Queen’s granddaughter, Billy Slater and jockey Hugh Bowman show their competitive side
Royalty and rugby league came together over a mutual love of polo on the Gold Coast when the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall and NRL legend Billy Slater took to the field.
Royalty and rugby league came together over a mutual love of polo on the Gold Coast when the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall and NRL legend Billy Slater took to the field.
“My competitive edge definitely came out,” said Slater after his 4-4 drawn match against a team captained by Winx’s regular jockey Hugh Bowman.
“I had so much adrenaline pumping that riding around afterwards was like the end of an origin game,” said retired Melbourne Storm and Queensland State of Origin captain Slater.
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The third year of the Pacific Fair Magic Millions Polo attracted a crowd of more than 3000 people to watch stars including Argentinian professional polo player Nacho Figueras and his former champion athlete wife and model Delfina Blaquier play.
Figueras said: “The fact that you have two stars like Billy Slater and Hugh Bowman playing in a game like this is just fantastic for the sport.”
The games were organised by former Australian polo team captain Rob Archibald who had Zara Tindall on his team.
“She is very good at reminding me if I am not playing very well,” he joked.
“Hang on,” said Zara. “That was when Rob was playing with his wife and gave her the ball even though she was on the other team.”
“We don’t have to worry about than anymore,” joked Archibald, who split from Channel 7 racing commentator wife Francesca Cumani last year.
Zara, an Olympic equestrian horsewoman, was also miffed that she was the only amateur polo player in her match. “I wouldn’t have minded another amateur out there who could look crap like me,” she laughed.
Zara and former English rugby international husband Mike left their two children Mia, four and Lena, seven months, at home for their trip to The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Carnival.
The $170 million yearling sale culminates with a $10 million race day on Saturday.
Mike Tindall, famous for his rugby flattened face, was also displaying his new look nose on the Gold Coast for the first time.
“It’s a new straight nose, the old one had a U-bend in it,” Tindall said
“I was getting terrible headaches and could not sleep so I thought it was time to get it fixed.”
He had been taking lessons with the aim of playing this year but the standard proved too high. “If there were some complete amateurs out there I might have had a go,” he said.
Next year he might have a chance. The Star Gold Coast Ambassadors, former English rugby league player and model Kris Smith and former Miss World Australia Erin Holland have both volunteered to play in the celebrity game next year.
Holland has been riding bareback since she was a little girl.
“I had a good ride this morning but I’m not so sure about him,” she said.
Smith agreed: “I sat on the back of a horse today and felt I needed training wheels.
“But I am mates with Billy Slater so I might go down to his farm in Victoria and get him to give me some lessons.”
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