Zara Philips on Toytown to celebrate the 25 anniversary of the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials near Woodstock in Oxfordshire, UK, on 20th September 2015
Following the sad news that Zara Tindall has said her final farewell to her marvellous equine partner Toytown, we’ve taken a trip down memory lane to look back at some of his career highlights — and remind ourselves why he was such a legend of the eventing world.
Toytown’s career in pictures
Retiring at Gatcombe Horse Trials, 2011
Gatcombe 07 08 2011 zara phillips princess anne mark phillips mike tindall toytown toy town retiring retire
(Image credit: David Miller)
Gatcombe 07 08 2011 zara phillips princess anne mark phillips mike tindall toytown toy town retiring retire
“Toytown is my horse of a lifetime and he has given me more than I could ever have dreamed of. It seemed fitting to give him a proper retirement ceremony at home, at Gatcombe Park,” she said at the time.
Watch our archive video marking Toytown’s retirement…
Zara Philips on Toytown to celebrate the 25 anniversary of the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials near Woodstock in Oxfordshire, UK, on 20th September 2015
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Zara and Toytown in great form as they led the ‘parade of champions’ at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials.
Cheltenham racecourse, 2012
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
The pair carried the Olympic torch when the relay arrived at Cheltenham racecourse, Gloucestershire ahead of the London 2012 Games.
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European eventing championships, Italy, 2007
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
Zara and Toytown were part of the gold medal-winning European eventing championship team in Pratoni. The pair were in contention for an individual medal, but problems in the showjumping dropped them to sixth.
World Equestrian Games, Aachen, 2006
Zara Phillips and toytown
(Image credit: Trevor Meeks)
Zara and Toytown clinched the individual gold medal at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, as well as the team silver.
European eventing championships, Blenheim, 2005
Zara Phillips on Toytown Blenheim 05
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
Zara Phillips and toytown with green laurels
(Image credit: Trevor Meeks)
On her senior team debut at the European championships at Blenheim, Zara took the individual and team gold medals with Toytown.
Burghley Horse Trials, 2003
Zara Phillips and Toytown
(Image credit: Trevor Meeks)
Zara proved she was a force to be reckoned with at senior level by finishing second at Burghley in 2003 with Toytown. She led overnight but a single fence down in the showjumping let Pippa Funnell win and claim the Rolex Grand Slam. The previous year Zara and Toytown won the under-25 championships at Bramham.
At home, Gloucestershire
Zara Phillips at home with Toytown
(Image credit: Trevor Meeks/ Horse and Hound/ I)
The towering Toytown relaxes at home with Zara at Gatcombe Park.
Don’t miss H&H’s full tribute to this special horse, on sale Thursday 6 July
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A graduate from Durham University, Madeleine joined H&H in 2011 and became Features Editor — producing content across the magazine and website, including the popular inside back cover article ‘The horse that made me’ and the weekly ‘The best of my fun…’ interview. She has written on topics as diverse as hay making and headcams, to hot totty in the horse world and circus horses. Madeleine now works as a freelance feature writer for Country Life, The Telegraph, Horse & Hound, cntraveller.com, The Spectator and The Field, as well as writing obituaries for The Times.
