related: New Film Reveals Unlikely Bond Between Queen Elizabeth and 'Horse Whisperer' Monty Roberts: We Were as 'Close as Could Be'

Reflecting on the Queen's ride on July 18, Pendry said that the monarch made a surprising comment when they set out together.

"She got on to Emma, and I was on my feet walking around with her. She looked down to me [and said], 'This hasn't happened to me since I was a princess…Someone walking alongside me like this,' " he said.

Recalling that he offered to leave the Queen be or get another horse to ride alongside her, he said the sovereign insisted he stay, and gave the okay when he asked to take her picture for her scrapbook.

Related: Palace Reveals Future Plans for Queen Elizabeth's Favorite Pony Following Monarch's Death

"I said, 'Your pony is 26, you're 96, that has to be a record!' " Pendry said of the joke he told her, adding that the Queen said, "'I suppose you're right.' "

The Royal Mews manager said that Queen Elizabeth unexpectedly came by again on July 19 before she headed out to Balmoral Castle in Scotland, stopping by "for a chat and a final goodbye to Emma. Whether she was kind of out thinking about things, I don't know, I truly don't," he said. While there, she let him know what she thought about his joke!

"She just looked at me and said, 'You were very rude to me yesterday,' " prompting him to apologize and ask why. Pendry remembered, "She said, 'You said my age,' and then she bursts into fits of laughter. That was just her. Last time I ever saw her."

Pendry even introduced Emma to Brandreth on the Rosebud episode.

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Queen Elizabeth died at Balmoral on Sept. 8, 2022 at age 96, and it was an emotional scene when Emma and Pendry watched her funeral procession at Windsor Castle on Sept. 19. The head groom and the monarch's cherished mount, whom she rode and loved in her later years, stood to the side when the coffin passed by.

In a tear-jerking touch, equerries even fastened what looked like one of the sovereign's go-to riding headscarves on the pony's saddle.

One month after the Queen died and her son King Charles acceded, Buckingham Palace confirmed the future plans for her special horse.

"For the past fifteen years, Queen Elizabeth regularly rode Emma for light exercise in the grounds around Windsor Castle, during Her Majesty's private time," the palace said in a statement, sharing a portrait of the bridled pony standing quietly.

"Emma will continue to be much-loved and cared for at the Royal Mews, Windsor and regularly exercised by its small, dedicated team," it continued.

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