Phillips slams 2012 venue

Phillips, who won the 2006 world title and is the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, questioned the legacy that would be left in Greenwich and told The Times that Windsor or Burghley would be better venues.

"What is annoying is that they put something there and then take it all down afterwards," Phillips said. "What's the point of that?

"Why don't you do it to a space that can be used with a legacy, not Greenwich Park where people walk their dogs? I thought that was the whole point of bidding for the Games."

The 27-year-old Phillips, whose father Mark won three-day eventing gold at the Munich Games in 1972, was unable to compete in the 2004 Olympics in Athens or last year's Beijing Games because of injuries to her horse Toytown.

"Windsor has had horse trials," she added. "The rowing is out there so it's not like it is miles away. It used to host an event but they ran out of money and the ground wasn't great, so why not try to make it better?"

Greenwich, which has the backing of the British Equestrian Federation, was confirmed as the venue in November last year by the London Olympic Organising Committee.

The Times said the campaign group 'No to Greenwich Olympic Equestrian Events' had sent an open letter requesting the support of Phillips's mother, Princess Anne, who rode for Britain at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

They argue that the proposal to build a 23,000-seat arena and four-mile cross-country course, which will involve closing Greenwich Park for nearly a year, risks damaging a UNESCO World Heritage site while leaving no physical legacy for the sport.