Zara hopes horse stable for Games
THE Queen's grand daughter, Zara Phillips, is hoping injury will not befall her horse as the Olympic Games near.
THE Queen's grand daughter, Zara Phillips, is hoping injury will not befall her horse as the Olympic Games near.
Ms Phillips is making her Games debut in Team GB's eventing squad after scheduled appearances at Athens and Beijing were frustratingly scuppered at the eleventh hour when her star horse Toytown limped out with injury.
The 31-year-old grand daughter of Queen Elizabeth II earned selection for 2012 after finishing third at the Bramham Horse Trials in June with High Kingdom.
"I've had High Kingdom for a long time - he's a very different character to Toytown," Ms Phillips told the BBC.
She expressed slight concern over High Kingdom's prowess in dressage which with cross country and show jumping makes up the eventing competition.
"Every time you get a horse you need to build up a relationship. He's getting better and better in dressage - that's his weakest phase.
"Hopefully, he's going to improve in the next couple of weeks," said the 2006 world champion.
Reflecting on the need for High Kingdom to avoid injury in the two weeks leading up to the start of competition at Greenwich Park on July 28 Ms Phillips added: "You want to stop anything from happening but still try to get to a peak performance level.
"But animals do stupid things, it's part of the sport unfortunately."
Ms Phillips is maintaining a strong family tradition at the Olympics, her mother Princess Anne having competed at the 1976 Games and her father Captain Mark Phillips winning gold four years earlier in Munich.
She joins a Team GB comprising William Fox-Pitt (riding Lionheart), Tina Cook (Miners Frolic), Mary King (Imperial Cavalier) and Nicola Wilson (Opposition Buzz).