The Horse, sometimes known as An Ode to the Horse, is a poem written by the British writer Ronald Duncan in 1954 at the request of his friend Michael Ansell, to be read at the Horse of the Year Show that Ansell founded.[1][2] It has been described as his most popular poem. Duncan, who was a keen horseman, and his wife Rose Marie, bred Arabian horses on their Devonshire property.[1] The poem is still read each year at the end of the gala evening on the Sunday night.[3] It has been read at the event by different actors over the years including Simon MacCorkingdale and Brian Blessed.[4][5]