Britain includes Zara Phillips in five-rider equestrian team for Beijing Olympics

LONDON (AP) -Zara Phillips, a granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, will compete for Britain in equestrian at the Beijing Olympics.

The 26-year-old Phillips was among five riders named to the equestrian eventing team Friday by the British Olympic Association.

Phillips won the individual gold on Toytown in the three-day eventing competition at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, last year.

Her father, Mark Phillips, won a gold medal in the three-day event at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Her mother, Princess Anne, won the European title in 1971 and competed at the 1976 Montreal Olympics in the same event.

"It is nice to be selected, but we still have a long way to go,'' Phillips said. "I am lucky in that Toytown has been to championship events before, so he knows about big occasions and has been consistent, but an Olympic Games really is special.''

The team also includes William Fox-Pitt, who won a silver medal in the team eventing at the 2004 Athens Games. The other members are Mary King, Sharon Hunt and Lucy Wiegersma.

"Equestrian was able to deliver Team GB a medal of each color in Athens and the experience in this team and their recent results bode well for success in Beijing,'' BOA chief executive Simon Clegg said.