British royal Zara Phillips wins European Eventing Championships

Sep 12, 2005, 12:18 GMT

British royal Zara Phillips is celebrating after winning the Blenheim Petplan European Eventing Championships.

The 24-year-old beauty, who is following in the footsteps of her mother, Princess Anne, triumphed with her horse, Toytown, in both the team and individual events.

After successfully completing three disciplines - dressage, cross country and show-jumping - she was awarded the prize by her mother, who won the European Eventing Championships herself in 1971.

Delighted Zara said of her win: "It's fantastic."

The royal babe, who is dating rugby ace Mike Tindall, was called up for the UK's eventing squad for after team rival Pippa Funnell was forced to withdraw from the competition after her horse got injured.

The surprise selection and subsequent win will give Zara a boost in her bid to earn a place in the eventing team for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and the 2012 London Olympics.

The stunning royal narrowly missed out on a place in the squad for the last Olympic Games, in Athens, because of an injury to Toytown.

Zara has made no secret of her desire to compete in the Olympics and follow in the footsteps of her parents, Princess Anne and her ex-husband Captain Mark Phillips, who both competed at the Games themselves.

She said recently: "I want to have the chance to be as good as, or better, than my mother. I would love to compete at the Beijing Olympic Games and hopefully London. Toytown is sound now and if we can keep it that way, I would love the chance to do all the things I want to."

Princess Anne was 26 when she represented Britain at 1976's Montreal Games, but did not win a medal. Zara's father, Captain Phillips, won team Gold in the equestrian event at the Munich Olympics in 1972.

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