The Queen has become royal patron of the British Racing School, which trains the next generation of the horse racing industry.
Camilla has a keen interest in the equestrian world, regularly attending major racing meets such as Royal Ascot and the Cheltenham Festival, and is associated with a number of equine charities including the British Equestrian Federation and the Ebony Horse Club.
Andrew Braithwaite, the school’s chief executive, said: “The Queen is hugely committed to supporting British racing and to ensuring that young people have the opportunity to experience the life-changing benefits of working with and riding horses, and are able to access the brilliant careers within racing.
Queen Camilla meets former racing horse Percy Toplis during a visit to the British Racing School in Newmarket, Suffolk, to mark its 40th anniversary (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA)
“We are incredibly lucky and proud to have Her Majesty’s support.”
The King and Queen took on Queen Elizabeth II’s stable of racehorses after her death in 2022 and one of their former racehorses, Schematic, is used at the school to train students who study everything from horse training and administration to furthering their jockey skills.
Camilla visited the school as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations in 2023, four decades after Charles, then the Prince of Wales, opened the institution.
The school is based in Newmarket, Suffolk, the global headquarters of British racing, and among its many courses are two community projects designed to increase access to horses and ponies – the Newmarket Pony Academy for eight to 14-year-olds in the local area, and the Riding A Dream Academy, which supports young people from diverse ethnic communities into the sport.