Zara Tindall wins British Open Championship with dominant performance at Gatcombe

Thank you for subscribing!

Class Affair's lengthy partnership with Zara Tindall at the top level of the sport proved invaluable around a testing Hartpury track

Zara Tindall captured the NAF CCI4*-S and British Open Championship at Hartpury yesterday, steering the 17-year-old gelding Class Affair to a dominant victory on a final score of 33.3.

The triumph was made all the sweeter for Tindall, who had never managed to secure this particular title when it was staged at Gatcombe.

"I'm very happy to have won, especially as I never managed to win it at Gatcombe!" she said. "He was super jumping in both disciplines."

It was the show jumping and cross-country phases that ultimately decided the championship, with several leading contenders after dressage falling away through faults and falls.

Tindall and her experienced partner, by contrast, delivered precisely when it mattered most across a demanding day in Gloucestershire.

Emily King and Valmy Biats had topped the dressage standings on 26.4, with Jesse Campbell and Speedwell sitting second on 27.9 and Bubby Upton partnering K into third on 29.0.

The show jumping course designed by Paul Connor quickly reshuffled the order.

King and Valmy Biats collected four faults, while Yasmin Ingham's Gypsie Du Loir, who had occupied fourth after the opening phase, accumulated eight penalties.

Tindall and Class Affair, meanwhile, delivered a composed and confident round across both jumping disciplines.

The veteran gelding, sometimes known for being a tricky ride, attacked the cross-country course with assurance, picking up a mere 0.4 time penalties to seal the win.

"Hartpury has done such a good job considering the weather we have had," Tindall said. "I walked the course on Thursday and thought the ground was great and he felt happy all the way round."

She was also keen to share the credit more widely. "I am happy for the horse, the owner Catherine Rivett, who has been with me for years, and the entire team at home," she added.

Max Warburton and Deerpairc Revelry earned the runner-up spot on 34.0, accruing just 1.2 time penalties on the cross-country course in a display of remarkable consistency across all three phases.

Izzy Taylor and SBH Big Wall rounded out the podium on 35.1, a particularly heartening result given Taylor's recent return from injury.

The 2025 defending champions, Katie Magee and Treworra, finished seventh, the same position Class Affair had occupied twelve months ago, making this year's triumph a striking turnaround for Tindall's partnership with the gelding.

With the British Open and CCI4*-S merged this year, Tindall collected a haul of silverware: the NAF CCI4*-S Trophy, the British Open Championship Trophy, the Highest-placed British Rider Trophy, and the NAF Closest to Optimum Time Prize.