Zara Tindall, 39, says riding for her country is what ‘dreams are made of’ as she reveals her hopes of representing Team GB at next year’s Tokyo Olypmics
- Zara Tindall described how riding for her country is what ‘dreams are made of’
- Olympic equestrian said she is lucky to have her horses with her in lockdown
- Queen’s granddaughter is preparing to work towards her goal of representing Team GB for a second time
Zara Tindall has described how riding for her country is what ‘dreams are made of’ and how she is lucky to have her horses with her in lockdown.
The silver Olympic medal-winning equestrian, who lives on her mother Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucestershire, is working towards her goal of representing Team GB for a second time, with the race for a place starting again next year.
She told a royal special edition of Horse & Hound magazine that she enjoys the pressure of competing.
The Queen’s granddaughter, 39, was considered a long shot for Tokyo 2020 which has been postponed, but she is pinning her hopes on Class Affair as a team horse in the near future.
Zara Tindall (pictured at the London Olympics in 2012) has described how riding for her country is what ‘dreams are made of’ and how she is lucky to have her horses with her in lockdown
‘I love riding for my country; those have been the best experiences of my career,’ Zara said. ‘To get your horse to that level is what it’s all about, and what we all strive for.
‘I love the big occasion because I love the pressure – sitting on a horse that you know is good enough, you are fully prepared, riding for your country, it’s what your dreams are made of.’
Zara won a team silver at the London 2012 and was presented with her medal by her mother the Princess Royal.
She was crowned world eventing champion in Germany in 2006 – which led to the British public voting her BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Zara (pictured right) celebrating after finishing second in the Team Eventing at the 2012 London Olympic Games
The royal, who is married to former English rugby player Mike Tindall (pictured together), also spoke of not being able to compete at Badminton Horse Trials this year due to it being cancelled because of the pandemic
The royal, who is married to former English rugby player Mike Tindall, also spoke of not being able to compete at Badminton Horse Trials this year due to it being cancelled because of the pandemic.
‘Having horses like Class Affair and Watkins to aim at Badminton was exciting and gave everything a focus; now those goals aren’t there, it’s quite weird and you have to deal with the disappointment,’ she said.
But she added that she’s ‘so lucky’ to have been able to spend time with her horses during lockdow, and that it’s been ‘incredibly tough’ for those who haven’t had that luxury.
Zara, Mike and their children, Mia, six, and Lena, who turns two this month, live on Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucester.
Zara, Mike (pictured) and their children, Mia, six, and Lena, one, live on Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Park estate in Gloucester