Zara Tindall was back in the saddle as she competed at the inaugural Cornbury House Horse Trials in Oxfordshire on Friday. The Queen's granddaughter, 39, took part in the dressage event riding Happenstance.
Wearing a navy and red dressage uniform, Zara looked in her element as she rode around the course, set against the stunning ancient woodlands of the Wychwood Forest as a backdrop. The royal athlete bagged herself a score of 39.4 in her dressage test.
Zara will also take part in the show jumping events on her horse Showtime on Saturday and Sunday during the three-day event.
READ: When royals get caught up in the Olympic spirit
WATCH: Look back at Zara Tindall's racing fashion
The Queen's granddaughter was among the British stars at the event, which included William Fox-Pitt and Laura Collett. They faced competition from the likes of Australian Olympic gold medallist Andrew Hoy, Chinese Olympian Alex Hua Tian and New Zealand husband-and-wife team Tim and Jonelle Price.
Event President David Howden said: “Launching a brand-new horse trials in 2020 has been an extraordinary and complicated process, but we have always been utterly determined that we should not compromise our vision of a truly top-class event.
© Sarah Farnsworth PhotographyZara rode Happenstance in the dressage event
"We have invested considerably in producing the very best conditions for horses, riders and owners, and believe that they should be properly rewarded for winning what are going to be extremely competitive classes."
In a year where COVID-19 has affected prize-money levels in all sports, the winner of the feature CCI3*-S class took home £2,500, while the winner of the winner of the CCI2*-S class was granted £1,250.
MORE: Inside Mike and Zara Tindall's family home on the Gatcombe Park Estate
© Sarah Farnsworth PhotographyZara will also compete in show jumping this weekend
In accordance with government regulations, Cornbury House Horse Trials is not open to spectators in 2020, but the show jumping and cross-country action from every class is being live-streamed on its website and Facebook page.
Zara has followed in her mother the Princess Royal's footsteps with a successful equestrian career. The mum-of-two won a silver medal as a member of the Great Britain Eventing team at the London 2012 Olympics, which was presented to her by Princess Anne.
Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox.
