Watch out, Shirley Temple, because Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson may be coming for your (curly) crown.
Earlier this week on Instagram, the Duchess of York posted childhood photos of herself horseback riding to commemorate Team Great Britain’s victory in the Equestrian section of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The first slide of the post features a snap of a young Ferguson hugging a dark-colored horse. My eyes were instantly drawn to the duchess’s gorgeous red curls, which cascade down her shoulders.
Her curly mane also makes an appearance in the third slide, where fans can see Ferguson as a young girl standing next to another horse. She looks like Shirley Temple herself as she dons a white short-sleeve shirt, baby blue shorts and red shoes. With her bouncy curls fully visible, she is wearing a navy blue headband that pushes her hair back from her face.
In the caption, Ferguson, 64, wrote, “Growing up riding my 12.2 pony called Spider, I always dreamed of winning a gold medal in Equestrian. So watching @teamgb and their brilliant riders achieve our first [gold medal emoji] of the summer #Olympics yesterday was absolutely remarkable. Congratulations on such an amazing achievement. #eventing #England @laura_collett @tommceweneventing @ros_canter_eventing.”
Some royal fans may not know this, but horseback riding helped Fergurson during her parents’ divorce as a child. She told Good Morning America, “My ponies really helped me so much when my mother went to live in Argentina because they were my friends,” according to Hello! Magazine, “They didn't go anywhere and they didn’t answer back. They are just so special.”
Keep the throwback photos coming, Sarah.
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