Zara Phillips Invites Us To Share A Day In Her Working Life At Gatcombe Park
'The public probably has a completely different idea of what I am really like'

Though she hasn't made plans for the summer just yet, Zara Phillips knows where she certainly won't be:  Athens.  "That's the last place I would want to be!" she says, smiling.  "But I will be cheering on my country" she adds.  Princess Anne's 23-year-old daughter had had her heart on following in her parents' footsteps - both the Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips are former equestrian Olympians - by competing for the UK equestrian team in the Games this summer in Greece.  But she was bitterly disappointed when she had her Olympic hopes dashed:  an injury to her horse, Toytown, led to Zara being made unavailable for selection.

But she may yet emulate her parents' success.  She has proved a formidable competitor in her own right since 2002, when she became the Under 25's champion at Bramham.  And since January last year, she has also had strong sponsorship from the financial spread betting ogranisation Cantor Index, which recently provided Zara with a brand new horsebox which doubles as a luxury mobile home.

For this HELLO! exclusive, Zara is photographed with the horsebox, her horses and her dogs at the stables of her family home, Gatcombe Park, in Gloucestershire.  And she talks frankly about her Olympic disappointment, her upbringing and her unique life under an ever-increasing spotlight...

Zara, our commiserations at not being selected for the Olympic equestrian team - how do you feel?

"Obviously, I would have been thrilled to go to Athens this year, but I always know that it was only a possibility after Toytown's injury, and if you work with horses you have to learn to expect disappointments.  I was devastated by his injury lat year and I'm naturally disappointed not to be going to Athens.

How does this affect your career plans?

"It doesn't - I'm only 23 and in my second year as a Senior Rider.  Hopefully I will have a few more years to be riding at the top level.  Also, I have some nice young horses who are going through the same learning curve as me and hopefully will be able to be in contention for Beijing 2008.

"I would love to represent my country, and competing at the Olympic Games would make all my dreams come true."

Will you attend this year's Olympics as a spectator?

"I'm not intending to go to Athens as a spectator.  That's the last place I would want to be!  I'll probably be competing at home somewhere and watching it on the television, but I will be cheering on my country!"

Did you feel greater pressure than your colleagues because you're a member of the Royal Family?

"At the top, I think the pressure is the same for everyone.  We all try to stay focused and do the best we can."

Your parents famously took part in the Olympics many years ago - was that an inspiration, or a pressure to emulate their achievements?

"I would love to follow in their footsteps, but I would hope to do better than they did."

What advice were you given by your mother and father regarding the Olympics, and how have they reacted to your disappointment?

"They would have been delighted if I had been picked to ride for the UK, but they are very much aware that horses can be unreliable and that you have to be committed to the sport.  They are always very supportive."

To what extent did you enter into it because of your parents?

"Because both my parents have a love of horses, and there have always been horses and ponies here at home, I was given the opportunity to ride from a very early age.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and, as soon as I was old enough, I joined the local Pony Club and went on from there."

What have you learned most from them in equestrian terms and otherwise?

"I certainly listen to their advice, because, after all, they have achieved Olympic medals.  I also learned that you can onlly rise to the top of your chosen field if you have dedication and are undaunted by inevitable knockbacks."

How would you describe your upbringing?

"Both my parents have tried to make my life normal, and I know I'm lucky to have a wide and varied circle of special friends as everyone else does.  I went to boarding school in Dorset at 11, and then to school in Scotland, so my friends are spread the length of the country."

How has your relationship with your parents and brother changed over the years?

"Again, like everyone, I think as you get older you respect each other's achievements, and they thnk I have done very well with my career."

How difficult was it growing up under the spotlight?

"It's only since I left school that the media became interested in me, but it sometimes makes life difficult when you are trying to get on and lead a normal life."

In the last couple of years you've come under increasing press scrutiny - how have you felt about that?

"I'm happy to respond to publicity as far as my career is concerned, and if I can help my sponsors, but I think there are times when everyone should be allowed privacy."

Do you read what's reported about you and how much is it usually true?

"I don't read any of it, as it's usually a load of rubbish."

Do you understand the widespread interest in you?

"I'm not sure why people are interested in me."

How understood do you feel you are?

"By the public, not at all, because what they read about me most of the time is rubbish, so they probably have a completely different idea of what I'm really like."

How free do you feel to live the life you like?

"I'm lucky living in the country because I can get on with my life and I'm surrounded by people I enjoy spending time with."

You are said to have a strong independent streak - is that true?

"You would have to ask other people.  I would say that I'm determined."

How would you describe your personality?

"I don't know really.  It's easier answering questions like this about someone else.  I love having a laugh, with people who are good company, but I'm focused when I set my mind to something."

In what ways do you feel you resemble your mother?

"I find this question very difficult - I'm not sure how many daughters could answer that!  But everyone who meets me says I'm a lot like her."

How do you feel expectations of your compare to those of your mother when she was your age?

"I think we were brought up in a very different way - I had more freedom, which what both my parents decided for my upbringing."

You're among what the press often describe as "a new style" of young royals - in what ways do you feel today's royals are different to previous generations?

"Again I think we were allowed much more freedom when we were growing up, which also makes it easier for people to relate to us a little more."

Aside from horses, what are your other interests?

"I have trained and qualified in human and equine sports massage, but I don't get much chance to practise.  I love racing and am involved with that, as well as other sports such as hockey.  I have also ridden in a couple of charity polo matches and charity races on the flat.  And I love travelling."

If you weren't a member of the Royal Family, what would you ideally do for a living?

"I don't know.  I'm lucky to have had many experiences that I might not otherwise have had a chance to."

What do you think your strengths and weaknesses as a rider and competitor are?

"I love what I do, but I think your strengths and weaknesses come out when you are under pressure.  That's when you can see the real rider.  Out of the three phases, the cross country is probably my strongest and show jumping my weakest."

What does it mean to have sponsors?

"Keeping horses and competing at the highest level is an expensive business.  My parents have wanted me to stand on my own two feet, so the financial support from Cantor Index has been really welcome.  Cantor Index have also been kind enough to provide me with a new horse box this year which has made it so much easier, as it has more space than previous lorries to get everything in.

"Cantor Index, together with Musto, have given me branded clothing which I wear at competitions.  They are very good at attending events and are very supportive, so I try to give them and their clients as much time as possible.  I am also asked to attend certain Cantor Index functions during the year, which I enjoy doing."

How nervous do you get before a competition?

"It depends on the competition, but at the big events obviously the atmosphere is intense, which I think gets the nerves going.  When you're on the horse the fear seems to disappear."

How much does winning matter to you?

"I think wanting to win or do well is the major factor in your success.  If you don't have the hunger, you will probably not perform to your best."

How emotional do you get over the outcome of competitions?

"I get emotional in that, if I have done badly, I am not very nice to talk to!  I have to run through why it happened, and what I could have done to fix it."

How do you wind down after a competition?

"I usually fall asleep in the lorry on the way home!"

How emotionally attached are you to your horses?

"Very.  I hate selling horses because you build up a relationship with them and it's like losing a mate when they go somewhere else.  Each of them has a different character, and, as I said, you form a friendship with them."

What percentage of your life is devoted to your equestrian career?

"Most of my time, as I have other horses as well.  Horses need to be ridden every day if you want to train them to the top level.  I learn something new every day, which hopefully will help me become a better competitor."

Could you share with us how you celebrated your recent birthday?

"That would be telling...!"

And finally, how do you feel now about settling down, getting married and having children one day?

"I'm only 23!"

HELLO!
Number 819, June 8, 2004
Interview by Peter Robertson
pp 66-75