Princess Anne receives rare tribute at Cheltenham Festival with race named after her

2026-03-04 - 07:24

race, known for its challenging three-and-a-quarter-mile track with 22 fences and an uphill climb, will be renamed the “Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Steeple Chase” in her honor. The race is scheduled for Friday, March 13, immediately following the festival’s main event, the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Cheltenham Racecourse CEO Guy Lavender praised the decision, saying, ““The Hunters’ Chase at The Festival is a contest which recognises and celebrates the very origins of our great sport. We therefore feel it is very appropriate to stage it under the name of Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal – an outstanding all-round equestrian who has excelled in a wide range of disciplines.” Princess Anne’s equestrian accomplishments are legendary. She won individual gold at the European Eventing Championships in 1971 and became the first British royal to compete at the Olympics in 1976, representing Great Britain in the three-day event at Montreal. Riding her mother Queen Elizabeth’s horse, Goodwill, she placed 24th. Her daughter, Zara Tindall, followed in her footsteps, winning a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics, while her ex-husband Mark Phillips earned team gold and silver medals in Olympic eventing. This is the second race at the Cheltenham Festival to honor a royal family member. In 1980, the two-mile Champion Chase was renamed the “Queen Mother Champion Chase” to celebrate the Queen Mother’s 80th birthday. Meanwhile, the National Hunt Chase, which was renamed for Princess Anne last year, will return to its original title, The National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices’ Handicap Chase.