The King's Troop

The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery

Olympia is delighted to welcome back The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, who last performed at Olympia in 2003.

The Troop will be performing it’s famnous Musical Drive routine from Thursday 18th - Monday 22nd December. 26 horses take part in the performance, comprising breathtaking choreography that includes the reowned ’scissors’ manoeuvre, where the whole Troop ’criss crosses’ at the gallop, whilst pulling four one and a half tonne guns, all of which were used in action in World War One.

A Bit of Rider Info!

Sergeant Haigh is 27 and comes from West Yorkshire. He has competed since the age of 7 and progressed from jumping at Pony Club level to Young Riders, until joining the Army at the age of 19. He is in charge of B Sub Section at The King’s Troop RHA and has been in post for just over a year. He is responsible for the management and training of 20 horses and 12 soldiers, as well as the maintenance of his 13 Pounder gun. He has just returned from backing and breaking The King’s Troop’s newest batch of remounts at the Defence Animal Centre in Melton Mowbray; 12 horses that were bought from Ireland and Wales earlier on this year.

He rides Rockfort, a 10 year old wheeler from B Sub Section, whose normal job is as one of the two horses at the back of the gun team, acting as the brakes of the 13 Pounder gun, which weighs in at 1 ½ tonnes. Rockfort is the only working ceremonial horse competing today and he has spent the summer season in wheel, taking part in The Queen’s Birthday Parade, galloping Royal Salutes in Hyde Park and in the world famous Musical Drive at shows across the country. He is not the easiest of rides and Sergeant Haigh has worked incredibly hard to settle him down and qualify him to compete at Olympia today.

The high level to which the Troop is trained never fails to impress and their thunderous gallop-out is sure to leave you on the edge of your seat, enjoy!