Distressed: Harry on Drizzle shortly before the pony died yesterdayPrinces William and Harry were ‘very upset’ after their favourite polo pony
collapsed and died of a heart attack during a match.
Harry had just played a chukka in the second half of the charity match at Coworth Park in Berkshire when he realised that his ten-year old pony, Drizzle, was struggling.
He noticed that the brown mare was not running comfortably and decided to take her out of the match.
‘Harry instinctively realised that something was wrong with Drizzle,’ a senior Palace aide told The Mail on Sunday. ‘He decided to ride her to the side of the pitch and she was then walked off. Sadly within minutes she suffered a heart attack and died.
'William and Harry are very, very upset – Harry was in tears.’
Fortunately spectators were spared the distress of watching the incident. ‘It was very lucky that Harry rode her off because we were spared the gruesome spectacle of watching the pony die,’ a guest told The Mail on Sunday.
‘Harry and William were shaken. Harry had a cigarette at the end of the game and said
he did not want to stay for the lunch because he was so upset. He kept saying he couldn’t believe what had happened. Everyone was telling him not to blame himself. Unfortunately these things happen.’
The pony was kept at stables close to the Prince of Wales’s Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire, and had always been kept by the Royal Family. Prince Charles used to ride Drizzle until he gave up playing polo competitively in 2005, and aides said he would be informed of the death.
‘Drizzle is very special to the boys and Prince Charles,’ said the source. ‘The Prince hasn’t been told yet but he will be informed.
‘Drizzle was part of the pool of Royal ponies and all the Princes were very fond of her. It was not the end to the day they had hoped for. It’s been rather distressing.’
Despite the death, the Princes – who were playing for The Prince William Team against The Audi Team – won 5-4.
The downcast Princes line up after the match‘William and Harry stayed until the end of the match but they looked pretty downcast in the line-up at the end,’ said a guest.
‘After the match they mingled with some of the guests but William didn’t stay for the lunch either. Kate Middleton wasn’t there because she was put off by the weather, so William didn’t bother staying. The incident put a bit of a dampener on things to be honest.’
The match, sponsored and paid for by Audi, was important to William and Harry as it was the first time they have hosted tables for their charitable foundation, The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.
The charity was launched last year after they set up their own private office at St James’s Palace.
‘It’s a big day for them because all of the trustees and executives of the foundation were there and William and Harry were hosting the day,’ said a friend of the Princes.
‘Audi have spent a small fortune putting on the event and there was a champagne reception and then lunch after the match, and lots of very important people were there.
'It was all about the Princes wining and dining their trustees and raising money and awareness for the foundation.’
Friends actor Matt LeBlanc was among the A-list guests, together with singer Natalie Imbruglia, who knows Harry through their mutual friend, Sam Branson.
Harry was a guest at the singer’s fancy-dress birthday party last year and the couple have remained in touch although, according to one guest yesterday, Miss Imbruglia spent much of the time deep in conversation with the American actor.
Celebrity chef Marcus Wareing provided the catering for the event and met the Princes.
‘William and Harry are big fans of Marcus, which somehow got back to him,’ said a friend. ‘He left the kitchen briefly to come out and meet them and they told him how much they love his food.’
The Princes, both expert polo players, now compete only in charity matches. Because of their demanding military careers they do not have sufficient time to play socially.
Most recently, Harry took part in a match in Barbados for his charity, Sentebale. He rode one of his father’s mares, a grey, which stumbled on the pitch, causing the Prince to take a tumble.
‘Harry was really cross about coming off the horse,’ recalled a witness. ‘He was at pains to explain later that it was the horse which had tumbled, and it was not his fault.’
A spokesman for the Princes said yesterday: ‘Drizzle belonged to Prince William and Prince Harry and used to belong to the Prince of Wales. She was taken ill during a game and sadly died. The Princes are, of course, very upset.’
source: dailymail
