Zara Phillips kept her Olympic hopes alive after a third-place finish at the Bramham International Horse Trials this weekend.
The event was effectively a final trial before the Great Britain selectors announce their team of five for London.
World number one William Fox-Pitt, who along with Mary King, Piggy French and Nicola Wilson is expected to be picked, won both feature three-star classes.
But 2006 world champion Phillips stayed in contention for the final place as she thrived under pressure on High Kingdom to move up from tenth to third on the final day of the CIC event, beating fellow London contenders Wilson, Tina Cook, Laura Collett and Lucy Wiegersma.
Afterwards she said of her horse High Kingdom, “He’s had a great competition with a personal best dressage score, a clear jumping round and a cross country result inside the optimum time, so we couldn’t have done much more.
“He has improved loads this year, and it has been great to have had the opportunity to really show to everyone what he can do. He is constantly improving and we are fighting for our spot.
“Competition is so strong that it is probably tougher for the selectors than anyone else.
“Everybody wants to be at the Olympics, and I am no exception.”
Phillips’s 2004 and 2008 Olympic selection hopes were dashed by injuries to her former top horse Toytown.
The squad for London is due to be announced later this week.
Lizzie Flint, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
