Zara is among top riders competing in region

She rode three horses in the dressage section of the open intermediate horse trials at Aske, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, today and will tackle the show jumping and cross country elements tomorrow (Saturday, September 22).

The dressage was brought forward to today to allow competitors who had entered the now cancelled Witton Castle horse trials, in County Durham, next weekend to compete at Aske. The cancellation followed the latest foot-and-mouth outbreak.

Miss Phillips, 26, is the daughter of Princess Anne and her former husband, Captain Mark Phillips, and is 11th in line to the throne.

She does not have her most famous horse, Toytown, at Aske, but completed three smooth dressage tests in front of Scottish judge Les Smith on bay Tsunami II, chestnut Red Baron and dark bay Glenbuck.

Chris Dell, a friend who was helping Miss Phillips' groom, Kelly Davis, said: "Tsunami was first to run and Zara was very happy with how things went."

Competitors had dry, bright and breezy weather and ground conditions were good following morning rain.

While the tests were ridden - in an arena with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside - organisers of the trials, which are open to the public tomorrow (Saturday) and on Sunday from 8am, were building the show jumping course and erecting tents.

A handful of dog walkers using public footpaths through the estate, family home of Lord Zetland, and fellow competitors and their grooms were the only spectators today.

Miss Phillips, who was awarded an MBE for services to equestrianism earlier this year, has competed at Aske before. She is also a regular at Witton Castle and at Bramham Horse Trials, near Wetherby, where she suffered a fall at a 7ft fence during the cross country element of a one-day event in June and retired from the competition.

Other competitors at Aske include European team gold medallist Jeanette Breakwell and 2012 Olympics hopeful Nicola Wilson, from Morton on Swale, North Yorkshire.