Royal Watch News

Zara Phillips boosts Olympic selection chances

Jun 11, 2012, 12:01 GMT

Zara Phillips

Britain's Zara Phillips boosted her London 2012 Olympic selection chances with an impressive performance yesterday (10.06.12).

The 31-year-old royal finished third while riding High Kingdom at the Equi-Trek Bramham international horse trials in Yorkshire to better her chances of being picked for Great Britain's eventing team, and she is hoping her improved performances will be good enough to win her a place at the prestigious sporting event.

She said: 'Hopefully, selectors will see that he has improved and might get even better.

'Everyone is fighting to get on the team, especially with the Olympics being on home ground.

'It was probably good to have a bit of pressure on here, and to see if we could come up with the goods.

'High Kingdom has improved loads this year, and it has been great to have had the opportunity to really show to everyone what he can do.'

Zara is hoping to win one of the five places in the eventing team, which will be announced later this week, while British number one William Fox-Pitt - who won the three-day Braham event - Nicola Wilson, Mary King and Piggy French are all expected to be picked.

The fifth spot looks likely to be a battle between five riders, including Zara, who saw her hopes of a place in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and 2008 Games in Beijing dashed after injuries to her horse Toytown.

She is quoted by the Daily Mail newspaper as saying: 'Toytown loved the crowds and being at big competitions, and this guy is pretty relaxed and just gets on with it.'

Last month, Zara carried the Olympic torch on Toytown in Cheltenham as part of a 70-day relay across the UK that will see 8,000 people carry the flame with the iconic symbol ending its journey at the Olympic Stadium in London on July 27, the first day of the Games.