Veteran broadcaster and gardening legend Alan Titchmarsh is no stranger to the great outdoors—but nothing could have prepared him for the high-octane military thrill ride he found himself thrown into during the filming of two royal-themed television series.
Speaking candidly on the Talk Horse podcast, Titchmarsh reflected on a moment that took him far beyond the calm comfort of gardens and greenhouses. While working on All the Queen’s Horses and All the Queen’s Men, he found himself embedded with two of the most iconic units in the British military: the Household Cavalry and the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.
What started as a professional hosting gig quickly turned into something far more intense—and unforgettable.
Titchmarsh’s first adventure began atop a notoriously unruly horse named Waterford. As the Queen’s own groom, Terry Pendry, dryly warned him: “Waterford? He’s got five legs.” The cheeky comment underscored the horse’s reputation for being, to put it lightly, a challenge to control.
Adding to the difficulty, Titchmarsh was expected to ride in boots without spurs—unlike the trained military riders flanking him. It was an uncomfortable contrast, and one that didn’t help his nerves.
But that was just the warm-up.
During a practice session with the King’s Troop near Wormwood Scrubs, Titchmarsh was unexpectedly invited to ride with one of the gun carriage crews—a high-speed, precision-driven formation of horses and artillery pieces. Despite a healthy dose of self-doubt, he accepted the invitation.
This time, he climbed aboard a horse called Mango, joking that the experience might turn him into “chutney.” He was positioned in the heart of the action: part of the central pair responsible for guiding a massive gun carriage during a maneuver known as “the scissors”—a daring routine where horse teams weave and intersect at remarkable speeds.
“It began well enough,” he recalled. “We were trotting, then into a canter, and then a gallop.” But as the pace picked up, the reality of what he had gotten himself into hit him hard. “I’m thinking—and I’m sorry about this—but you know that word we use that begins with ‘sh’ and ends with ‘t’.”
At one point, he even lost his stirrups, but somehow managed to stay balanced through the entire routine.
“We did the whole kit and caboodle, and I didn’t come off,” he said with a mix of pride and astonishment. “My heart must have been coming out here somewhere.”
Even the seasoned military personnel were surprised by the speed of the drill that day. “The outriding sergeant turned to Bombardier Floyd—I’ll never forget her name—and they looked at each other and said, ‘We don’t normally go that fast.’”
Titchmarsh’s experience didn’t end there. As if the breakneck gallop wasn’t enough, he joined a full six-outfit parade from Wormwood Scrubs all the way to St John’s Wood. Riding at a rising trot, he became part of a spectacular military procession that brought traffic to a halt with its clattering tackle and thunderous wheels.
It was an experience unlike anything he had ever known.
“It was the biggest thrill… certainly the biggest rush of my life,” Titchmarsh confessed. “I got to the end, and I couldn’t speak. It was just the most wonderful experience.”
Yet even adrenaline-fueled adventures have their price. With his signature humor, Titchmarsh added: “Then I had three months at the osteopath.”
Despite the aches and pains, the moment clearly left a mark—not just on his body, but on his memory. For a man who’s spent his life cultivating beauty and calm, being swept into the chaos and power of military pageantry was a powerful reminder of life’s unpredictable thrills.
Fans eager to see more of Alan’s heartfelt and often humorous take on life can catch him again when Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh returns on Sunday, July 20, featuring special guests Selina Scott, Pixie Lott, and Tom Parker-Bowles.
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