Mark Phillips, the ex-husband of Princess Anne and former Olympic equestrian, recently shared his thoughts on his daughter Zara Tindall’s first national title at the British Open Eventing Championship. Zara, 45, won the event on the 17-year-old horse Class Affair, a horse that has previously let her down at five-star events. Phillips admitted that as a father, his initial reaction was skeptical: “Typical dad, my initial thought was that there couldn’t have been too many in it! But there were 41 finishers, 14 eliminations, eight retired and 10 withdrawals.” He added that the event held particular sentimental value, as it was the first time Zara won a national title in the open.

A Nostalgic Look at Equestrian Competitions

Phillips, 77, has long been a fixture in British equestrian circles and noted a decline in entries for the novice championship. He pointed out that the number of participants had dropped from over 100 at Gatcombe to fewer than 50, a shift he attributes to the absence of regional qualifying finals. “I remember trying to win this for years, but now people talk more of qualifying for the six- and seven-year-old World Championships at Le Lion d’Angers,” he wrote. Phillips also praised the intermediate championship as a potential indicator of future superstars, citing the performances of riders like Tom Jackson and Kitty King.

Concerns Over Equestrian Structure and Future

Phillips expressed uncertainty about the inclusion of two- and three-star longs alongside the novice and intermediate championships, questioning whether horses in those events might have been better suited for the main championships. He suggested that combining the British open and CCI4*-S categories might be a step toward streamlining the sport; “Making our national championships special flagship events again must be high on the British Eventing agenda,” he concluded.

Family, Divorce, and Controversy

The event was notable for the absence of several high-profile family members, including Felicity Tonkin, Phillips’ daughter with New Zealand art professor Heather Tonkin; Tonkin’s existence has been kept private, and Phillips has not publicly acknowledged her since the 1984 affair that led to her birth. Phillips, who divorced Princess Anne in 1992, has largely remained out of the public eye, as However, in June 2024, his son Peter Phillips married Harriet Sperling in the Cotswolds. Meanwhile, Phillips’ relationship with his ex-wife remains cordial, with both he and her current husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, maintaining a positive rapport. In a 2020 ITV documentary, Laurence joked about the fact that Anne had married two military officers, saying it “must have something to do with the military.”

Phillips’ rare public essay in Horse & Hound was praised for its balanced tone and insight into the challenges facing British eventing — he concluded by emphasizing the importance of maintaining strong national championships to attract the next generation of equestrians.