Life Guard, Mounted Drum Horse, State Dress, C1e

This is the Life Guards Drum Horse in State or 'Gold' Order. The rider is sculpted at 8" tall and therefore the overall height of this sculpture (without wooden base) is 14". The piece will fit into the rest of the Life Guards and Cavalry collection.

The Band of the Life Guards ride black horses, the Drummer by tradition riding a piebald or skewbald horse. The Drum horses are named after Classical Greek Heroes, and carry solid silver Kettledrums, which weigh 80 lbs each, and which were presented by HM King William IV in May of 1831. The first record of the Band establishment was about 1795, and later in the Royal United Services Journal for June 1831, referring to the mounted Band of The Life Guards, it says: After saluting and marching past the King, "God Save The King" was played on the Russian Chromatic Trumpets used by the Band at that time.Traditionally (until comparatively recently), a Trumpeter from the Band was on duty 24 hours a day to sound the same calls that were played when the Regiment was first formed. Every person in the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment was expected to know the calls, and the times they should be sounded.

The yearly duty cycle of a Life Guards Drum Horse starts with the full dress Major General’s London Parade in March. From April to July the Band are kept busy with Regimental Duties culminating in Trooping the Colour at Horseguards for the Queen. In August all the Household Cavalry horses go on holiday to Bodney in Norfolk where they enjoy a relaxed routine with riding by the sea. In the Autumn they return to London to participate in the routine of Parades, State Occasions and Musical Rides. Achilles, the present Drum Horse is in his third season with the regiment and in keeping with tradition is a gift to the Regiment from the Monarch. He lives in the stables at Knightsbridge Barracks, is ridden on parade by Musician Gareth Kennedy and regularly exercised on Hyde Park.