Zara and Mike Tindall's

SlugRoyal here exclusive Slug here Zara& Mike A perfectPHOTOGRAPHY by HUGO BURNAND Zara and Mike Tindall’s daughters are already horseriding and nowmatch the royal family’s most down-to-earth couple is bringing them Down Under for surf, barbies and a sizzling polo match, they tell Juliet Rieden. hen Zara Tindall was pregnant with her first daughter, Mia, we talked about how she would fit motherhood around her decidedly unsocial schedule of competitive horseriding, which involved her travelling all over Britain and overseas, sleeping in her horse truck. “We’ll just carry on as normal,” she told me, Wexplaining that eventing kids just have to fit in with their parents. After all, that’s what she did with her mum Princess Anne, Zara added. That was five years ago and now I am back in her Aston Farm home, in the heart of Britain’s green and pleasant Cotswolds, and on the face of it not much has changed. Zara and husband Mike both have a full schedule of work commitments and they’re still laughing, joking and sparking off each other like comfortable romantics. Outside, three of Zara’s horses – Cracker, Showtime and Socks (named for his four white socks) – are exercising in the stable yards and one-year-old boxer Blink is one of many family dogs running in and out. But hanging in the air around this energetic outdoor life, there’s definitely a warm glow of slightly frazzled Zara admits she’s never domestic order. For it was just 18 months ago that Mia’s sister, Lena, arrived worn high-heeled boots on a horse before but was as the latest addition to the Tindall clan. happy to give it a go for So, as I settle down to chat to Zara and Mike about their new world of parenting, our fantasy shoot with I’m wondering how the ‘business as usual’ plan panned out. husband Mike in the Zara breaks into a broad smile. “I’m still eventing,” she says, laughing. And do grounds of her home in the girls come with her? “Mia is at school so she can only come on weekends and it England’s Cotswolds. depends how far away it is, but yes, they’ve been to a few this year. It also depends → PLEASE HERE GO TO CREDITS PICTURE PLEASE HERE GO TO CREDITS PICTURE 10 The Australian Women’s Weekly | JANUARY 2020 JANUARY 2020 | The Australian Women’s Weekly 11 Royal exclusive on how many horses we’ve got with Family is central to the “But no matter how prepared you us. I think Mia just likes the camping Tindalls’ life. Zara and get physically for giving birth, your – it’s probably more like glamping – Mike’s daughters, Mia body is never quite the same. For me in a truck. I don’t think she bothers and Lena, share a close trying to get my body physically bond with cousins Isla about watching me too much.” and Savannah (left). strong enough to do the right job But while Zara is determined to stay Meanwhile, Zara has on the horse, getting it back to where very much in the saddle, she concedes remained close to her I was before the pregnancy takes a lot it’s not quite been as easy as chucking cousins, including Prince of work. I go to the gym, ride the bike, the children in with the horses and Harry (below, with Mike). run a bit and swim if I can. I’ve been driving off into the – more often than competing since this time last year not, rain-soaked – great outdoors. so I’m just getting back into it.” And whether she brings her girls with Zara would love to compete in her to competitions or leaves them at another Olympics – she won a silver their home (which is down the road medal at the 2012 London Olympic from her mum’s residence in Gatcombe Games – but says it’s not just about Park) involves a lot of variables. “The her own readiness, it’s about having logistics are much greater. You can’t the right horse. “I’ve got a horse just drop everything anymore. I do [Class Affair], he’s a nice horse for the have to plan my season around the future; whether he’s going to be quite kids and what they’re up to. ready to go to the next Olympics “They’re very much part of our lives I’m not sure – physically, mentally, and what we do anyway. But I have to experience-wise, he might not be work out how to fit everything in. You quite ready for that.” look back and realise how much time In her sport, Zara notes, women you used to have before you had kids “Mia is a compete into their fifties so she’s not and then wonder, what was I doing panicking yet. “Luckily in eventing it with it? We make sure we’re looking Mike had to lift fantastic depends on the horse. If you’ve got a after the kids properly and then our Zara up onto the good horse and the combination works, towering bales for jobs come alongside. It’s about putting bundle of then you can go on a lot longer.” everything into place,” she explains. this fun, flirty shot But like all mums, Zara can be prey Fortunately, so far Mia and Lena in the hay barn. to bouts of mother guilt, even though are loving their mother’s horsey life. energy.” they have staff to help take the strain. “They both ride,” says Zara, looking As for the mythical “special bond” “If I’m away and Mike’s here I don’t rather pleased. “Lena is in a little traditions that you learn with treating girls. Plus we have lots of girls on between a father and his daughters, feel as guilty, whereas if we’re both basket on the saddle, purely an animal – looking after your stuff, the yard working with Zara … at Mike says, “Yes, it’s true. I do think away then I feel much more guilty.” a passenger. But we just bought looking after the animals and learning least I’ve got Pete, my brother-in-law. that girls look to their dads to be Mia is a real livewire and already Mia a new pony called Magic.” good balance, all those skills you learn And Andy, who works on the farm able to get away with things.” at school. “She goes to the local village “Should be called Magic Millions, – but I think Mia will probably want as well,” he jokes. At 38, Zara knows she needs to school in Minchinhampton, which she right?” jokes Mike, name checking the to do her own thing anyway.” Before Mia and Lena came along, literally get back on the horse if she’s loves. She’s a very active child. Australian race carnival Zara has been Mike confesses he did think he might to stay on top of her career, and She does gymnastics and a lot of the ambassador of since 2012 (which Proud dad like a son, but now he wouldn’t have she and Mike, 41, work as a team swimming, tennis, skiing, surfing.” we’ll come to later). Mike, who no longer plays rugby it any other way. looking after the girls. For Zara, the Sound familiar? I ask Mike if he thinks Mia is a chip – he retired from the professional “I was so happy with how Mia was most urgent concern was getting I ask both parents – separately – if off her mother’s equestrian block. game in July 2014 – but is still heavily as a girl that I wasn’t really bothered for us because we’re carrying the herself back into competition shape now that girls can play rugby they’d “She can be,” he muses. “She’s going involved in the sport, is relishing the either way and when Lena was child, but for guys it’s kind of that following Lena’s birth. be happy if Mia and later Lena through that period where she thinks new pace of family life. coming along I wasn’t bothered at all helpless feeling, which must be “I think it was easier the second wanted to take up their father’s sport. she knows what to do so we have “I think it’s superb. Mia is a [about] what we got. I was just happy incredibly high and horrible for time around to figure out what you “I have no issues with it,” says Mike someone teaching her. Her cousins, fantastic bundle of energy and that to be having another child,” he says. them. At the end of the day they’ve needed to do, how long your body immediately. “If I was completely Savannah and Isla, and [their father] challenges you as well and keeps it Zara suffered two miscarriages in still lost a child too.” takes to get itself back into semi- honest, I would really like Mia to go Zara’s brother, Peter Phillips, all ride interesting. Lena is just starting to find between Mia and Lena, and talked Mike has thrown himself into physical working shape,” she explains. for tag rugby because I think it’s as well and they go riding together.” her feet, but we’ve enjoyed every candidly in a UK TV interview about fatherhood and I sense the Tindall “The second time your body goes, fantastic for body awareness, athletic Zara is thrilled their girls are minute of it.

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