12 SEPTEMBER 2005

An emotional Zara Phillips celebrated the moment she outdid her mother's success as a horsewoman this weekend. The sporting royal took double gold at the three-day European Eventing Championships in Oxfordshire, watched by her proud mother and boyfriend rugby ace Mike Tindall.

The Queen's granddaughter rode off with the top individual prize, in addition to winning Britain's team gold. Her success surpasses that of her mother who, in 1971, won the individual title but missed out on the team event.

Moments after riding to victory Zara modestly paid tribute to the enthusiasm of supporters, who gave her a standing ovation, and to her mount Toy Town. "The crowd were fantastic. I tapped quite a few fences but the horse was a good boy," she said excitedly.

Then it was time for the tearful royal to receive a hug from her mother as the Princess Royal presented her with the medal. The tender gesture recalls the moment when a then 21-year-old Princess Anne received the trophy from her own mother, Queen Elizabeth.

As the daughter of two Olympic riders Zara's equestrian lineage is impeccable. Father Mark Phillips won a team gold at the 1972 Munich Games, while mum Anne competed in the Montreal Olympics in 1976. Her latest performance puts her on course to compete as a member of the British Olympic squad in Beijing in 2008. Ambitious Zara has often expressed her wish to outdo her parents' achievements, saying: "I don't want to do what they did - I want to do better than that."