Aachen, August 27th, 2006

Statements from Hoy and Phillips after the Eventing Finals
Germans take team gold - Zara Phillips Individual World Champion

Bettina Hoy and Zara Phillips still got on well even when it comes down to distributing the medals. No wonder: The German eventer and Queen Elisabeth II's granddaughter, who only live a few hundred metres away from each other in England and train at the same stables, were both able to celebrate winning a gold medal in eventing at the FEI World Equestrian Games Aachen 2006 after the final jumping competition. Hoy with the German team and the British rider Phillips in the individual classification.

Question: Zara, in contrast to you, most people cheer enthusiastically when they know they have just won gold. How did you feel after you had taken the last fence of the jumping course?

Zara Phillips: I was both relieved and shocked. And I was very happy that I had won. Even if it wasn't clearly visible by looking at me.

Question: Toy Town didn't seem to have a problem with the big crowd in the huge stadium, did he?

Phillips: He loves big audiences, which is why I was very confident that he would not let himself be distracted.

Question: Mrs. Hoy, are you disappointed at not winning an individual medal, in spite of taking gold with the team?

Bettina Hoy: Of course it is a shame that Ringwood Cockatoo had faults at two fences. The atmosphere in the big stadium made him even more nervous than I had expected. But I am very proud of Zara; she deserved to win the World Championship title. We are good friends and she trained with me up until the year before last.

Question: The team result was the promised sporting reply to Athens when you were stripped of the gold medal by the green table decision?

Hoy: Yes, that's what we really came to Aachen for - and nobody is going to take this medal away from us. I am very relieved.