THE Queen attended the final day of the Badminton Horse Trials and presented trophies to prize winners to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the event.
Camilla, as patron of British Equestrian, watched the final showjumping phase of the competition on the Duke of Beauford's estate close to Wiltshire and then presented trophies in the arena.
She met guests associated with the trials, including representatives of the British Equestrian Federation, past winners of the competition, as well as volunteers and officials involved with this year’s event.
Images showed the Queen chatting with beauty entrepreneur Charlotte Tilbury and the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, Rose Hanbury.
She was also seen watching the trials in the grandstand, sitting next to the Duke of Beaufort, Henry Somerset.
One of the competitors was fellow royal Zara Tindall, who finished in 16th spot on Class Affair after four days of competition.
A dramatic showjumping finale saw New Zealander Caroline Powell crowned champion as British Olympian William Fox-Pitt was denied a dream farewell to the eventing showpiece.
Fox-Pitt, second going into the final phase, had a chance of becoming Badminton’s second-oldest winner, aged 55.
But six fences down on Grafennacht dropped him to 13th place as a Badminton relationship that began 35 years ago, featuring victories in 2004 and 2015, reached its conclusion.
Irish rider Lucy Latta, who was making her five-star debut, finished second as she put herself firmly in the Paris Olympics selection frame.
Latta, who is the cousin of Grand National-winning jockey Robbie Power, went close to becoming the first Irish winner at Badminton since Captain Eddie Boylan 59 years ago.
Somerset-based Alex Bragg took third on Quindiva, with Emily King and Valmy Biats finishing fourth.
A member of the Beaufort Pony Club presented Camilla with a book detailing the trials’ 75-year history and an anniversary model horse.
The horse trials are one of seven five-star equestrian events in the world. Five-star competitions see the best horses and riders in the sport compete against each other in three phases: dressage, cross-country and show jumping.
Badminton Horse Trials was established in 1949 to prepare British riders for the Olympic Games. Queen Elizabeth II presented the Badminton trophy on the event’s 50th anniversary in 1999, to five-time British Olympian Ian Stark.
Camilla last presented the trophies at Badminton in 2016, when Michael Jung won the “grand slam of eventing”.
The accolade is awarded to those who win three consecutive five-star competitions: the Badminton Horse Trials, the Kentucky Three-Day Event, and the Burghley Horse Trials in Lincolnshire.
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