Sarah Ferguson has revealed she harboured serious sporting ambitions as a child.
The Duchess of York, 64, delighted fans when she posted a series of photographs on Instagram showing her riding her “12.2m pony called Spider” with the caption: “I’ve always dreamed of winning a gold medal in equestrianism.”
Sarah’s post, which was shared on Tuesday, came a day after Great Britain’s equestrian team won a gold medal in eventing at the Paris Olympics – the British team’s first ever gold at the games.
The mother of Princess Beatrice, 35, and Princess Eugenie, 34, took the opportunity to congratulate the “brilliant riders” who competed – namely Laura Collett, Tom McEwen and Rosalind Canter – and described Monday’s event as “absolutely remarkable”.
The six photographs include four action shots of Sarah, who was married to Prince Andrew from 1986 to 1996, riding a horse as a child and teenager.
Dressed for winter in a collared coat and fur hat, a very young Sarah Ferguson is seen sitting on her pony Spider.
With a focused expression on her face, a teenage Sarah appears to be participating in a competition.
A young Sarah in full riding attire and an equestrian helmet leans forward as she races her horse over obstacles.
In a black and white image, young Sarah looks fearless as she leans forward while her horse runs over obstacles.
Dressed in riding attire and sporting an equestrian helmet, the future duchess has a determined look on her face.
A second photo shows her looking ahead as she guides what could be her pony Spider over an obstacle, while a third image is a close-up of Sarah.
With a focused expression on his face and a riding hat on his head, he could be taking part in a competition.
In one particularly sweet photo, a very young Sarah is dressed for winter in a collared coat, fur hat, and harlequin-style tights as she sits on a motionless pony and smiles for the camera.
Another very early image of Sarah standing next to a horse appears to have been taken in the summer, as she is dressed in shorts and a short-sleeved T-shirt with her auburn hair pulled back into a headband.
The last one, taken several years later, shows her crouching next to a horse, holding it close to her as she smiles for the camera.
The Duchess’ Instagram post racked up more than 10,000 likes and garnered nearly 100 comments.
Sarah, who has spoken about how horse riding helped her get through her parents’ divorce at the age of 12, appears to be riding her pony Spider.
A very young Sarah poses next to a horse in a photograph that appears to have been taken during a childhood summer.
Fans joined Sarah in congratulating the GB equestrian team, with one person writing: “They are so skilled and the best.”
Another agreed: “It was wonderful and I think all us Brits who love horses are delighted. Love your photos and big congratulations to Team GB, our heroes!”
Others admired Sarah’s photographs and recalled their own experiences riding horses.
One person wrote: “My first pony was called Jelly. It’s so funny how your first pony leaves such a lasting impression.”
Another added: “Love your photos, bring back memories. There was no chaos and boots until you were older! Team GB are so talented!”
While a fifth Instagram user enthused: “It’s absolutely fabulous. I too did a one-day event as a kid until I was 15, cross country was definitely my favourite and I always run with them. Well done @teamgb.”
Sarah has previously spoken about how horse riding helped her get through her parents’ separation when she was 12.
Her mother, the late Sarah Barrantes, left the UK when she separated from Sarah’s father, the late Major Ronald Ferguson.
A teenage Sarah crouches next to a horse, holding it close to her as she smiles for the camera.
In an Instagram post, Sarah Ferguson, 64, revealed she dreamed of winning an Olympic gold medal in equestrianism as a child.
She went to Argentina to start a new life with her second husband, Hector Barrantes.
In a 2021 appearance on Good Morning America, Sarah explained: ‘My ponies really helped me a lot when my mom went to live in Argentina because they were my friends.’
He added: “They don’t go anywhere and they don’t respond. They are very special.”
Sarah also shared that “all the horse riding she did” when she was young damaged her toes, which led her to receive stem cell therapy on her feet in the Bahamas.
The Duchess is far from the only royal to have taken an interest in horse riding as a child.
Sarah’s former sister-in-law Princess Anne went on to compete in the three-day equestrian event at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, while Zara Tindall, Princess Anne’s daughter, won a silver medal in the team event at the 2012 London Olympics.
Although Sarah never made it to the Olympics, in recent years she has taken on other challenges, notably writing.
The Mail on Sunday revealed earlier this month that Sarah, who has used writing as “an escape” after two cancer diagnoses, has dedicated her new book to her four grandchildren.
Sarah’s followers and fans commented on her post, admiring her childhood horse-riding photos and joining her in congratulating the Great Britain equestrian team after their victory at the Paris Olympics on Monday.
She is now looking to the future after being diagnosed with breast cancer last summer and undergoing a mastectomy. Six months later, she was diagnosed with skin cancer.
Although doctors have advised her not to use the phrase “cancer-free”, the outlook is positive and the Duchess is no longer undergoing treatment.
She has now written a new children’s book, titled ‘Flora and Fern: Wonders in the Woods’, which will be published in October.
The Duchess told the Mail on Sunday: “I wrote Flora and Fern for my grandchildren and also for my stepson Wolfie. It’s a special little story that encourages children to enjoy and respect nature and to use their imagination to play.
‘The names Flora and Fern were chosen to encourage a greater understanding of how important nature is.’
She combined her roles as author and grandmother in the writing process, testing stories on her four grandchildren: Princess Eugenie’s son August, three, and youngest son Ernest, one, along with Princess Beatrice’s stepson Wolfie, eight, and daughter Sienna, two.
A friend added: ‘Writing and being in nature are her two outlets. Both have helped her get through the tough times of the past year as she has had to deal with two cancer diagnoses.
‘She tests all her stories on her grandchildren and is determined to create a little library for them to enjoy.’
