TROOPER Dafydd Rhys Evans from Tregaron has completed his equine training with the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

He is pictured on the day of his Kit Ride Pass Out when he joined The Blues and Royals.

The inspecting officer was Brigadier Darrell Amison CBE.

The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry.

The Colonel-in-Chief is the Queen and the Colonel of the Regiment is Princess Anne. It is the second-most senior regiment in the British Army.

Dafydd, 24, could find himself on the Queen’s Birthday Parade and at Windsor Castle.

An army spokesperson said: “The ride, as a collective, has just completed a 16-week riding course. This can be a ‘zero to hero’ course, as the majority of the soldiers have never seen a horse before.

“They are taught to walk, trot, canter and jump, before finally adding the full state uniform. This ensures that horse and rider are both competent and confident before they begin ceremonial duty.

“Many of the soldiers will find themselves on the Queens Birthday Parade. Typically the soldiers will serve two years on ceremonial duty based at Hyde Park Barracks, Knightsbridge.

“After this they will move to Windsor undertaking the armoured cavalry role, soon to be equipped with Ajax, the Army’s new armoured reconnaissance vehicle.”