Jed, a true workhorse, earns his retirement

together with is stepping into retirement subsequently his diligent travel inward caring for the Queen Jed, a truthful workhorse, earns his retirement — Jed has been retired to The Horse Trust.

Jed is a giant amid horses, together with is stepping into retirement subsequently his diligent travel inward caring for the Queen’s estate.

Now, at 19, the 17.3-hand dark shire gelding has been welcomed into the flexure at the Horse Trust’s sanctuary inward Speen, Buckinghamshire, after virtually 10 years service amongst The Royal Parks Agency.

Jed, who wore a particular retirement sash, was formally retired inward May 2012 past times the Queen, accompanied past times the Duke of Edinburgh together with inward the presence of mounted members of Riding for the Disabled.

The Queen presented him amongst a retirement rosette during the May xv “Wild London” Diamond Jubilee Event inward Richmond Park to award his decade of loyal service.

Jed was originally bought equally i of a span from Bass Brewery, inward Burton on Trent, inward 1998 to assist amongst the estate management of The Royal Parks.

His work, which was predominantly inward London’s Richmond Park, included, inward the summertime months, route verge cutting, rolling bracken to save grassland together with chain harrowing bridleways together with paddocks.

In the wintertime he worked extracting timber together with bringing it dorsum to the sawmill for processing. This woods would together with thus endure used to repair fences together with ready particular crates to protect the trees from the grazing deer.

Jed was semi-retired ii years agone when he started to endure from arthritis together with when, sadly, his working partner, Forte, passed away.

After that Jed was no longer required to line anything behind him but he continued to thoroughly savor coming together people at events such equally the Heavy Horse Parade inward Portsmouth amongst The Royal Parks Foundation together with the Barnes Parade on Wimbledon Common.

Sandra Croxall, from The Royal Parks Team, said: “Jed has been a loyal serving Shire together with invaluable to the travel undertaken inward the Royal Parks, besides equally task world engagements, come across together with greets together with local community events.

“His fourth dimension has straight off come upward to endure retired together with alive out the remainder of his days peacefully together with nosotros are delighted he has a wonderful, novel abode at The Horse Trust where he tin exercise only that.”

Horse Trust primary executive Jeanette Allen said: “Jed was turned out inward the fields concluding calendar week amongst rescue mare Crunchie, together with he has followed her only about devotedly always since.

“It was lovely to reckon Jed cantering only about the fields together with he couldn’t conduct maintain looked happier amongst his novel abode together with his novel friend.”

Richmond Park is the largest of London’s viii Royal Parks together with the biggest enclosed infinite inward the city. It is visited past times millions of Londoners together with tourists annually. It is London’s largest Site of Special Scientific Interest together with a European Special Area of Conservation.