Zara Tindall opens up about her ‘hope and dreams’ in a rare interview as she Cheltenham Festival’s Gold Cup offers equestrians as she stars in new ITV documentary

Zara Tindall has opened up about ‘hopes and dreams’ in horse racing in a rare interview.

The King’s niece, 43, will appear in a new documentary giving insight into the final day of Cheltenham Festival, one of the UK’s most anticipated horse racing-based events.   

In a clip, exclusively obtained by Femail, Zara – a former Olympian –  tells ITV‘s Champions: Full Gallop: ‘There’s a lot of hopes. There’s a lot of dreams people want to grab.

‘Everyone wants to have a win at Cheltenham, and Gold Cup is obviously the biggest.’ 

The former world eventing champion boasts a successful career in the field and was the first member of the Royal Family to win an Olympic medal as part of Team GB in 2012.

Her love of horses was passed down through the family, with her late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, famously having a strong connection with horse racing.

Zara, who is married to former rugby ace Mike Tindall, explained that when it comes to Cheltenham Festival, which takes place annually in March, ‘there’s a lot of hope, there’s a lot of dreams to try and grab’ for equestrians. 

Zara Tindall has given insights into Cheltenham Festival as she starred in ITV’s Champion: Full Gallop

She explained that the Gold Cup, which is the final race of the event, is ‘obviously’ the most desirable trophy for equestrians.

It’s a sentiment that ITV Racing Presenter Oli Bell echoed in the show, adding: ‘The Gold Cup is the pinnacle of jump racing, it’s the race that everyone wants to win’.

Known for her sporting prowess, Zara regularly attends equestrian events around the world, both as a formidable athlete when she is competing and as a trend-setting fashionista when she is a spectator.

ITV Racing Presenter Alice Plunkett discussed how the Gold Cup event on the fourth day of Cheltenham Festival attracts a range of celebrities.

Speaking on the show, she said: ‘It’s a meeting that attracts a lot of celebrities’. Alice jokingly added: ‘Last year, I nearly fainted because I passed Idris Elba… [and] Zara and Mike Tindall are very much involved’.

Zara’s illustrious riding career includes a gold medal at the European Eventing Championships in 2005 and a silver at the World Equestrian Games in 2006.

A love and passion for horses runs deep in the royal family, with the late Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne learning how to ride from an early age.

Zara has also previously been crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year and has been nicknamed the Royal Olympian.

Zara and her former rugby ace husband Mike Tindall, 45, are regular faces at Cheltenham Festival

ITV Racing Presenter Oli Bell (pictured) agreed with Zara, explaining that the Gold Cup is the most desired award at Cheltenham Festival

Champions: Full Gallop is described as horse racing’s answer to Drive to Survive, revealing a behind the scenes glimpse of the popular sport.

In addition to Zara, a host of other notable guests feature, including Harry Cobden, Sean Bowen, Megan Nicholls, and Ed Chamberlin.

It comes after Princess Eugenie shared a heartwarming social media post calling the Olympics ‘one of the best things in the world’ while crediting her cousin, Zara Tindall for her silver medal win in 2012.

The 34-year-old took to Instagram to recall her cousin, Zara Tindall’s performance in the London 2012 games, where the equestrian took home silver for Team GB, saying it was ‘one of her favourite memories’.

The mother-of-two affectionately referred to Zara as ‘Z’,  alongside the post where she shared several pictures from the games where she is pictured cheering alongside her sister, Princess Beatrice, 35.

In a gushing social media post, Prince Andrew’s daughter wrote: ‘The Olympics is one of the best things in our world.

‘It’s such a special time watching superhuman athletes represent their countries, bringing people together and inspiring generations.

Zara Tindall, pictured, of the British Equestrian team shows off her silver medal at Hyde Park in London in 2012

Zara Tindall pictured competing in the Olympics in 2012 at Greenwich Park in London. Zara made her family proud when she and her 11-year-old horse, High Kingdom, brought a medal home for Team GB

‘Not to mention, the best moment of all, watching my family win silver in eventing, goooo Z!

‘Tag me in your Olympics pictures, I LOVE seeing them and resharing.’

In Eugenie’s post, she shared a selection of pictures from the 2012 games where she and Beatrice can be seen clapping and cheering as they watch Team GB compete in the swimming at the games on home soil. 

The young Yorks would have only been in their 20s at the time of the UK, with Eugenie aged just 22 and Beatrice aged 23. 

The sister’s watched a number of events alongside their cousin’s, including seeing Team GB swim and perform at one of their most high achieving sports, the cycling. 

In one snap from the games, Eugenie and Beatrice can be seen watching alongside their mother, Sarah Ferguson, as they enjoyed athletes compete in the cycling. 

Princess Anne, who is the mother of Zara Tindall, was the first from the British Royal family to compete in the Olympic games.

Known for her love of horses, she took her passion to the highest level and rode the Queen’s horse, Goodwill, in the three-day equestrian event.

She finished 13th in the jumping section and placed 24th overall.

Despite not winning a medal, the Princess Royal was made a Member of the International Olympic Committee in 1988 and even accepted the Olympic flame in Athens ahead of the 2012 games.

The mother-of-three has enjoyed a successful career, winning a silver medal at the Olympics as part of Team GB

Zara likely acquired her love of horses from her mother, Princess Anne, and grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II (seen on Classicals Euro Star in the Tweseldown Horse Trials, 2023)

The princess had been set to compete in the 1972 Munich Games, but her hopes were dashed when horse Doublet was injured during a training run.

Luckily, Anne was able to hand the torch down to her daughter, Zara, who won a silver medal when she competed in London in 2012.

She missed out on the 2004 Athens games and Beijing 2008 due to injuries but made up for her past absence when the competition came to England.

But Zara made her family proud when she and her 11-year-old horse, High Kingdom, brought a medal home for Team GB.

Her proud husband, Mike Tindall, said at the time: ‘That Olympic silver, in my book, is right up there with my World Cup medal, if not above it, because it was won at the London Games with so much expectation and pressure.

‘When England won the World Cup we were favourites to do so. Team GB’s eventing silver wasn’t expected, so to produce that collective performance was outstanding.

‘Sure, there were tiny margins between gold and silver, just as Jonny Wilkinson’s drop-goal proved to be the tiny margin that won the World Cup.

But for me the Olympics is the No 1 sporting occasion in the world and Zara and the team smashed it.’

Champions: Full Gallop airs Friday at 9pm on ITV1. Stream on ITVX.