Horses take centre stage for Jubilee

The Queen's lifelong passion for horses will be the focal point of a multimillion-pound equestrian extravaganza during her Golden Jubilee celebrations next year, it was announced yesterday.

With a cast of 1,000 horses and 2,000 people, the 90-minute show will be staged on three nights at the Royal Windsor Horse Show and has been promised a primetime slot on BBC1.

The privately-funded All The Queen's Horses spectacular is the first national Jubilee event to be revealed in detail. Organisers said the show, to be performed against the backdrop of a floodlit Windsor Castle, would document 50 years of history and the role played by horses in the life of the Royal Family. Twelve as yet unnamed stars will take part, with a 100-strong choir and an 80-piece orchestra, with actors and dancers performing on a purpose-built stage.

The starring role, however, will go to the Gold State Coach, used for every coronation since William IV's and making its first public appearance since the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977.

Next year's event, on May 16, 17 and 18, will be produced by Major Sir Michael Parker and directed by Simon Brooks-Ward, director of the Royal Windsor Horse Show. Mr Brooks-Ward promised yesterday that the show would be 'a piece of theatre, more Broadway than horse show', adding: 'It's going to be a massive year and we are going to offer a celebration of the past 50 years and the fact that the Queen has been so involved and associated with horses.' The show, using an all-weather arena, a giant screen and covered seating for 4,000 spectators, will use £200,000 worth of lighting, £80,000 worth of sound equipment and more than 12 miles of steel rigging. Among the horses appearing will be the Household Cavalry, the Kings Troop, famous racehorses, Lipizzaner and Andalusian horses, eventing, show jumping and dressage stars, mounted police, carriage horses and Pony Club representatives.

Mr Brooks-Ward said: 'It will not be a procession. It will be equine theatre, combining music and fashion from the Queen's 50-year reign with a celebration of equestrian achievement. There will be a constant stream of images on a giant screen, music from the orchestra and choir, rolling activity in various parts of the arena and a script read by famous actors and celebrities.'

Organisers have learnt from the ill-fated horse show planned to celebrate the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's 1997 Golden Wedding anniversary, which had to be cancelled because of waterlogged ground. 'Only a monsoon can stop us,' said Sir Michael, who produced the Queen's 1977 Silver Jubilee celebrations as well as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's 100th birthday tribute. 'It's going to be full of action and movement. There will be every kind of horse from a Shire to a Shetland and many well-known faces.'

Money raised from the event will be distributed to equine charities chosen by the Queen, who will attend at least one of the performances.