Zara Tindall was overcome with joy after securing her first major championship title in almost two decades, celebrating her victory with an emotional kiss for her horse. The royal, 45, rode 17-year-old Class Affair to victory at the Hartpury International Horse Trials and British Championships today, taking home a £5,000 prize.
Smiles and Kisses on the Course
Zara appeared to relish every moment of the competition, despite having no members of her family visibly cheering her on from the sidelines. One onlooker told HELLO! that the Princess Royal's daughter was having a "whale of a time" during the event.
They said: "Zara was in a crazy mood, she seemed super happy, smiling as she jumped over the jumps, even going "Whee" she was smiling and beaming, kissing the horse."
Praise for Class Affair
The onlooker also praised the royal for bringing Class Affair to the top of the competition, saying: "She's taken this horse, who is on the downward trend, and taken him to glory in the British Open championships."
The triumph is Zara's first major championship title since she helped Britain win team gold at the European Eventing Championships in 2007. Her previous major individual success came a year earlier, when she won gold at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen with Toytown.
Recent Royal Appearances
Zara recently returned to the German city for the opening gala of the 2026 FEI World Championships, where she joined Queen Mary of Denmark and Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands. The prestigious event, held every four years, features more than 800 athletes and horses competing across six disciplines: Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Para Dressage, Driving and Vaulting.
Before travelling to Germany, Zara's most recent public appearance was at Wimbledon last month, where she attended with her husband Mike Tindall. The couple were seen enjoying the tennis alongside Geri Halliwell-Horner and her husband Christian Horner, with the group sharing jokes before turning their attention back to the action.
