Roberts, who spread the word of a more humane way of training horses and wrote a best-selling book, died at home in California on July 31
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NEED TO KNOW
- Monty Roberts, the celebrated equestrian trainer, died on July 31 in California
- The news was announced by his daughter Debbie Roberts Loucks with “profound sadness” on social media
- Roberts became close to the late Queen Elizabeth, who followed his gentler, nonviolent methods for training horses, and urged him to travel the world teaching his concepts
Monty Roberts, the celebrated equestrian trainer who became close to the late Queen Elizabeth, has died in Solvang, California. He was 91.
The news of his death on July 31 was announced by his daughter Debbie Roberts Loucks, on social media with “profound sadness.”
Roberts, whose work in training horses in a nonviolent, gentler manner, was supported by the late monarch, who urged him to spread the word of his methods around the world and write a book. The Man Who Listens to Horses went on to become a bestseller with more than six million copies sold worldwide.
“For 6,000 years, horses had been broken with a lot of violence, taking four to six weeks before they could be ridden,” Roberts said, explaining his thinking to PEOPLE in an interview published in September 2022. “I could train horses to take their first saddle and rider in less than 30 minutes without any violence.”
His daughter Debbie wrote on instagram: “For the world, he was known as the man who listens to horses. To me, he was simply Dad, a man of extraordinary kindness, unwavering integrity, and an unshakable belief that trust could accomplish what force never could.”
“For more than eight decades, he dedicated his life to changing the way people understand and work with horses. His mission reached far beyond horsemanship. He believed that true leadership is built on communication, patience, empathy, and respect; lessons that have touched the lives of countless people around the world,” Debbie continued.
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His first involvement with royalty came in 1989 when Queen Elizabeth II’s mom, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, invited him to Windsor Castle to demonstrate his methods. The devoted horsewoman watched in awe. “She had tears in her eyes,” Roberts told PEOPLE of the late monarch in 2021.
After her mother told her all about the demonstration, some of the Queen’s courtiers were suspicious of his methodology in those early days. But the Queen supported him as he took his message of compassionate horse training around the world. “I have been to 41 countries in her name,” Roberts explained.
His philosophy and teaching continues at his equestrian center in California — something that is being continued by his daughter. She added in her social media post that it is her mission to continue spreading his equestrian ideas.
“While our hearts are broken, we also find comfort in knowing that his legacy lives on every time someone chooses compassion over force, listens before asking, and seeks a better partnership with their horse,” she wrote.
“As his daughter, I have always known that one day I would be entrusted with carrying his life’s work forward. That responsibility is one I accept with humility, gratitude, and determination. Together with our family and our dedicated team, we remain committed to preserving and sharing the philosophy that meant everything to him,” Debbie added.
Roberts’ royal patron was a constant figure in his life, until her own death in September 2022. He was invited to the Queen’s funeral, staying with the monarch’s trusted groom Terry Pendry. He told PEOPLE the news of the monarch’s death was broken to him by his wife, Pat, and daughter Debbie. “I have to tell you, it seemed to strike me harder than one of my own family losses over recent years,” he said.
And after the funeral, he reflected, “[The Queen] has been more than just a friend for 35 years. I was worried about being emotionally disturbed at the funeral — a lot of people do. I was worried about crying.”
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And he shared that seeing one moment in particular during the committal service made him emotional. “When they brought in the coffin, I stood up and told myself, ‘You’re not going to cry,’ ” he told PEOPLE. “Then it hit me, and the water just started running out of my eyes. I thought, ‘What is this?’ It was really tough on me.”
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Two years after the late Queen’s death, he promoted a film entitled The Cowboy and the Queen about his life and reflected to PEOPLE of his royal friendship: “Our relationship was as close as it could possibly be … She had her husband and all of that, so it wasn’t that kind of relationship. I loved her to death, and I think she loved me too.”
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