Posted: 3rd May 2019 | Back to news feed
The best of British equestrian displays will perform at The Pageant on the evenings of 9, 10 & 11 May, joining a host of exciting international acts. Taking place in the private grounds of Windsor Castle, the performers and their equine companions will arrive from all over the country to commemorate the 200-year anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth.
There will be a strong representation of the British Military, including The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, which will fire its famous 25 pounder guns to conclude The Pageant. A moving highlight of the evening will be a re-enactment of the Charge of The Light Brigade to Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s famous “Into The Valley of Death Rode The Six Hundred” poem, read by Simon Callow CBE, which will capture some of the extraordinary sacrifices made during the Crimean War.
Travelling from all over the country will be some of Great Britain's most talented young Dressage Riders who will perform an Eightsome Reel on horses, choreographed by Dressage legends Jennie Loriston-Clark and Dane Rawlins – a special tribute to Queen Victoria’s love of Balmoral and the Highlands. They will be accompanied by Scottish dancers performing one of her favourite Reels.
The 90-minute show is staged by a BAFTA award-winning team and will transport the audience back to the Victorian era, drawing on some of its typical characteristics, such as the singalong Music Hall, favourites from Gilbert & Sullivan, and a mass tribute to Charles Dickens. Debbie Wiseman OBE, one of our foremost composers, has arranged and composed much of the music. Hansom Cabs, Coster Carts, Omnibuses and London Carriages, together with leading side saddle riders, will bring music from Oliver to life. By kind permission of Her Majesty The Queen, The Royal Mews will be exhibiting some rarely seen coaches and carriages from its collection.
Riders of the Land Rover Shetland Pony Grand National and the DAKS Pony Club Mounted Games will enter a combined race for the first time. Representing every corner of the British Isles, the competition will be fast and furious as they race over fences and twist in and out of Pony Club games. The ‘Act’ will represent Queen Victoria’s interest in everything to do with ponies, which she rode later in life.
Show Director Simon Brooks-Ward said: “The Pageant will capture the wonders of the Victorian era through world-class displays and musical dialogue. There is an exceptional level of national and international equestrian talent involved in the show, and it is fantastic to be marking the occasion by bringing them together to celebrate this fascinating time.”
Tickets for The Pageant are on sale now and visitors may purchase them online at www.windsorpageant.co.uk or via the box office on 0844 581 0755. Local Windsor residents may purchase their tickets at Windsor Information Centre located in Windsor Royal Shopping or by telephone on 01753 743 589.
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