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

Prince Harry was left devastated in 2010 when one of his favourite ponies, Drizzle, collapsed and died of a heart attacking during a charity polo match

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."

Drizzle, one of the horses stabled near King Charles' Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire, had always been a part of the Royal Family. The horse was ridden by Charles until he retired from competitive polo in 2005 and also by Prince William.

It's reported that Harry and William were so distraught over Drizzle's death that they chose not to attend a lunch following a polo match. Harry has been an avid polo player since his teenage years, participating in various events and supporting numerous charities. In April, he and Meghan Markle were seen showing affection at a glamorous charity polo match in Miami, Florida.

In June 2022, Harry had a mishap during a heated polo match in California. While playing with his Los Padres team at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club, Harry seemed to be enjoying himself until he fell off his horse.

A photo captured the moment when the horse's legs gave way, causing Harry to fall close behind. Fortunately, both Harry and the horse appeared to be unharmed after the incident.