Zara Phillips makes the 2012 Great Britain Olympic Team

[Baroness of Books]

Another Olympian in the Royal Family; congratulations to Zara.

[Daria_S]

Congratulations to Zara on such a great achievement . She must be ecstatic to be competing on home soil and during such a special year for the whole nation. Well done !

[dazzling]

I am so happy for Zara that she could join this time. I hope all goes well and I do hope she does win.

[EIIR]

Is Mark Phillips not the coach of the US Olympic Equestrian team? So he could essentially be working to help those competitors beat his daughter. Might be a bit odd for him.

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by EIIR

Is Mark Phillips not the coach of the US Olympic Equestrian team? So he could essentially be working to help those competitors beat his daughter. Might be a bit odd for him.

Didn't he get kicked off for dating a player?

[marine2109]

Zara follows in her parents' footsteps as she is selected for Team GB

Zara Phillips selected for Team GB at London Olympics - hellomagazine.com

[EIIR]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

Didn't he get kicked off for dating a player?

I'm not sure. I know some people said it would bring his position as coach into question but I hadn't heard if he had actually been removed from the job.

[HRHHermione]

Originally Posted by EIIR

I'm not sure. I know some people said it would bring his position as coach into question but I hadn't heard if he had actually been removed from the job.

He hasn't been. He's still the chef d'equipe for the U.S. team.

He's retiring after the Olympics though.

[Rebafan81]

Congrats to Zara!!!!! She certainly deserves it!!!! She has worked hard to achieve her dream, I wish her a lot of luck!

[Archduchess Zelia]

Really amazing for Zara, congratulations to her
It must be really big for Anne too, to get to see her daughter compete in the Olympics just like she did herself.

[EIIR]

Expect interest in the equestrian events to be enormous amongst the British people. The nation more or less stopped when the Queen's horse was the favourite for the Epsom Derby last year.

As much as performing in a home Olympics must be amazing and motivating; it must also come with huge pressure, which is probably magnified again when you're the granddaughter of the nation's Queen. Zara's going to have to show enormous mental strength to deal with it all. The Princess Royal is probably the best person to help her with that.

[RoyalistRiley]

Congratulations to Zara! What an achievement! I hope she does well at the Games

[Iluvbertie]

I think her father would be the best person to help her because he has actually been the three games as a competitor and more as a coach and has won medals. Anne went to one games and fell, costing her team of any chance of a medal (which many people at the time believed they would have won had the reserve on that team been in the team instead of Anne - the reserve was Mark).

As good as Anne was the true champion eventer was Mark and Zara has also been coached by her father for a large part of her career because Mark has made his living from coaching eventers and setting event courses, including Olympic standard courses, while Anne has been more involved at the IOC level not the grassroots level of eventing since her retirement.

I am not trying to put down Anne's wonderful achievements but to simply point out that Zara has a better qualified parent in her corner than her mother and that person is her father.

[EIIR]

I meant more along the lines of being a 'royal' competing at a Games with all the attendant press attention that follows.

[scooter]

Originally Posted by Iluvbertie

I think her father would be the best person to help her because he has actually been the three games as a competitor and more as a coach and has one medals. Anne went to one games and fell, costing her team of any chance of a medal (which many people at the time believed they would have one had the reserve on that team been in the team instead of Anne - the reserve was Mark).

As good as Anne was the true champion eventer was Mark and Zara has also been coached by her father for a large part of her career because Mark has made his living from coaching eventers and setting event courses, including Olympic standard courses, while Anne has been more involved at the IOC level not the grassroots level of eventing since her retirement.

I am not trying to put down Anne's wonderful achievements but to simply point out that Zara has a better qualified parent in her corner than her mother and that person is her father.

I would totally agree with this. I am so happy that she will be on the team. Honestly, in that I'll fitting wedding gown, I thought she was pregnant.

[corazon]

great great for zara!!! great year for anne too a grandaughter and now zara with this great news!! she sure is so proud!

[dazzling]

Daylife.com picture gallery

'I hope I'm luckier than mum': says Zara at Olympic team unveiling
HelloMagazine.com

Tracksuit, brutal haircut and no make-up: Zara's new look for the Olympics
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1yJqjeT9r

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMrOk4HRFlU

[Pranter]

What does Zara do for a job or does she have an inheritance that she lives on? I assume her mother pays for the upkeep of the horses?


LaRae

[Iluvbertie]

Zara's job is a professional equestrienne.

She is sponsored very heavily by a number of companies e.g. rolex, landrover etc due to her riding ability. She appears in ads etc for these companies and wears their clothes.

Zara Phillips Topping Olympic Sponsorships - Video Dailymotion

[HRHHermione]

Originally Posted by Pranter

What does Zara do for a job or does she have an inheritance that she lives on? I assume her mother pays for the upkeep of the horses?


LaRae

You know her horses aren't all owned by her, right? Toytown was, but her Olympic horse, High Kingdom isn't- he's owned by others, and she campaigns him.