| Isobel Walsh 03/02/2004 Zara
Phillips and Toytown to Miss Badminton A minor injury to her top ride
Toytown means Zara will miss her first Badminton ride in April and
places a question mark over her Olympic hopes Zara Phillips’
Olympic hopes have been put on hold for the time being as her ride, Toytown,
has sustained a leg injury, which will rule him out of Badminton. The
Cantor Index-owned 11-year-old injured himself slightly in the field and although
British team vet Jenny Hall will be monitoring his progress carefully,
there is no question of him being fit in time for the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton
Horse Trials in May. This comes as a major blow to the young royal, who
has no alternative ride of equal experience. Not only will she miss her Badminton
debut, but inevitably, the situation will place a question mark over her Olympic
hopes. British Eventing team manager, Yogi Breisner was quick to
stress that this certainly does not "completely rule her out of the Olympic
picture." He added: "Obviously it is disappointing for Zara
to miss her Badminton debut. We will watch Toytown’s progress
closely and in consultation with all parties concerned, make a decision on his
competitive programme when he returns to full fitness." Zara Phillips
and Toytown ended last season on a high, narrowly missing first place at
Burghley three-day event, when she was just edged out into second place after
a remarkable performance on her four-star debut. Zara is the youngest
rider on the British Olympic eventing team long-list, and while none of her other
rides could take her to Athens, if she is forced to miss this year's Games, she
has plenty of time to develop her Olympic career.
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