Zara Tindall has won her first major championship title in nearly 20 years, achieving victory at the Hartpury International Horse Trials and British Championships on August 15, 2026. The 45-year-old royal rode her 17-year-old horse, Class Affair, to the win, earning a prize of £5,000.
An onlooker described Tindall as being in a "crazy mood," beaming and shouting "Whee" as she cleared jumps during the competition. The same onlooker commented on her achievement, stating, "She's taken this horse, who is on the downward trend, and taken him to glory in the British Open championships."
This triumph marks Tindall's first major championship title since she was part of the British team that won gold at the European Eventing Championships in 2007. Her last individual major title was in 2006 when she won gold at the World Equestrian Games aboard Toytown.
Earlier in the week, Tindall attended the opening gala of the 2026 FEI World Championships in Aachen, Germany, alongside Queen Mary of Denmark and Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands. Tindall, dressed in a black tux jumpsuit and champagne sunglasses, was present at the event where over 800 athletes and horses compete in various equestrian disciplines. Princess Catharina-Amalia was noted for displaying a scar on her arm from a previous equestrian accident, drawing comparisons to Princess Eugenie's visible scar from scoliosis treatment.