Zara Tindall, 41, was born Zara Phillips to Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips in 1981. Although she is now happily married to I’m A Celebrity star Mike Tindall, she was formerly in a relationship with professional jockey Richard Johnson from 1998 to 2003.

The couple met at David Johnson’s stables, with them both working there for the National Hunt trainer.

The pair were both riders, with Zara also having the additional duties of grooming the horses.

Speaking with Blond Illusion back in 2002, Richard explained: “Zara and I used to go out in the same crowd and gradually we became closer. It wasn’t a bolt from the blue, it was something that just grew.”

The couple became serious with one another and even moved into a swanky Cotswolds home together.

Then-24-year-old Richard and 21-year-old Zara moved in together at the National Hunt jockey’s £400,000 house in the Cotswolds.

This property was not far from Princess Anne’s residence at Gatcombe Park, which ironically is where Zara and Mike live now.

Zara and Richard did a photo shoot with Hello Magazine in 2002 and allowed cameras into their home to provide royal fans with a glimpse of their swanky property.

The kitchen showed white cupboards along the wall, with yellow, red and blue tiles underneath to separate the cupboards from the washing machine and oven down below.

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In another photo in the living room, there was a massive Christmas tree behind the couple as they sat with their labrador Callie and drank Champagne to celebrate the festive season.

The couple also took an exterior shot of the property, with Richard sitting on a fence outside the home while Zara stood next to him staring right into the camera.

The home in the background appeared to be cream, with panelled windows and a red brick roof.

There appeared to be a massive drive at the entrance of the home, with lots of greenery, perfect for Zara who was a growing equestrian at the time. She would go on to win an Olympic medal in the London 2012 Olympics 10 years later.

A black car could also be seen parked outside, presumably belonging to the couple. In another exterior shot, Zara’s horse Dingbat could be seen stabled outside.

“We keep a close circle of friends and prefer our own company to the bright lights,” Mr Johnson told The Evening Standard at the time. “In the evenings we tend to just veg out in front of the television like any normal couple. We both prefer the quiet life here in the Cotswolds. I am a home bird and so is Zara.”

Mr Johnson reportedly called time on their relationship in 2003. The pair have still remained close, however, and were pictured chatting with one another back in 2016 when Zara was pregnant at the time.

The jockey has since found love following his split from Zara, marrying Fiona Chance in 2007 and the couple share three children.



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Post source: Express