- Who
- Major Perseus
- Where
- United Kingdom ()
- When
The highest-ranking horse is Major Perseus (UK), a 17.1-hand-tall drum horse belonging to the Household Cavalry Blues and Royals Regiment of the British Army.
Formerly called Big Red, shire horse Perseus was given his new name aged nine by Queen Elizabeth II on 24 October 2017, at which point he formally adopted his role as the most senior animal in the British Army.
The highest-ranking war horse ever in the American military, meanwhile, was Staff Sergeant Reckless (originally named Ah Chim Hai in Korean, or “Flame of the Morning". Described as a "small Mongolian mare" who stood only just over 13 hands tall, she was promoted to Sergeant on 10 April 1954 while serving with the Marines of the Recoilless Rifle Platoon during the Korean War. As well as raising spirits, she frequently delivered ammunition to soldiers, and even bore a few injured troops to safety, despite coming under enemy fire. She was promoted again to Staff Sergeant on 31 August 1959 at Camp Pendleton, California, USA.
