She may have been born into a privileged family but the Queen's granddaughter, horsewoman Zara Phillips, has never been afraid of hard work. This week the early nights, constant training and the royal's true grit were recognised as she received two special equestrian accolades.
On Thursday the 24-year-old was named Event Rider of the Year at the London International Horse Show. The award came at the end of an eventful period for the royal, whose parents, Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, both competed at Olympic level. In September Zara triumphed at the European Championships, taking two golds on her mount Toytown, watched by her emotional mother.
As she was handed the heavy silver trophy at Thursday's ceremony Zara reminisced about her challenging performance. "I have never been so wet in my life," she exclaimed, but added that the support of the crowd during the competition in Oxfordshire was fantastic and helped her confidence enormously.
The evening before, Zara had been at a star-studded gala, where she was picked as the Sunday Times' Sportswoman of the Year, an honour voted for by the public.
It's a measure of the support for the talented rider that she beat off competition from some illustrious quarters. Round-the-world yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur, marathon champion Paula Radcliffe and Victoria Pendleton, the women's cycle sprint specialist, were among the nominees for the title.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
