It was a family affair at Gatcombe Park Horse Trials, as Zara Phillips competed under the watchful eye of her father Mark Phillips and Princess Anne, who hosts the event.
She took to the field on Toytown, the same horse she rode to a silver medal at last year's European Young Riders Championship. And the young royal came home a respectable fourth place out of a 58-strong field.
Toytown made only one error in the show jumping event, and Zara climbed from seventh to fourth position after an exemplary cross-country ride. Show jumping has been Toytown's only weakness in the past, and Zara might have taken gold at the European Championship, but the horse knocked down a fence in the show jumping phase.
Mark advised the 22-year-old to switch from the Open Championship to the Advanced competition, however, and that seems to have done the trick. That's not to say he wasn't a little anxious while watching his daughter compete, however.
"I get more nervous when she is riding dressage and show jumping," he said. "She made only two small mistakes in the dressage here but has done well. Her main aim is the Burghley Trials in September."
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
