Being the Queen of England certainly keeps Her Majesty busy; there's always a state function, charity event or royal visit that demands her attention.
But everyone needs some time to unwind, and a new report sheds light on the Queen's preferred way to relax after a hard day of work. Since she received her first horse, a Shetland pony, at age four, the Queen has had a lifelong passion for raising thoroughbred racehorses.
While her career as a racehorse owner probably peaked in the 1950s (she was Britain's Champion Owner in 1954 and 1957) the Queen has never quit her "second job," and has maintained an impressive record over the last 30 years.
In over 2,000 races, her horses have won an impressive 451 times. That gives the Queen a solid 15.9% win percentage as an owner, making her the 11th most successful owner in Britain. But acclaim isn't the only thing the Queen has won in her long career.
She's also been raking in cold hard cash, and now we know just how much Her Majesty's ponies have won her...
British racing website myracing.com has crunched the numbers on the Queen's impressive racing career, using public records dating back to 1988.
In total, they say that the Queen's horses have brought in £6.7 million ($8 million in U.S. dollars) since the '80s, averaging $300,000 each year. And 2016 was her most profitable year on record, with more than $735,000 earned. Her Majesty is off to an impressive start in 2017 as well, with 20 wins in the bag already.
Of course, the Queen's profitable pastime is funded entirely by her own money, not the public grant she receives as a member of the Royal Family. The majority of the Queen's incomes comes from her own properties and investments, and that's what she uses to fund her racing career.
So what's the secret to Her Majesty's success? National Hunt Racing Manager Sir Michael Oswald chalks it up to her love for animals. "She has a great affinity for horses and a great understanding of them. She loves horses with a passion," he told The Daily Mail.
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