The Queen’s granddaughter, Zara Tindall, was on Friday forced to withdraw from this year’s Rolex Kentucky after her horse, High Kingdom, suffered a minor injury.
Mrs Tindall was supposed to be making her debut at the American classic equestrian event with Trevor Hemmings’ horse on whom she rode when she won British team’s silver medal at last year’s World Equestrian Games.
Speaking of her withdrawal, Phillips said: “I’m gutted because I really wanted to ride the course, and it was a great course. And it would have suited him.”
“It’s a great competition. They’ve made us feel really welcome, and it’s a really nice change to competing at home.”
Despite Zara’s notable absence, other British riders still took center stage in the event including William Fox-Pitt, who has previously won the Rolex Kentucky three times, most recently last year.
Zara is a very successful sportsperson winning a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games as part of the equestrian eventing team. She was voted Sports Personality of the Year in 2006, an honour her mother, The Princess Royal also won in 1971. She is very respected in the equestrianism world; gaining a reputation for getting horses to jump over many challenging fences.
The Rolex Kentucky is a CCI**** eventing competition, and the only four-star event in the West. Four stars is the highest level of competition possible and is at the same standard as the Olympics.
Mrs Tindall’s most recent equine success was earlier in April when her horse, Monbeg Dude, finished 3rd place at the Crabbie’s Grand National at Aintree Racecourse.
The prize for finishing 3rd place in the Grand National is £105,500, the most money Monbeg Dude has ever won racing. The total amount of money he has won is now just under £262,000, a massive achievement for a horse Zara helped to train.
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