Prince Harry’s horse died in heartbreaking drama slammed by animal rights charity

Prince Harry was heartbroken back in 2010 after one of his cherished ponies, Drizzle, collapsed and died from a heart attack at a charity polo event. The royal, now aged 40, had completed the second stage of the match in Berkshire when he noticed that Drizzle, who was 10 years old at the time, was showing signs of distress, reports OK!.

Swiftly deciding to take her off the pitch, Harry’s quick action saw the pony removed from the field, but she tragically passed away shortly afterwards. A source at the Palace relayed to The Mail on Sunday at the time: “Harry instinctively realised that something was wrong with Drizzle. He decided to ride her to the side of the pitch and she was then walked off. Sadly within minutes she suffered a heart attack and died.” They disclosed that “William and Harry are very, very upset Harry was in tears.”

The aide further recounted how guests at the match; which included Hollywood star Matt LeBlanc and singer Natalie Imbruglia, were shielded from witnessing the distressing moment of the pony’s demise. Meanwhile, PETA criticised the incident harshly, stressing that this wasn’t a unique event,

They stated: “Polo is very gruelling for the ponies who are forced to constantly stop and start and make sharp turns. Ankle injuries are common. The whip is used extensively. Sudden deaths either during a match or shortly after a match are not uncommon.”

They continued “Yet again this shows that whenever animals are exploited for ‘sport’, their welfare comes in a distant third behind winning and making money.”