It was a proud mum moment for Zara Tindall this weekend, as her 12 year old daughter ,Mia took to the reigns at Bleinheim Horse Trials. The young royal is following in the footsteps of her equestrian mum and grandmother, Princess Anne before her, and now making her own mark in the sport.
On Sunday (20 September) Mia Tindall competed in the team showjumping event in Oxfordshire, on her pony, Bunny Two Tails. Photographer James Whatling captured Mia mid-jump during the event, and shared the image to social media with a side-by-side shot of her mother, Zara, showing their clear similarity.
Zara was also at the trials, ahead of competing in showjumping herself on Monday (21 September). Zara is an accomplished equestrian and even won a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics. She followed in the footsteps of her mother Princess Anne, who took part in the 1976 Olympic games in Montreal. Now, Mia has taken up the mantle as the third generation in the family to compete, as she showcased her skills over the weekend.
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Princess Anne at the 1976 Olympics
This summer, Zara gave her mother an extra special birthday present, by riding to victory on Princess Anne’s 76th birthday (Saturday 15 August) at the Hartpury International Horse Trials. She rode 17-year-old horse Class Affair to become the British open champion, her first major title in two decades, according to The Express. She has previously said that both Mia and her other daughter, Lena(shared with husband and former rugby player, Mike Tindall) enjoy riding.
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Zara at the Cirencester Park Horse Trials last year.
Horse-riding – whether competitive, for leisure or for ceremonial purposes – is a favourite sport of the royals. Although no longer actively competing, Princess Anne still rides in official ceremonies, such as Trooping the Colour and King Charles’ Coronation Day, wearing full military dress.