Zara Tindall looked the picture of a proud equestrian today as she beamed on horseback during the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials.

The King's niece, 45, sported a double breasted navy tailcoat with white jodhpurs and black boots which she paired with a helmet as she took to the saddle at Oxfordshire's prestigious annual occasion.

Princess Anne's daughter, who won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics, was competing in the dressage test and was clearly in her element during the competition.

With a grin on her face, the mother-of-three appeared at ease while riding on her grey gelding Classicals Euro Star, affectionately known as Casper. 

She first purchased the talented Irish Sport Horse in 2021, having co-owned him alongside Judith Luff. 

The Blenheim Palace Horse Trials, which take place at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, officially started today and will end on Sunday – with the Dressage phase running from Thursday to Friday, while the Cross-country phase begins on Saturday.

Zara has competed at the prestigious equestrian event several times – and in 2005 won individual and team gold on Toytown during the European Championships.

This year, the royal mother-of-three will be eager to make her mark in the annual event. She was pictured yesterday arriving for the Vets Inspection.

Zara stepped out in a light brown button-up jacket and white trousers which she paired with a casual pair of black and white trainers as she trotted along with her horse. 

The royal, who is a serious international equestrian competitor, got her love for horses from her late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, alongside her mother Princess Anne. 

Known for her sporting prowess, Zara regularly attends equestrian events around the world, both as a formidable athlete when she is competing and as a trend-setting fashionista when she is a spectator.

Zara has also previously been crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year and has been nicknamed the royal Olympian.

Princess Anne, who is the mother of Zara, was the first member of the British Royal Family to compete in the Olympic games.

Known for her love of horses, she took her passion to the highest level and rode the Queen's horse, Goodwill, in the three-day equestrian event. She finished 13th in the jumping section and placed 24th overall.

Despite not winning a medal, the Princess Royal was made a Member of the International Olympic Committee in 1988 and even accepted the Olympic flame in Athens ahead of the 2012 games.

Luckily, Anne was able to hand the torch down to her daughter, Zara, who won a silver medal when she competed in London in 2012.

She missed out on the 2004 Athens games and Beijing 2008 due to injuries but made up for her past absence when the competition came to England. 

Zara made her family proud when she and her 11-year-old horse, High Kingdom, brought a medal home for Team GB.

Her proud husband, Mike Tindall, said at the time: 'That Olympic silver, in my book, is right up there with my World Cup medal, if not above it, because it was won at the London Games with so much expectation and pressure.

'When England won the World Cup we were favourites to do so. Team GB's eventing silver wasn't expected, so to produce that collective performance was outstanding.

'Sure, there were tiny margins between gold and silver, just as Jonny Wilkinson's drop-goal proved to be the tiny margin that won the World Cup.

'But for me the Olympics is the No 1 sporting occasion in the world and Zara and the team smashed it.'

Her appearance comes after she joined the Duchess of Edinburgh at the Cornbury House Horse Trials. Princess Beatrice and her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi also made a rare public outing at the event over the weekend.

Beatrice, 38 – who has kept a relatively low profile amid the ongoing fallout over Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson's controversial ties to Jeffrey Epstein – opted for an Ulla Johnson green lace dress and BYAN's velvet green Philip Cleak Blazer for the sporting action.

The royal styled her outfit with Givenchy boots and small hoop earrings, while her husband Edo looked dapper in a blue shirt and waistcoat which he paired with light green trousers and a baker boy cap.

Beatrice, who put on an affectionate display with her husband as they cosied up to one another, was also joined by her cousin Zara, 45, and aunt Sophie for the annual occasion in Oxfordshire – which sees the country's finest horses and riders compete in dressage, cross country and show jumping.

Beaming Zara and Sophie warmly embraced one another while posing for a photo, with the daughter of Princess Anne cutting a casual figure in blue jeans from Citizens of Humanity and a cross-body bag from Fairfax and Favor which retails at £295.

Sophie, 61, a dedicated equestrian fan, showcased her effortless style with a Soler London jacket and skirt, which she paired with boots from Penelope Chilvers and earrings from Giulia Barela.