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Privacy NoticePrince Harry was left devastated in 2010 when one of his favourite ponies, Drizzle, collapsed and died of a heart attacking during a charity polo match. The Duke of Sussex, now 40, had just played the second half of the game in Berkshire when he realised that 10-year-old Drizzle was struggling. He decided to pull her out and she was then walked off, however, she sadly died minutes later. A senior Palace aide told The Mail on Sunday at the time: “Harry instinctively realised that something was wrong with Drizzle. 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.” They added: “William and Harry are very, very upset – Harry was in tears.”
Animal rights group PETA slammed the incident
(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
They also explained that spectators, who included former Friends actor Matt LeBlanc and Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia, were “spared the gruesome spectacle of watching the pony die”. The death was later slammed by animal rights group PETA, who said that it was “by no means an isolated incident”. They continued: “Polo is very gruelling for the ponies – who are forced to constantly stop and start and make sharp turns. Ankle injuries are common. The whip is used extensively. Sudden deaths – either during a match or shortly after a match – are not uncommon. “Yet again this shows that whenever animals are exploited for ‘sport’, their welfare comes in a distant third behind winning and making money.” Sign up to OK!’s royal newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
Harry has been playing polo since he was a teenager
(Image: Getty Images)
Drizzle was one of the horses that had been kept at stables close to King Charles’ Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire and had always been in the Royal Family. She was ridden by Charles until he gave up playing polo competitively in 2005, as well as Prince William. It was reported that Harry and brother William decided not to attend a lunch after the polo game as they were so upset by the horse’s death. Harry has been playing polo since he was a teenager and has been involved in various events and charities over the years. In April, he and wife Meghan Markle were spotted packing on the PDA as they attended a glitzy charity polo match in Miami, Florida. And in June 2022, Harry suffered an accident when he fell off his horse during an intense polo match in California. Galloping around the field with his Los Padres team at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club, Harry appeared to be in high spirits. But it all came crashing to a halt when he fell to the ground, with a snap showing the royal’s horse’s legs buckled down to the floor as Harry landed close behind. Thankfully, he and the horse appeared to emerge unscathed by the incident.Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnPrince Harry
