Can it be third time lucky for London-bound Zara?
ZARA Phillips hopes it can be a case of third time lucky after being selected for her Olympics debut.
The Queen's granddaughter, has been chosen alongside William Fox-Pitt, Mary King, Piggy French and Tina Cook in the London 2012 Great Britain eventing team.
She would have been at the 2004 and 2008 Games, but injuries to her world title-winning horse Toytown dashed those hopes.
Zara, 31, who has been picked for London on High Kingdom, said: "It's awesome to be given this opportunity.
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"I am really excited and can't wait to kick on and get him there. Hopefully we will make it this time."
The eventing star lives in Cheltenham with her husband, Gloucester rugby player and former England captain Mike Tindall.
She will ride High Kingdom at Greenwich Park next month.
She added: "High Kingdom is a pretty cool, very relaxed kind of guy.
"I was really happy with him at Bramham as he had obviously grown up and is improving all the time.
"He's pretty pony-like, a nippy little jumper and easy to manoeuvre, so hopefully it will suit him well in Greenwich.
"High Kingdom is owned by Trevor Hemmings, who has been one of my earliest supporters.
"He has owned a lot of my horses and has been so supportive, I couldn't do it without him."
Zara will emulate her mother the Princess Royal who competed at the 1976 Montreal Games, while her father Captain Mark Phillips was a team gold medallist at Munich in 1972 and then won silver in Seoul 16 years later.
World number one Fox-Pitt will ride Lionheart, King will be aboard Imperial Cavalier and Cook with her 2008 double bronze-medal winning horse Miners Frolic.
French, who like Zara is set for her Olympic debut, will either ride Jakata or DHI Topper, winner of last summer's London Test event.
The British selectors held their final deliberations after Zara, the 2006 world champion, had secured an impressive third-place finish in the Equi-Trek Bramham International CIC three-star class.
She could hardly have done any more, recording a personal best dressage score of 43.2 penalties on High Kingdom before jumping clear showjumping and cross-country rounds.
Only world number one William Fox-Pitt and the brilliant New Zealander Andrew Nicholson finished above her as Zara responded admirably to intense pressure.
In 2006 she was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year after winning the Eventing World Championship.




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