Zara Phillips, Queen’s granddaughter, wins Olympic silver

GlobalPost

Britain's Royal family can add Zara Phillips’ silver medal to its collection of treasures after the Queen’s granddaughter helped her team finish second at the 2012 London Olympics today.

Princess Anne’s daughter, Phillips won the silver with Great Britain in team eventing.

The princess had the unique pleasure of presenting her daughter with the medal (she was scheduled to bestow the honor regardless).

“We can’t be disappointed with a silver medal because it’s an amazing thing to be here,” Phillips said, USA Today reported.

William and Kate – the Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge – and Prince Harry were at Greenwich Park to cheer on their cousin.

Phillips is the first royal to win a medal and the second to have ever competed at the Olympics.

Princess Anne competed in equestrian at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

Before he married into the Royal family, Phillips’ father Mark won gold at the 1972 Munich Games in equestrian.

Germany won the gold and New Zealand took bronze, The Associated Press said.

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Phillips accepted blame after her horse, High Kingdom, knocked a rail during show jumping event.

It resulted in four penalty points.

Phillips said she forced the horse into an awkward takeoff.

“It was my fault,” she said, according to the AP. “After that he jumped fantastically.”

Team eventing has five riders per country compete in dressage, cross-country and jumping.

Great Britain was still looking for its first gold when Germany sealed its win.

Phillips finished eighth overall among eventing riders, The New York Times said.

“I was quite nervous,” Michael Jung of Germany said, The Times reported. “It is a long way from the warm-up area to the ring, and the nearer you get to the ring the more nervous you become. But once I am in there, I am focused.”

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