Newly-wed Zara breaks down in tears as she retires beloved horse who helped her to world championship crown

By LOUISE ECCLES

Sorrow: Zara's last parade with Toytown

She bit her bottom lip and fought back the tears as she attempted to maintain a certain amount of royal decorum.

But attempts at a stiff upper lip failed miserably when newlywed Zara Philips broke down and cried as she officially retired her beloved horse Toytown.

It was with Toytown, fondly known as ‘Noddy’ or ‘Ginger’, that she was crowned world eventing champion five years ago.


Triumph: World champions in 2006


Yesterday, the Queen’s granddaughter paraded the horse for the last time, at the final day of this year’s Festival of British Eventing, at Gatcombe Park, in Stroud.

Miss Philips, who married England rugby player Mike Tindall just over a week ago, described Toytown as ‘the complete horse’.


Winning team: Zara Philips cried as she paraded Toytown at the Festival of British Eventing. The pair were crowned world eventing champions in 2006


Firm favourite: Zara has 15 horses including but she described Toytown as ‘the complete horse’


She said: ‘I think it will be quite difficult. It’s the end of an era.

‘He was the horse of a lifetime for me. We grew up together, we went through the levels together, and it all just seemed to go our way.’

‘His movement, his character, it all combined to make the complete horse. And cross-country, he was just a machine.’

She added: ‘I don’t think I am ever going to find another horse quite like him, but hopefully others that will be good enough to go to the same level as he did.’


End of an era: Zara said Toytown was ‘the horse of a lifetime’ but he is now retiring after suffering several injuries


The pair won individual and team gold at the 2005 European Championships, before conquering the world title a year later in Germany.

The horse’s final appearance for Great Britain came in the 2007 Europeans in Italy, where he finished sixth individually and helped secure another team gold.

But at the age of 18, and after suffering several injuries, the chestnut gelding has finally retired from the ring.


Affectionate: Onlookers saw Zara Philips and her husband, Mike Tindall kissing and cuddling at the event


source: dailymail

Downton's war of the labradors: Show's canine star is hounded out by castle's very unwelcoming rival

By CHRISTOPHER HASTINGS and PETER ROBERTSON

War: Lady Carnavon with Percy and Bella at Highclere Castle - her dogs have not got on with Downton Abbey's Roly

Downton Abbey – as its millions of fans know only too well – is a house seething with tension at the best of times.

But now it seems there is another source of rivalry every bit as fierce as the class struggle between the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants.

Lady Carnarvon, the owner of Highclere Castle, where the hit ITV drama is filmed, has revealed her pet labrador Percy was unwilling to tolerate the presence of Roly, the labrador that starred as the Crawleys’ pet, Pharaoh.


Rivals: Roly, pictured here with Hugh Bonneville, has been hounded out by Highclere's resident labradors


At one stage, producers considered dropping Pharaoh’s character from the script altogether. Instead, they decided to give the castle advance warning of Roly’s movements, so the two animals could be kept apart.

Lady Carnarvon said: ‘We have blonde labradors named Percy and Bella, and what’s bizarre is they bring in their own labrador. I haven’t got a clue why they don’t use ours, which are running up and down the stairs anyway.


Be prepared: The cast of Downton Abbey may have to keep a close eye out for labrador disagreements


‘Our male labrador minds the Downton one enormously, so I have to say, “When is your dog in? Don’t turn up unexpectedly,” because he does not like any other male dogs in the castle. He is very territorial.

‘We usually ask for no dogs in the castle actually, because we have five altogether – the others are spaniels we call Naughty 1, Naughty 2, and Naughty 3!’
The website of Highclere Castle makes clear that only guide dogs are normally allowed into the castle.

Gill Raddings, the dog handler who supplied Roly to the period drama, which counts the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge among its fans, said: ‘Even before filming began, there was talk of cutting the dog from the script altogether.

‘It had absolutely nothing to do with Roly.

‘Lady Carnarvon’s dog does not like male dogs in the house and he is apparently a fighter, so we had to give them advance warning when Roly was on the premises.’

The new series of Downton Abbey, which again stars Dame Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilton and Michelle Dockery, is set in 1916 and follows the fortunes of the household during the latter years of the First World War.

Filming is due to continue for another two weeks.


source: dailymail

What's this? It certainly looks like Louis and Simon are jousting for X Factor supremacy

On guard: Lookalikes of Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell were in battle at Warwick Castle on Saturday to promote the return of jousting displays for the summer season

When Warwick Castle wanted someone famous to open their summer season they decided to go for the very best.

Pulling out all the stops, they secured the services of not just one X Factor judge, but two.

And true to their word, both Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh turned up at the castle on Saturday afternoon, looking to settle their differences.

Or at least two lookalikes did.


As close as they got: The pair, and their horses, wore traditional jousting clothing, and posed for photos but left the real battle to the experts


Crossing swords: The pair put down their jousting lances to do battle for supremacy with these weapons


The pair of 'celebrities' were at the castle to help it mark the return of its jousting knights for the summer.

As on the TV show, the two men caused divided loyalties between many members of the crowd.

And while they did pose for these photographs, they were unable to battle it out for real, as they left that to the experts.

Cowell and Walsh also joined in with some falconry, with each man donning a protective glove so a bird could sit on their hand.


Well protected: Cowell donned a falconry glove to let this owl species perch on his hand before Walsh did the same with another bird


It's a bird! Walsh looks surprised as he holds aloft another species during his go at falconry


While guests were also treated to the falconry, they also witnessed a show by actors performing the Arthurian legend 'The Sword and the Stone.'

And visitors could get within fire-breathing distance of The Great Dragon, a star of the BBC's Merlin drama.

Warwick Castle was built in 1068 by William the Conqueror and used as a fortification until the early 17th century.

It was then converted by Sir Fulke Greville into a country house and remained in his family until 1978.

Following the Greville's family's sale to Tussauds, the company performed extensive restoration work before opening it to the public.

source: dailymail