Bride stuns wedding guests as she rides down aisle on her horse after dad’s death

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A bride surprised guests at her wedding when she rode down the aisle on a horse rather than having a human give her away. Kelly Ogier, 34, lost her dad when she was young and knew that no one else could replace him to walk her down the aisle at her wedding. She had even put off getting married to her long-term partner, Justin, 37, as she wasn’t sure she could face the day without him. The bride, from Guernsey, said: ‘Traditionally, your father would give you away, but he sadly passed away when I was young, which actually put me off getting married. ‘There are certain milestones where you feel someone’s absence more than ever, and my wedding day was always going to be one of them.’ When she was finally ready to say ‘I do’, Kelly didn’t want to replace her dad. Instead, the former showjumper decided to ride down the aisle on her beloved horse, Tink. Kelly Ogier took an alternative approach to walking down the aisle (Picture: Courtesy of Kelly Ogier / SWNS) ‘I wanted Dad there – I wanted him to be the one beside me,’ she explained. ‘Somehow, Tink brought Dad back into that moment, because Tink had first become mine on my dad’s birthday. ‘I think that was meant to be. Having Tink walk me down the aisle was the most meaningful tribute.’ Justin, a fellow showjumper, knew about the plan, as did her mother and bridesmaids – but the rest of their guests were stunned at Kelly’s entrance. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Kelly and Tink enjoyed a lustrous showjumping career before both ended two years ago after suffering separate injuries. ‘I sustained a bad knee injury, which resulted in a failed surgery which ended my career,’ she said. She rode her horse, Tink, instead of choosing someone to give her away (Picture: Courtesy of Kelly Ogier / SWNS) ‘Shortly after, Tink sustained an injury which ended his career. ‘I made the decision to retire from showjumping. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make.’ Kelly and Justin had met through the sport and her doting husband-to-be completely understood how much Tink means to her. She continued: ‘I didn’t ever imagine our last chapter would be our wedding day. It meant a lot to be able to climb on board my horse and be given away. ‘It was like the end of our showjumping chapter together, one final time to get dressed up. Kelly’s dad had died when she was young (Picture: Tom Pinsard / SWNS) ‘It felt like the perfect way to celebrate everything we’d achieved together and to start a new chapter.’ For Kelly, walking down the aisle with Tink to marry the love of her life made the day ‘even more special’. In the years since retiring, Tink has remained Kelly’s best friend, and she pulled out all the stops to make sure his trot down the aisle went smoothly. ‘It could have gone so wrong,’ she recalled. ‘There was a massive pond behind us, and I was a little bit worried that I would end up in the pond! ‘There aren’t many horses that would stand up to all those crowds and carry you down the aisle gracefully, but he did.’ ‘It was just like a fairytale’ (Picture: Tom Pinsard / SWNS) She said he had taken everything in his stride and delivered her safely down the aisle, completely free from pond water. Tink even stayed for the reception, taking photos with the guests and enjoying the rest of the day with Kelly and Justin. The pair described the day as ‘magical’ and said they would look back on the photos for years to come. ‘Even for my mum, who knew I would be entering on my horse, she said it was just like a fairytale,’ said Kelly. ‘Having him by my side on my wedding day reminded me that although our showjumping career has ended, our partnership never will. ‘It was an absolutely magical day – a dream come true.’ Arrow MORE: Looking for a wedding guest outfit? These linen suits are a stylish alternative Arrow MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo told family about Georgina Rodriguez wedding ’30 seconds before’ Arrow MORE: Bruce Willis and Demi Moore’s daughter Tallulah shares look inside star-studded wedding