The Queen’s (favorite?) granddaughter Zara Phillips (Zara Tindall) announced her pregnancy yesterday. Most people are assuming that Zara announced now because she’s on the cusp of showing, and that she’s probably at or around three months pregnant. Which means people have already begun to re-analyze Zara’s public appearances over the past three months so they can retroactively judge her for continuing to ride her horses. Zara is a professional equestrian – she won the team silver medal last year at the Olympics, and she’s always been a keen sportswoman and a dedicated rider. So will she continue to ride horses now that she’s knocked up (and everyone knows about it)? The Mail says yes.
The Queen’s grand-daughter Zara Phillips insists she will continue to compete as a top class eventer despite announcing she is pregnant. The 32-year-old former World Champion, who was part of the Olympic silver medal winning British team last summer, is expecting her first baby with husband Mike Tindall, possibly next January, Buckingham Palace announced today.
Although the NHS advises pregnant women not to carry on with ‘inherently risky’ sports such as horse riding, Miss Phillips was competing at the Barbury International Horse Trials at the weekend and even came off her horse. A spokesman later described her as ‘fine’.
Today they said she will carry on competing for several weeks at least and is currently entered into three events later this month, with rides on six horses.
A spokesman for Miss Phillips, the name she still uses professionally, said: ‘She will definitely be back in the saddle soon. It’s business as usual at the moment. She is entered into several events, but as with any rider, they treat each event on a case-by-case basis and if she pulls out of an event it will be because the horse isn’t ready, rather than her.’
However she later cautioned: ‘As you can imagine she is following all medical advice from her doctors. She is being sensible about this and is listening to what the doctors are telling her. She couldn’t be happier about the baby and would never put her pregnancy in jeopardy.’
Indeed, Zara is only too aware of the dangers of eventing, having broken her collar bone when she came off her horse Tsunami II in France in 2008. The horse broke its neck and was killed in the fall. Her close friend and world-class rider Sherelle Duke, died while competing in 2006 and a week later Zara dedicated her victory at the World Equestrian Games to her.
News that another royal baby is on the way was formally announced by Buckingham Palace today, which said in a statement: ‘Mr and Mrs Mike Tindall are very pleased to announce that Zara Tindall is expecting a baby in the New Year. The Princess Royal and Captain Mark Phillips, Mr Phillip and Mrs Linda Tindall, and members of both families are delighted with the news. This baby will be the first child for Mike and Zara and the third grandchild for The Princess Royal.’
The Queen was said to be ‘delighted’ about another addition to her family, believed to be due in January, as are Zara and Mike’s parents.
David Cameron’s official spokesman described the announcement as ‘quite terrific news’, saying: ‘The Prime Minister will send his very, very best wishes to the happy couple.’
Later on Twitter the father-to-be, a former England rugby captain, was rather more flippant, joking: ‘Thanks for all the kind messages, we are very excited and I agree with you all that hopefully he/she won’t have my nose.’
The NHS strongly advises pregnant women not to ride in case they either fall off or get kicked by the horse. There can also be a danger of placental rupture. But the Daily Mail’s medical expert, Dr Martin Scurr, said he advised mothers to be not to wrap themselves up in cotton wool.
‘I think pregnant women shouldn’t be too over protected and there is very little I wouldn’t advise them to do. She is a professional athlete and I really can’t see the harm in it,’ he said. ‘The fact is that her body will soon grow to such an extent that it probably wouldn’t be practical for her to compete anyway, although she could still ride for fun.’
Indeed, it is believed that her mother, Princess Anne, also a competitive eventer rode until she was 34 weeks pregnant. Britain’s Mary King, who won six team golds at the world eventing championships, competed until she was five and a half months pregnant. She said she had the blessing of her doctor at the time, and was told that the ‘most dangerous’ time of the pregnancy was in the first six weeks of the pregnancy, when a heavy fall could cause a miscarriage, but ‘after that it’s much safer’.
I’m really not trying to create some kind of Mommy War or This-Is-The-Only-Way-To-Do-It Pregnancy Battle Royale. I don’t have an opinion one way or the other, I can see both sides of the issue and I’ve heard doctors advise different things for different women. I think the key factor is that Zara is now and has been a professional equestrian for years and years, and that she’s already in her third month (or beyond). Some doctors say that pregnant women can continue doing the activities they’ve always done, like running or riding. Some doctors say some women should take it easy. It depends on the woman and it depends on the pregnancy. I just hope Zara is being safe. Also: Anne was still a competitive rider when she was 34 weeks along?!!? Yeezus!!
Photos courtesy of WENN.
A pregnant trainer at the school where I ride told me that it’s not good to keep riding during the early stages, but after the 5-month mark or so, when the fetus is more ‘sturdy’ and holding on, it’s fine until practically the due date. I am guessing as a lifetime professional equestrian, Zara knows what she’s doing.
I know a few people who have continued to ride whilst pregnant. I think it comes down to knowing your limits and trusting yourself and your horse. She’s a vastly experienced rider, and has been round horses for her entirely life. I’ll let her be the judge on what she thinks is safe for her to accomplish and when to stop.
I think it’s up to her and to her doctor.
This^^
I am not going to police anyone’s body.
Yup! It’s a case by case situation. She’s fine.
How completely unselfish of her… I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s not like anyone has been bucked/fallen off a 1000lb animal before…
I won’t even let my pregnant co worker take the stairs!
Yup … just like those pregnant women who decide to drive cars! What’s the worst that could happen? Its not like anyone has ever been in a multi-car pile up before…
You won’t “let” your co-worker take the stairs? If she took the stairs before, she’ll be okay taking the stairs now, it’s not like she’s racing to the top of the Empire State Building.
I’m curious, do you carry your co-worker to her desk?
“let”? You won’t “let” her take the stairs? Do you jump in front of them saying NOOOOO!
Women in some parts of the world work in fields until their due date. A flight of stairs is nothing in comparison.
Pregnant women are too delicate to take the stairs? I had no idea :O.
I think of my ancestors who came to Canada and did hard physical labour outside while pregnant just to be able to survive in harsh conditions, and their babies were fine. I’m sure Zara has been around horses her whole life and can judge for herself what is best.
Sorry, guys. It was an attempt at sarcasm. Let her do whatever she wishes with the fetus, is that better?
Lol,it was just sarcasm! I couldn’t decide.
I’ve been pregnant a few times and every time it’s been the same advice. If your body is used to the activity then generally there’s no harm in continuing that activity. I guess it depends on the activity but she’s a pro at riding and in the early stages there’s a lot of natural padding for baby. I’m sure she’ll take necessary precaution.
At every marathon I’ve run, there is usually a pregnant woman with a sign on her back, “Baby on Board.” Seems kind of crazy, but I think it’s true that if your body is already used to it, it should be fine for the baby.
Yeah, I’m not a marathoner by any means, but I continued to run until the size of my belly became an issue. It’s not that it became hard to run. My pace didn’t change or anything. It’s that the underside of my belly hurt from the stretched muscles. I still walk though.
I really do not understand how some people can go directly to no activity once they find out they’re pregnant. My personal experience is that even though I get more tired now, I still need exercise to maintain my equilibrium.
I guess everyone just needs to listen to their own bodies.
It’s up to Zara she is a professional rider and always has been. I don’t think she would do anything to hurt the baby. She rode this past weekend and did fine it’s really up to her. I would be worried about falling cause accidents to happen Zara is old enough to know the risks and has decided it seems to keep riding. And yes I think she if the favourite Granddaughter! LOL
I don’t think I would take the risk, but I hope she doesn’t suffer too much backlash from it. I think people stick their noses into other’s pregnancies far too much these days.
Agreed. I wouldn’t do it, but I am sure her doctor gave her the okay.
She probably barely touches the saddle when she rides, and her legs are so strong she can keep her body still and steady, and not bouncing up and down like crazy. She’ll know when to stop. Although horseback riding is a very high risk activity and known to cause miscarriage.
Unless you are a rodeo rider, the bumpiness and little jolts you get from riding aren’t an issue unless you have a pre existing condition eg. a problem with the placenta.
Horse riding isn’t a big miscarriage risk, it’s just one of the things people blame miscarriages on in the search for a tangible explanation. Often women who thought their first miscarriage was caused by lifting heavy items, falling over and so on, will suffer subsequent miscarriages and discover a medical reason.
Well the British marathoner Paula Radcliff ran until about 6 months through both her pregnancies, so I don’t see the big deal. If someone is talking to their doctor, other professionals in their sport have done it (including her own mother), I don’t see why it’s anyones business.
She’s extremely experienced and she’s riding some of the best trained horses in the world. I don’t see a problem.
The first trimester is actually the best(relatively speaking, obviously) time to fall or injure yourself. For the first half or thereabouts of the pregnancy the fetus is quite well cushioned by the amniotic fluid. As the pregnancy progresses the fetus becomes much more vulnerable to falls, blows to the body and damage done in things like car crashes etc. but during the first half, unless you experience real trauma, a blow to the mother’s body carries a much, much, much smaller risk of miscarriage than the usual genetic abnormality’s and so on.
Zara is in her second trimester now
I know. I responding to the comments that suggest horse riding is most dangerous early on. In fact that’s when it’s safest, and for an experienced rider like Zara who’s fallen countless times and learned how to protect herself, being thrown from the horse is unlikely to be a big miscarriage risk until she’s about 7 months pregnant.
I’ve had 3 miscarriages now & have done extensive research on exercise & early pregnancy (I’ve read academic studies – I’m a casual runner) & the general consensus is that unless it’s a bad pregnancy, no amount of “shaking” is going to cause you to miscarry – i.e. – the jolting from the horse isn’t going to cause the baby to come loose. If you have good implantation, that baby’s sticking. The problem is once you’re 3-4 months, the baby isn’t safe behind your pelvic bone anymore. Which means if you fall, get kicked, whatever, the baby can be injured.
I debated on continuing to downhill ski during one of my pregnancies but decided against it. & I’m a pretty good skiier, I don’t ski above my ability & haven’t fallen in years. It’s a personal choice but you are putting yourself at a very high risk.
Riding isn’t really the issue – it’s the falling that’s the problem. I rode while pregnant – but no jumping, nothing faster than a canter. She’s a pro – I’m sure she’s riding well within her comfort zone. No shade!
Her body her choice. People use pregnancy as an excuse to do nothing.
I wouldn’t risk it, but I’m sure she didn’t make the decision on a whim.
Empress Sissi of Austria rode like a crazy person back in her days, pregnancy or not (not to mention extreme, unhealthy diets to be wasp-waisted), and with far inferior healthcare. Zara will be fine. Besides, as many pointed out, it’s her choice, a pregnant woman isn’t society’s property to lord over.
One of the riders for Team GB was 5 months at the Olympics last year and was told it was ok. If Olympic doctors give the ok, its fine. Lets stop shaming pregnant women for not laying in bed all day.
I stopped using my small trampoline as soon as I had a positive. My husband could zip line in Costa Rica but I could not. Wasn’t showing but followed their rules. Each to their own I guess. It wouldn’t be my choice.
I’m an endurance rider and I kept doing 50 mile endurance rides and training with my doctor’s blessing until my 37 th week both of my healthy pregnancies. My doctor preferred me keeping in shape with the exercise my body was already used to. I was only off the horse for a month total. I worked full time too. Pregnant women do not need to be swaddled and coddled unless there is something wrong. It is completely between the woman and her doctor. I stopped when I felt too unbalanced to ride.
Happy riding, Zara!
But did you walk up stairs?
I did and no one stopped me!
That’s because they were nice enough to ‘let’ you walk up the stairs.
I’ve never understood why some women feel the need to tell other women what they can do during pregnancy. Is uterus-shaming a thing? My mother was like you OTiff, stayed very active during each pregnancy and we (the kids) are perfectly fine.
(but then again, I don’t have children so I’m sure there is a mother out there saying my opinion doesn’t count)
Motherhood is hands down the most competitive arena of the human experience. There is no area that can’t be used to shame another person. Even conception. if the conditions weren’t ideal, you’ve already potentially damaged the fetus!!!!
I rode through both of my pregnancies and never had a problem. You do slow down but the basics are the basics and your body knows when you need to slow down.
I’m more concerned about the horses. Killing animals to entertain the rich
The accident in which her horse died was exactly that – a freak accident. That kind of thing isn’t common by any means. Our sport has many, MANY measures in place to protect riders and horses – but it doesn’t mean it can’t happen.
As a professional rider, I take offense to the notion that horse welfare is something that we don’t care about, nor take seriously beacause, after all, horses are simply means to entertain us “rich”. Ugh. You clearly have no business commenting on Equestrian in the first place.
Amen MisJes!
My horses are so happy. They get better care than some people I know. The best food, shoeing, etc.
They will have a home for their whole lives. They get better care than almost any animals I know.
You really have no business commenting on a subject you are clearly ignorant on.
TOT: Do you use iron shoes? If you don’t I will spare you my speach. *g* I used to be a natural hoof care provider and nutrition consultant and had wonderful results with endurance horses.
@usedtobelulu, my horses have not had shoes on in 4 years. One mare never gets shod, one mare needs to when I am living at home.
My home trails and mountains have extremely hard and rocky ground with some stretches of road and asphalt mixed in.
I can easily wear through a pair of shoes in six weeks. If I went bare, my mare would have no feet left. Easy boots don’t do it. I’m a proponent of barefoot and natural until the horse does too many miles on the ground at home. At that point, I think you have to shoe or you have a horse with no hoof left. The other mare has very hard feet and is not my primary endurance horse, so she doesn’t need it.
I had a horse who died from natural causes at a ripe old age. But I was a very casual rider.
Everyone else: I don’t think handsomeman is totally out of line with that comment. You hear of horses being mis used all the time. Just because yours are well treated doesn’t mean others aren’t.
The one thing I never got about riding is how the horse is treated like a commodity and as soon as you don’t need him/her any more another one is purchased and that one sold. I couldn’t do that for anything.
I remember your Auggie, Bluhare 🙂
I’ve been fortunate in that the horse I got at seven years old was able to see me right through to international level competition, but that was incredibly lucky.
As you move up through the ranks, in more cases than not you have no choice but to move onto more suited horses if you want to competitive. It can be sad, but as in the case of a lot of other riders I know, their previous horse goes to a younger or more inexperienced rider to love, enjoy and learn from, and all is well.
I’ve been a volunteer with The Hooved Animal Humane Society. There are many, many horse people who abuse and neglect their horses cruelly. It only takes witnessing one horse being hauled up by harness too starved to walk to learn that.
The rules of pregnancy interest me, as far as what is okay in one country (the US) being what I would assume is normal in other countries. Like, women can’t eat raw fish while pregnant, right? So do Japanese women skip sushi for 9 months, or is sushi okay in Japan? Women here get side eye’d for drinking while pregnant (obviously I don’t mean partying like Tara Reid), but they drink wine/beer fairly regularly in Europe, right?
My doctor actually came out and said that it is OK for me to eat sushi – we live near the coast, in a large metropolitan area where the restaurants have a lot of turnover, and that was her reasoning. If we lived in a small town in the middle of the country, she said she wouldn’t advise it.
yeah your at less risk at high turn over places, but there is the risk there are parasites still.
I craved sushi but stuck to veggi rolls and stuff so I still got the seaweed and flavor I craved but cut out any risk.
Well I’m pregnant and live in France, and every doctor I’ve seen told me not to drink alcohol AT ALL. Same for my friends with kids now. Pregnant don’t drink alcohol here, even beer.
My friends and I ride at third level (my level) and some of my friends are at Grand Prix/FEI levels of dressage. We all had children and rode while pregnant, and most of my friends competed. Our babies are just fine. No, I am not a pro rider, some of my friends are, and they are just fine. The children are just fine. It’s up to the mother.
i can’t see an ob/gyn who would be kosher with this.
Except Zara’s.
These would be the OB/GYN’s with the C-section rate 3 x the level of other developed countries and episiotomy levels for first time mothers in the 90 per cents?
I’ll take an enlightened pro-woman OB/GYN over a medicalized one any day!
Or a midwife!!
Like many have said, he’s an experienced rider and knows what she’s doing. If she’s ok with it, and her doctors are ok with it, then no one has any business saying yay or neigh. 😉
I’m sure she asked her doctor first if it was ok first.
Wouldn’t riging be really good for her pelvic muscles? The motion of riding a horse ‘English’ style would be the equivalent of doing a million Kegel exercises, I’ll bet.
That’s true! I actually had a pap about two months ago and the dr got down there and just went “ballet dancer or horseback rider?” And I went huh!? She said dancers and horseback riders have muscles of steel down there! (FYI I was a horseback rider and for me my doctor said riding at a walk was ok while pregnant but I am a pretty casual rider these days. I am sure someone of her experience would be ok for more)
I’m like Fort Knox too.
My FEI/GrandPrix trainer, rode multiple horses a day, until she was 7 months. After that, she was just in charge of giving the school masters a “tune up”. It all comes down to your comfort level and fitness, IMO.
Her body. Her child. Her choice.
I agree with you in this case, but would you say the same to a crack mother?
I can see her doing dressage till she gives birth, but jumping/eventing? Yikes! Can’t imagine how uncomfortable that would be for her and the horse! Remember, she had trained/schooled them when she’s one weight- 20 + pounds is a big change!
Horses are capable of carrying immense loads. 20 pounds of weight gain might change her ability to distribute weight through her stirrups as she once did, but it is of little importance to the horse.
I don’t see any problem with the riding itself, but the falling part would make me pretty nervous. Riders at that level fall fairly frequently, and it’s a chance I wouldn’t take. It’s a long way down from the back of a horse whether you’re an experienced rider or not.
I’m a horse person–have ridden all my life. I’m also pregnant. My horse passed away two years ago and I was on the hunt for a new horse when I got pregnant. I have put it off simply because I don’t want to get on unfamiliar horses right now. If I had my old guy, I am pretty sure I would have ridden for at least part of my pregnancy because I trusted him to take care of me.
I know several women that competed at high levels while very pregnant. It can be done. I really think it depends on the woman, the pregnancy and what her doctor says. Zara has been a pro for a very long time. She is doing a dangerous sport, but she knows the risks, and I’m sure she’ll lay off when she feels it’s time.
Side note, if we were having a girl, I was planning to name her Zara, in small part after this woman. 🙂 We’re having a boy, so that name goes back on the shelf!
ITA. I just had spinal fusion surgery. When I get home I will be riding my girls. My friend has a stallion she wanted me to train for her. I will not be doing that in the near future because I am not familiar with the horse and I don’t want an increased risk of falling.
I know my horses, know they pretty much will not spook at anything and I won’t be falling off. I’m looking for a new horse as well in the near future, but again will put that off until my neck is completely done fusing and healing.
Experienced equestrians are all about not taking silly risks. You get quite hurt that way.
Congratulations on the baby and horse-shopping!
And you can always use a play on Zara… Zane?
Thanks! I love Zane–but my husband didn’t like that one. 🙂 We’ll save Zara for a future girl, I think. This boy’s name will be Wilder – my maiden name!
I’m glad we didn’t have these worries with the Duchess. Nobody was saying oh no all shopping will hurt the baby.
LMAO
LOL!
Ha! Thanks for the laugh.
Ha ha ha. Isn’t funny to see how Kate was and is coddled because she is so frail and dependent on everyone verses Zara who is extremely independent,strong and self sufficient. Too funny. One would have thought it would have been the other way around since Zara is royal by birth.
Haha! Brilliant.
That was funny.
I’m a non-competing hunter/jumper (taking time off due to a nasty fall) and if i were pregnant I would not ride early in the pregnancy but i would ride in the latter part of the first trimester as I wouldn’t be physically able to after four months along. She should enjoy the time she has left in the saddle, I’m certain this decision weighed heavily on her. She is judged harsher than a common person but seems nothing sort of down to earth,lovely and thoughtful.
..and I mean.. she’s only riding DRESSAGE… so….really… lol.
Same here. I would ride a well trained, trustworthy horse while preggo, no problem!
Ha ha. I thought she was eventing? Yes,if she is competing dressage only it will certainly be looked upon better. Though in dressage no helmets are worn so someone is bound to wind themselves up over that!
And about the trustworthy horse… Most of us have gone off of an honest horse,that’s the scary thing. I trusted my horse with my life until he freaked out for no apparent reason and threw me at a gallop. I’m lucky I was not hurt but I took a break for that reason. We have all been thrown into a fence or a jump. I hope Zara stays safe!
She’s definitely an eventer.
And dressage horse does not necessarily mean quiet. Some of the top dressage horses are incredibly hot, like riding a lit powder keg that can explode in any direction. (Anky broke her thighbone coming off Salinero, one of her Olympic horses as he was coming up the ranks)
My Mom rode extensively and competitively all through her pregnancy with me and I came out okay… I think 😉 She knew her horses well and was in excellent shape – her doctor didn’t have an issue with it. In fact, she competed right up to two weeks prior to giving birth… she used to joke I was born in the saddle 🙂 And she resumed competing less than a month after I was born.
You can already tell that Zara’s pregnancy is a true pregnancy. Not fake like Waity’s.
I wouldn’t risk it, personally. A fall and kick and it’s all over. Jumping horses is the second most dangerous sport there is (#1 being motocross) but maybe she only does dressage? I don’t keep up with competitive riding.
Obviously, it’s her decision. I remember my doctor telling me to do what *I* felt comfortable doing. Reason being, we women already question our every move in retrospect when we miscarry, so why give ourselves ammunition.
I rode/worked until I was eight months pregnant.I only stopped because I wasn’t physically able to get in the saddle anymore.Shortly after I returned to work the horse I was on fell and rolled over top of me.If that had happened when I was pregnant I would have lost my son.Now that he’s here and I can hold him in my arms and look at his beautiful face,I would have never taken that risk.I have a friend who’s pregnant now,doing the same job I was doing.Damn…I worry about her.I’m a Thouroghbred horseman and all riding is high risk in this sport.So,to all of you pregnant horseback ridin’ mamas,I can’t tell you what to do,But know that I wish you the best and keep your job between your legs.And please be careful,your little co-pilot depends on you.
As others have said the riding itself is not issue- it’s the falling off.