On the day we heard that the Queen had died, we suffered our own shock bereavement. Marcus, loved by all who met him, decided that his time was up and passed away. Loved by Natalie the moment she met him, he went on to teach so many nervous children to ride and was a shining star of Park Lane Stables until his retirement in April 2022 in his 20s.

In Natalie’s words:

“I used to work in a riding school in Birmingham with Marcus, we were together every day. I would ask my boss if I could have him and he always said no. Then [in 2018] he called and asked: ‘Do you still want Marcus?’, to which I replied ‘I do, I do!’ and bombed up the M40 before he changed his mind.

We just adore him, he’s the kindest pony. He must have taught hundreds if not thousands of children to canter. He’s the one who builds their confidence. He’s just a great friend to children, to adults and to me.”

Read more about Marcus’ story

Here are some of our favourite photographs of Marcus in tribute to him.