Royals How Lady Louise Is Following in Grandfather Prince Philip's Footsteps Carriage driving will continue to be a beloved sport in the royal family By Stephanie Petit Stephanie Petit Stephanie Petit is a Royals Editor, Writer and Reporter at PEOPLE. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 7, 2022 02:29PM EDT Prince Philip; Lady Louise. Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images; Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Lady Louise Windsor is carrying on one her late grandfather Prince Philip's greatest passions. Just days after attending the Service of Thanksgiving honoring Prince Philip nearly a year after his death at age 99, 18-year-old Louise competed in the British Indoor Carriage Driving Championships. The daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex took sixth place in the junior novice division. Lady Louise is clearly devoted to the sport — she's also competed in the Royal Windsor Horse Show — following in the footsteps of Prince Philip, who competed well into his 80s before opting for more leisurely rides until the final months of his life. "I started driving because I'd been playing polo, and I decided I'd give up polo when I was 50," he told ITV in 2017. "I was looking 'round to see what next, I didn't know what there was available. And I suddenly thought, 'Well, we've got horses and carriages, so why don't I have a go?' So I borrowed four horses from the stables in London, took them to Norfolk and practiced and thought, 'Why not?' " Lady Louise Windsor Is 18! Find Out Which Life-Changing Decision the Young Royal Now Has to Make Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Prince Philip helped construct the sporting carriage from something he called the "Balmoral dog cart." "It had to be rebuilt every year because it got smashed up regularly," he said. He also recalled "turning over here in the water" on one dangerous occasion and said that in contests at home and abroad, he found that he "always did rather well at dressage. I didn't manage the obstacles very well." Prince Philip. Robin Jones/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Prince Philip was well aware of Lady Louise inheriting his fondness of the sport and reportedly left her his dark green four-wheeled carriage and two of his Fell ponies, Balmoral Nevis and Notlaw Storm, after his death, according to Hello! magazine. The carriage, with his cap and gloves on it, was placed on the grounds of Windsor Castle for his funeral in April 2021. A small red pot that could be seen on the carriage had been used by Philip to hold the sugar lumps he fed his horses after carriage driving. Lady Louise also paid tribute to their shared love of the equestrian sport at the funeral by wearing a brooch featuring a horse's head and a whip. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! Sophie, who has also been seen carriage driving, has praised her daughter on her achievements in the sport. "I trail in her wake, frankly," Sophie said in a 2020 interview. No, she is naturally so good at it, she really is. It's something that she has taken to very well." Many members of the royal family are horse lovers. Queen Elizabeth's fondness for the animals is well documented, and both her daughter Princess Anne and granddaughter Zara Tindall (who won a silver medal for the team competition at the 2012 Olympics in London!) have competed in the Olympics on Team U.K.'s equestrian teams. Maybe Lady Louise will join their ranks one day...