Zara Tindall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zara Tindall MBE OLY
Tindall in 2007
Born	Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips (1981-05-15) 15 May 1981 (age 44) St Mary's Hospital, London, England
Other names	Mrs Michael Tindall
Alma mater	University of Exeter
Spouse(s)	Mike Tindall ​ (m. 2011)​
Children	3
Parents	Mark Phillips (father) Anne, Princess Royal (mother)
Personal information
Discipline	Eventing
Medal record Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Silver 2012 London Team Eventing World Championships Gold 2006 Aachen Individual Eventing Silver 2006 Aachen Team Eventing Silver 2014 Normandy Team Eventing European Championships Gold 2005 Blenheim Individual Eventing Gold 2005 Blenheim Team Eventing Gold 2007 Pratoni del Vivaro Team Eventing

Zara Anne Elizabeth Tindall (born May 15, 1981) is a British horse rider, an Olympian, and a member of the British royal family. She is the daughter of Anne, Princess Royal, and Captain Mark Phillips. King Charles III is her uncle.

When she was born, she was sixth in line to the British throne. Her grandmother was Elizabeth II, the Queen at that time. As of 2025, she is 22nd in line to the throne.

Zara Tindall won the Eventing World Championship in Aachen, Germany, in 2006. That same year, people voted her the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. In 2012, she carried the Olympic flame on her horse, Toytown, at Cheltenham Racecourse. She won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics as part of the Great Britain Eventing Team. Her mother presented her with the medal. She married rugby union player Mike Tindall in 2011. They have three children together.

Early Life and School Days

Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips was born on May 15, 1981. She was born in the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, London. She was christened on July 27, 1981, at Windsor Castle. Her uncle, Charles, who was then the Prince of Wales, suggested her first name.

Zara has an older brother named Peter. She also has two younger half-sisters.

Where Zara Went to School

Zara went to Beaudesert Park School in Stroud, Gloucestershire. She also attended Port Regis School in Shaftesbury, Dorset. Later, she went to Gordonstoun School in Moray, Scotland, like other members of her family.

During her school years, Zara was very good at sports. She played hockey, did athletics, and gymnastics. After school, she studied at the University of Exeter. She became a qualified physiotherapist.

Zara's Horse Riding Career

After university, Zara decided to become a professional horse rider. Her parents were also famous equestrians. In June 2003, she got a sponsorship deal with Cantor Index. This company helped her pay for her horse riding career. In 2003, she finished second at the Burghley Horse Trials. This was her first big four-star event.

Zara missed the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Her horse, Toytown, got injured during training.

Winning Medals with Toytown

Riding her horse Toytown, Zara won many medals. She won individual and team gold medals at the 2005 European Eventing Championship in Blenheim. In 2006, she won individual gold and team silver medals at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. This made her the Eventing World Champion until 2010.

After her win in Germany, she was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2006. Her mother had won this award in 1971. Zara was also given the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award in 2007 for her achievements in horse riding. She won team gold at the 2007 European Eventing Championships in Italy.

Tindall competing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London

The British Olympic Association announced that Zara would ride Toytown at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. However, Toytown got injured again, and she had to withdraw. In October 2008, Zara fell from her horse, Tsunami II, during a cross-country event in France. She broke her right collarbone.

In July 2010, Zara launched her own line of horse riding clothes. It was called ZP176, after her team number when she first rode for her country.

Olympic Silver Medalist

Zara competed in the 2012 London Olympic Games on her horse, High Kingdom. She won a silver medal in the team event. In 2013, she finished second at the Luhmühlen Horse Trials with High Kingdom. At the World Equestrian Games in 2014, Zara and High Kingdom helped the British team win team silver.

Zara stopped using her maiden name, Phillips, in March 2016. She competed as Zara Tindall for the first time when she tried to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

In 2017, she came in third place at the Kentucky Three-Day Event with High Kingdom. High Kingdom retired from the sport in 2018. In January 2020, Zara became a director at the Cheltenham Racecourse. In August 2020, she was chosen to be on the British Team for the FEI Nations Cup in France. In October 2021, Zara competed in the Maryland 5 Star event. She finished 11th with her horse, Class Affair. In May 2022, Zara won the advanced class at the Chatsworth Horse Trials, riding Class Affair.

Helping Others: Charity Work

Zara Tindall often supports and attends events for different charities. She mainly helps causes related to spinal injuries, horse riding, and children.

Supporting Various Causes

In 2005, she sold one of her fancy dresses to raise money for tsunami relief. She also visited New Zealand to support The Catwalk Trust. From 1998 to 2005, she was the president of Club 16–24. This group encourages young people to get interested in horse racing.

She works with Inspire, a charity that helps people with spinal cord injuries. Zara is also a patron of Lucy Air Ambulance for Children. This service flies sick children to hospitals for urgent care.

Zara has attended events for The Caudwell Charitable Trust. This charity helps children with special needs, disabilities, and serious illnesses. In 2006, she took part in a charity day for Cantor Index. In 2007, she became a patron of the Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund. To help with Sport Relief 2008, she posed for a painting by artist Jack Vettriano.

In 2009, she played in a celebrity poker tournament in Monaco to help Darfur, Sudan. In October 2010, she played in another celebrity poker tournament in London. This event raised money for Cancer Research UK, a charity she supports. In 2011, she sold another evening gown to help the Christchurch earthquake appeal. This raised £22,000. In 2013, she visited the Stroud Maternity Ward for its 60th anniversary. In 2014, Zara supported the #bringbackourgirls campaign. In April 2020, she joined an Equestrian Relief effort to get more protective equipment for National Health Service workers.

Other Activities and Royal Duties

In June 2015, Zara Tindall launched her own horse-themed jewelry collection. It was called "Zara Phillips Collection." She created it with Australian designer John Calleija.

On September 17, 2022, after the death of Elizabeth II, Zara joined her brother and six cousins. They stood guard around the Queen's coffin for 15 minutes. This was called the Vigil of the Princes. On September 19, Zara, her husband Mike, and their daughter Mia attended the Queen's state funeral.

Zara's Family Life

Tindall with her husband in 2012

Zara Phillips met rugby union player Mike Tindall in 2003. He was playing for the England national team during the Rugby World Cup in Australia. They got engaged in 2010.

The Queen gave her permission for the marriage on May 10, 2011. The couple had a party on the royal yacht Britannia before their wedding.

Wedding and Children

Zara and Mike married on July 30, 2011. The wedding took place at the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland. About 400 guests attended. Her ivory silk dress was designed by Stewart Parvin. She wore the Meander Tiara with her veil. A reception was held at Holyrood Palace after the service.

The Tindalls lived in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, for a while. Then they moved to Aston Farm. This is a farmhouse next to Princess Anne's Gatcombe Park estate.

Zara gave birth to their first daughter, Mia Grace, on January 17, 2014. She was born at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Mia was 16th in line to the throne when she was born. As of 2025, she is 23rd in line.

Their second daughter, Lena Elizabeth, was born on June 18, 2018. She was born at Stroud Maternity Hospital. Lena was 19th in line to the throne when she was born. As of 2025, she is 24th in line. Their third child, a son named Lucas Philip, was born on March 21, 2021. He was born at their family home in Gatcombe Park. Lucas was 22nd in line to the throne when he was born. As of 2025, he is 25th in line.

Zara Tindall is a godmother to Prince George of Wales. He is the son of her cousin, William, Prince of Wales.

Honours and Awards

• December 30, 2006: Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE)

See also

In Spanish: Zara Tindall para niños