Zara Philips falls at the fence on the day she's named in Olympic team

[Honey]

These pictures show the nail-biting moment Zara Philips bit the dust after falling from her horse today.


The tumble came on the day the Queen's granddaughter was confirmed by the British Olympic Association as one of a team of five to represent the nation at the Beijing Olympics.
She is expected to ride her favourite horse, Toytown, in the eventing competition which begins in Hong Kong on August 9. Scroll down for more...
Going ... Zara's horse stumbles over the fence



Zara was competing in dressage, show-jumping and cross-country events at Rodbaston College in Wolvershampton, when she came a cropper earlier this afternoon.
The 27-year-old was jumping over a series of obstacles when she swung out of the saddle and hit the ground.
Thankfully, she was uninjured in the incident. Scroll down for more...
Going ... Zara starts her tumble towards the ground


Princess Anne's daughter has been riding horses virtually since she was able to walk.
Her father won an eventing team gold medal at the Munich Olympic Games in 1972 and a team silver medal at the Seoul Olympics 16 years later.
Her mother also represented Britain at the 1976 Games in Montreal. Scroll down for more...
Gone! Zara Philips bites the dust during a showjumping event today



Zara, who has already won the World and European eventing titles, says: "Everyone compares us, but we're from totally different eras.
“But it would be good to win some Olympic medals as well."
Known as “the royal with the wild streak a mile wide”, Zara is a regular fixture on the party circuit, along with her live-in boyfriend rugby player Mike Tindall.
The pair were recently in hot water during a boozy night out following the Cheltenham Gold Cup when Zara fell off her bar stool and bumped her head and Mike was reportedly arrested for drink driving. The pair live in a two-bedroomed Cotswold-stone cottage on the Gatcombe estate near Stroud in Gloucestershire, home to Princess Anne.

Showjumping Zara Philips left red-faced as she falls at fence on the day she's named in Olympic team | the Daily Mail

[HockeyRules]

Ah, it happens. Good thing she and the horse weren't hurt. Beautiful horse.

[snuffy]

Ba baba ba ba, ba ba ba



oh thats horrible, hopefully no one will get that.

[Life]

This why I do not ride horses because of accidents. But I like petting them.

[cheray]

Ive hated horses since I was a kid cos they only ever threw me the hell out of the saddle.... I wasnt a very good rider.

[sprynkles]

Wow, gorgeous beautiful animal. I LOVE horses, even
though one tried to murder me when I was 16, lol!

[snuffy]

^ Poor Chris, I really disgust myself sometimes.

[snuffy]

^ oh, I agree completely - I was just saying I'm disgusting for referring to it.

[SVZ]

Looks like a smart horse tho! In the third pic you can see him totally stopping to not trample her.

[Rondette]

Horses scare the shit out of me. They're wicked looking, but they always look one breath away from madness to me!

[viggofan]

glad no one was hurt.

[scooter]

OK, I have to speak up. I am a professional jumper rider. I live in Bedford NY, where Chris Reeve lived. I have tremendous respect for anyone who takes up the sport as an adult. Like skiing, if you dont learn the center of gravity/fall line thing while young it's almost impossible to acquire the feeling. That being said, having seen Chris ride, I will tell you that he had no business being on that horse on the cross country. There has been a lot of publicity lately in the US about the cross country phase of eventing because of the safety issue (several deaths and major injuries very recently). In my part of the sport (show jumping) the light weight poles are on safety break away cups so that is you even breathe on them the pole releases. In the x country, its telephone poles hard wired into place. Zero margin for error. Both he and his wife Dana were lovely people, and deserved better than what fate gave them. RIP.