The Princess Royal was presented with the prestigious Longines Ladies Award at a special ceremony at The Natural History Museum, London, on Monday 13th June 2016. Taking place for the fourth consecutive year, the Longines Ladies Awards celebrate women who have consistently performed at the highest level and made a significant contribution to the equestrian industry through their work.
Her Royal Highness was joined by global equestrian industry leaders as they gathered in London on the eve of Royal Ascot to recognise and celebrate the accomplishments of great horsewomen. At the event, tributes from across the sporting world were paid to The Princess Royal for her lifelong dedication to equestrianism.
Multiple Olympic Eventing medallist William-Fox Pitt said The Princess Royal has been “huge for the sport of Eventing” throughout his career. He said: “I think that she was a top rider, a legend in her own right and then she’s taken our sport on and helped the sport develop. She’s got the interests of the sport and horses in general at her heart.”
Lord Coe, who worked closely with The Princess Royal during her role in the organisation of the London 2012 Olympic Games, said the award capped “a herculean career, both competitively and administratively”. He added: “I think The Princess Royal’s contribution to sport has been enormous. She is somebody that is passionate about sport and enjoys sport for all the right reasons. We need more of those people.”
Mr. Juan-Carlos Capelli, Vice President and Head of International Marketing of Longines said: “We are delighted to be honour Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal as the recipient of this year’s Longines Ladies Award. She is a formidably talented horsewoman and deserves huge praise for her achievements and contributions in the equestrian world as both a competitor and administrator. Longines is thrilled to present her with this special award.”
