Published: Thursday, 26th April, 2007 12:00
Zara’s verdict on sporting sisters? ‘Awesome’
By Sportsdesk
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Pic by: Dunfermline Press
IN terms of ringing endorsements of your ability, it doesn’t get much better than being told you’re “awesome” by equestrian queen Zara Phillips.
But the daughter of the Princess Royal and the reigning BBC TV sports personality of the year had plenty of praise for Inverkeithing sisters Hannah and Hattie Nicol.
Hattie (20) and Hannah (17) are members of the Scottish equestrian vaulting team and rubbed shoulders with Zara at last year’s world championships in Aachen, western Germany.
“She came and watched them and said they were awesome,” proud mum Jane reported. “They were part of the same equestrian squad as Zara and the squad was very supportive of each other.”
The words of the princess rubbed off on the West Fife sisters, of Spencerfield Farm, as they have just returned from their most successful international trip yet by helping the Scottish vaulters claim a first and two second placings at the French CVI two-star competition in the Loire Valley.
Hattie, who is studying events management at Telford College, Edinburgh, and Hannah, who is about to leave the Mary Erskine School in Edinburgh, started vaulting at Shieldbank, near Saline, around six years ago.
Vaulting is a combination of gymnastics and dance set to music on horseback. Hattie and Hannah don’t wear riding hats as they restrict visibility and affect balance but Jane said, “For you or I it would be dangerous but because they’ve learned so many skills, it’s not so dangerous.”
The sisters will be competing at competitions in Brno, Czech Republic and Kaposvar, Hungary, later this year.
Joanne Eccles, from near Saline, took first place in the individual female competition in France, her best ever international result. Her sister, Hannah, came sixth.
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