Watch that Scene, Digging the Dancing (with Horses) Queen

Okay, she’s not exactly a queen, but British ex-Royal Sarah Ferguson is set to be a judge on a new reality show out of the UK called Dancing with Horses. Yes, you read that correctly.

Created by Claudia Rosencranz, the reality-tv producer of such UK hits as the Got Talent and Idol franchises, told Deadline, “It’s literally the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It’s like Dancing with the Stars but your partner is a horse and it is an absolutely exquisite, complicated, wonderful show.”

You wouldn’t be blamed if you thought this meant dressage, and maybe it will; details are currently scant. Apparently the premise involves celebrities being paired with a horse and working with a trainer to perform some sort of “dance.” But whether that’s piaffe and passage or some sort of ground work remains to be seen. But according to Deadline, a pilot was filmed and Rosencranz is in talks with US broadcasters including Fox to bring production to America.

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Why the Duchess of York as a judge? Ferguson is a regular television personality and producer in the UK, who in April 2020 launched a new series on YouTube called Storytime with Fergie and Friends, in which she and a number of authors read stories to children from their homes during the Covid-19 lockdown. “Fergie”, who is also apparently a “keen rider,” was married to Prince Andrew and is the mother to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

With her ex-hubby currently embroiled in a global sex-trafficking scandal due to his close ties with the late Jeffrey Epstein, suffice to say that this particular branch of the British royal family is in dire need of positive press right now. Princess Beatrice was recently wed in a ceremony that followed strict Covid-19 restrictions, and now comes this series for her mum. Rosencrantz confirmed Ferguson’s starring role in the pilot, which has not yet been aired anywhere. “She was a judge, and she was wonderful to work with,” she said.

Maybe if the show gallops into the ratings winner’s circle we might see other Royals become judges or even participants. Princess Anne or Zara Philips spring to mind, as do Harry and Meghan, who have relocated to Hollywood in the hopes of reigniting Meghan’s acting career. She could do worse than having a horse as a co-star, and her time living under the glare of the rabid British tabloid press has given her loads of experience stepping in manure.