In an interview with Closer, the 44-year-old Olympian revealed that the former England rugby captain placed a winning bid on the final lot of the evening after enjoying drinks throughout the auction.
“He’d had a few beers. It was the last lot of the night. Mikey put his hand up, and that was it,” she said. “He was left buying this horse for £12,000.”
Zara, daughter of Princess Anne, admitted she was “so annoyed” at the unplanned acquisition. But what seemed like a rash decision ultimately turned into a racing success story.
Despite her initial frustration, Mike brought in three fellow rugby players—James Simpson-Daniel, Nicky Robinson, and trainer Michael Scudamore—to form a co-ownership group for the horse, named Monbeg Dude.
“Annoyingly, it did not backfire,” Zara noted. “He got three mates involved, and the horse ended up winning the Welsh Grand National and came third in the Grand National. I was so annoyed.”
Monbeg Dude rose to prominence as a leading steeplechaser. His greatest achievements included winning the Welsh Grand National and securing third place in the Grand National, making him one of the top racehorses of his era.
However, in 2016, Monbeg Dude’s racing career came to an end after sustaining an injury during his Grand National run. Trainer Michael Scudamore expressed “mixed feelings” about the retirement, telling BBC Sport, “It’s sad to see the horse’s career end but nice to see him go out in one piece.”
After retirement, Monbeg Dude moved to the Tindalls’ home at Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire—a residence shared with Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence. There, he lived alongside Zara’s other celebrated horse, Toytown, who passed away in 2017.
Reflecting on Monbeg Dude’s legacy, Scudamore told BBC Sport: “We’ve had some great days with him, and the thing about him was that he wasn’t bred to be a superstar.”