Artist hopes Lord and lady jump for joy on return for top horse trials

British royal Zara Phillips is to be presented with a stunning drawing of herself and her horse Lord Lauries at Ballindenisk Horse Trials, Co Cork, this weekend.

The graphite study of Queen Elizabeth’s grand-daughter is by Cork-based Kerry native Tony O’Connor, who has received a huge reaction to it on Facebook.

“I don’t normally do portraits, but considering she is so well known and attractive, it was a challenge. It got more than 1,500 likes on my Facebook page. It was a boost to know that one of my first portrait pieces was instantly recognisable,” said Tony, from Moyvane, near Listowel, where his father was a fifth-generation blacksmith.