ZARA Tindall celebrated her biggest championship success in nearly 20 years after storming to the British Open title at Hartpury.

The Gloucestershire-based former world and European champion produced a superb cross-country performance aboard 17-year-old Class Affair to win the NAF CCI4*-S and British Open Championship on Saturday.

Tindall, daughter of the Princess Royal, was visibly delighted after sealing victory at the NAF Hartpury International Celebration of Eventing and British National Championships, celebrating with her team and planting a kiss on her veteran horse.

The 45-year-old and Class Affair finished on a score of 33.3 after adding just 0.4 time penalties across Eric Winter’s demanding cross-country course.

They recorded the fastest cross-country time of the day to climb from outside the top 10 following the dressage and beat a field of 73 combinations.

It was Tindall’s first British Open crown and her most significant championship success since helping Great Britain win team gold at the European Eventing Championships in 2007.

Her last major individual championship title came 20 years ago when she won world gold aboard Toytown at Aachen in 2006.

Tindall said: “I’m very happy to have won, especially as I never managed to win it at Gatcombe!

“He was super jumping in both disciplines. Hartpury has done such a good job considering the weather we have had.

“I walked the course on Thursday and thought the ground was great and he felt happy all the way round.

“I am happy for the horse, the owner Catherine Rivett, who has been with me for years, and the entire team at home.”

Class Affair has proved a challenging but talented partner during his career, with Tindall describing him as “probably one of the hardest horses I’ve ever ridden”.

The Irish-bred gelding has competed at the highest level of the sport, completing both Badminton and Pau five-star events in 2024 before finishing 12th at Bramham last year.

Tindall and Class Affair finished seventh in the British Open in 2025 but went six places better at Hartpury this time around.

Their victory earned them the NAF CCI4*-S Trophy, British Open Championship Trophy, Highest-placed British Rider Trophy and the prize for finishing closest to the optimum cross-country time, as well as £5,000 prize money.

The championship had remained wide open after dressage leader Emily King and Valmy Biats added four faults in the showjumping before withdrawing ahead of the cross-country.

Jesse Campbell and Speedwell were also among the leading contenders before their challenge ended on the cross-country course.

Max Warburton and Deerpairc Revelry eventually finished less than one penalty behind Tindall in second on 34.0, while Izzy Taylor and SBH Big Wall completed the podium on 35.1.

For Tindall, who is based at her mother’s Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire, the Hartpury victory represented a long-awaited return to the top of a major championship podium.

It also delivered a first British Open title of her distinguished career, two decades after the world championship triumph which established her among Britain’s leading event riders.