Their friendship endured for 35 years until the monarch's death in September 2022
A friend of Queen Elizabeth II, Monty Roberts, died on July 31 in Solvang, California, at the age of 91. He was a pioneering equestrian trainer celebrated worldwide for his gentle, nonviolent approach to working with horses.
His daughter Debbie Roberts Loucks shared the news on social media, expressing "profound sadness" at his death.
Mr Roberts transformed the centuries-old practice of horse training by rejecting the use of force, earning him the title "the man who listens to horses."
His compassionate methods won him admirers across the globe, most notably the late Queen Elizabeth II, who became a close friend and champion of his work over more than three decades.
His bestselling memoir and a lifetime spent advocating for trust over coercion left an enduring mark on equestrianism and beyond.
Mr Roberts spent more than eight decades challenging what he described as six millennia of brutal tradition in horsemanship.
"For 6,000 years, horses had been broken with a lot of violence, taking four to six weeks before they could be ridden," he told People. "I could train horses to take their first saddle and rider in less than 30 minutes without any violence."
It was the late Queen who encouraged him to put his philosophy into writing and share his techniques with a wider audience.
The resulting book, The Man Who Listens to Horses, became an international bestseller, selling upwards of six million copies around the world.
His approach extended well beyond the stable yard. Mr Roberts maintained that genuine leadership rested on communication, patience, empathy and respect - principles he believed applied as much to people as to horses.
Mr Roberts's connection to the British Royal Family began in 1989, when the Queen Mother invited him to Windsor Castle to showcase his methods.
The demonstration left a deep impression. "She had tears in her eyes," Mr Roberts recalled of the late Queen's reaction after hearing about it from her mother.
Despite initial scepticism from some courtiers, the Queen became a steadfast supporter of his mission. "I have been to 41 countries in her name," Mr Roberts said.
Their friendship endured for 35 years until the monarch's death in September 2022. Mr Roberts attended her funeral, staying with her trusted groom Terry Pendry.
He later admitted the loss struck him profoundly. "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."
Reflecting on their bond two years after the Queen's death, Mr Roberts spoke warmly while promoting a documentary called The Cowboy and the Queen.
"Our relationship was as close as it could possibly be," he told People. "I loved her to death, and I think she loved me too."
In her tribute, Debbie Roberts Loucks described her father as "a man of extraordinary kindness, unwavering integrity, and an unshakable belief that trust could accomplish what force never could."
She pledged to carry forward his life's work at the family's equestrian centre in California.
"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.
