Zara Tindall has revealed the parenting choice she made to ensure her children avoid the worst criticism she faced as a child. The Queen’s eldest granddaughter shared insights into her parenting style on a recent episode of the podcast Talking Horse.
The 45-year-old is one of Britain’s most skilled equestrians, having won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics and gold at the 2006 world championships — the same year she claimed the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award. She began riding at a young age under the tutelage of her parents, Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, who both competed at the top level of the sport.
A 'tough' upbringing
Zara said her parents’ training methods could be “tough”. She recalled: “My father was quite critical. Very rarely, you would get a ‘Yeah, that was good’ out of him. So it was always striving to try and get that comment.”
The demanding environment extended to caring for her horses herself. “We had to do everything with them,” she added. “We had to clean our tack, muck them out. If we didn’t do it, we were in serious trouble.”
A different approach with her own children
Zara, who married England rugby union star Mike Tindall in 2011, says she has chosen to avoid the worst criticism she received when coaching her three children — 12-year-old Mia, eight-year-old Lena, and five-year-old Lucas. “[My father] was a tough coach,” she explained, “but I’m trying not to be quite that bad with my own kids.”
Recently, Zara has enjoyed more success in eventing, becoming the British champion in August when she rode Class Affair to victory in Hartpury. Announcing the win, Phillip Cheetham, Equine Director at Hartpury, said: “We also have to congratulate Zara Tindall on her fantastic CCI4*-S and British Open victory on Saturday. Class Affair was superb, and it was a very special result for Zara, Catherine Rivett and the whole team.”
