Zara Phillips refused admission to sporting event

Britain's Zara Phillips was refused admission to a sporting event over the weekend as a gate official didn't recognise her.

Britain's Zara Phillips was refused admission to a sporting event over the weekend.

The 30-year-old royal - who is the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth - was due to watch her mother Princess Anne's horse, Middle Watch, in action at North Hereford Hunt's point-to-point meeting for the annual Whitwick Manor estate steeplechase.

However, gate official and hunt volunteer Tim Hinton stopped her at the car park for trying to go in without a pass.

He told her: "You have to have a pass or you can't come in - unless you pay £12.50."

Unfortunately, Zara - who is married to England rugby ace Mike Tindall - wasn't carrying any cash with her at the time and was dismissed from the gate, much to the embarrassment of Tim, who was given "a lot of ribbing" after it emerged he had turned away a member of the royal family.

He told the Daily Mail newspaper: "I feel rather embarrassed and I have had a lot of ribbing about this since.

"But it was raining and she was wearing a headband. I just saw this face at a car window and asked for her pass and, of course, when she said her mother had it, I had no idea that she was referring to Princess Anne.

"We had queues of cars arriving and, quite frankly, there are always a few people who try to get in without passes and it's our job to stop them. You can only get in by paying for a ticket or by having either a trainer or an owner's pass. She was in a very ordinary little car."

However, the matter was resolved when one of Tim's pals recognised Zara before she drove away.

He added: "One of the lads helping me then said, 'Hey, that's Zara'. I thought it was someone he knew until he added, 'Zara Phillips'.

"Even then it took a second or two for the penny to drop and then I just said rather lamely, 'Well you'd better come in then'."