Wickham holds horse parade in honour of the Queen

Vanessa Taylor, 44, from Wickham, decided to organise a horse parade in memory of the Queen after there had been discussions about the possibility of it on Facebook.

The bookkeeper, who has also had a passion for horses and has previously owned her own, said that she wanted to organise the parade as a mark of ‘respect’ to the monarch.

The horse paraded began just before 10am, at the Wickham Community Centre and ended at the town square, where all riders, horses and spectators stood and took part in a minute silence for Her Majesty.

Approximately 60 horses turned out for the occasion and crowds formed to see them complete the parade around the town.

Vanessa said: ‘The Queen had such a huge impact on everyone and for most of us, she is only Queen we have ever known, so for us being equestrians, we wanted to do something for her especially because of her love for horses.

‘It was very overwhelming and very emotional, she just meant so much from her love of animals to her love for her family and also her love of the community and how much people admired her, especially when everyone came together for her Jubilee, I thought it was only right that we come together for her funeral and show her our respect.’

The organiser decided to hold the horse parade earlier than the funeral ceremony because she did not want to ‘impose’ on the funeral and she said that the timing was perfect so that people could attend the horse parade, but also watch the service.

Vanessa also praised the local businesses for offering up their car park to ensure that riders could attend. Businesses that offered parking included the Wickham Community Centre, The Roebuck and Westlands farm shop.

She added: ‘It wasn’t sombre at all, I believe everyone felt really proud to be a part of it and a few people said that it is going to be a memory that they will look back on and remember for ever. It was very emotional, but it didn’t feel sombre at all.’