Zara Phillips and High Kingdom
LONDON, England ● Zara Phillips has claimed the fifth and final place in Great Britain’s Olympic three-day eventing team.
The Queen’s granddaughter, who won the world title in 2006, will follow in the footsteps of her mother, Princess Anne, who rode at the 1976 Montreal Games and father Mark Phillips, a team gold medallist four years earlier in Munich and a silver medallist in 1988.
Her selection was sealed by a solid third place finish on horse High Kingdom at the Branham International last weekend and she will join William Fox-Pitt, Mary King, Piggy French and Tina Cook in a strong British team.
The 31-year-old Phillips will ride High Kingdom at the Games, which open on July 27.
“It’s awesome to be given this opportunity,” said Phillips.
“I am really excited and can’t wait to kick on and get him there. ”
Phillips, who is married to former England rugby captain Mike Tindall, had her hopes of an Olympic place in 2004 and 2008 dashed by injuries to her world title-winning horse Toytown.
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Will ride High Kingdom at the Games
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“High Kingdom is a pretty cool, very relaxed kind of guy. I was really happy with him at Bramham as he had obviously grown up and is improving all the time,” she said. “He’s pretty pony-like, a nippy little jumper and easy to manoeuvre, so hopefully it will suit him well in Greenwich.”
The equestrian events are taking place in Greenwich Park in southeast London.
“High Kingdom is owned by Trevor Hemmings, who has been one of my earliest supporters. He has owned a lot of my horses and has been so supportive, I couldn’t do it without him.”
Princess Anne competed at the 1976 Montreal Games while Mark Phillips was a team gold medallist at Munich in 1972 and then won silver in Seoul 16 years later