British royal Zara Tindall and husband Mike visit Australia every year to attend the annual Magic Millions Carnival.
In 2024, the royals attended the Magic Millions Racing Women Achievement Awards on the Gold Coast, as Zara is a patron of Magic Millions.
Mike and Zara brought the thunder down under for the multimillion-dollar sporting event on the Gold Coast.
The Magic Millions event is an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse auction house which hosts a number of star-studded events throughout the year, notably the world-famous Gold Coast Yearling Sale at Surfers Paradise in January.
Featuring the cream of the Australasian yearling crop, the world class event attracts horse racers from around the world as they bid and sell the next generation of racehorse talent.
The event also attracts A-listers from across the world, with the British couple rubbing shoulders with the likes of Chris Hemsworth and wife Elsa Pataky.
It comes as no surprise that Zara and ex-rugby player husband Mike were in attendance given Zara’s track record as a renowned and accomplished equestrian.
The 20th in line of succession to the British throne even partook in a game of polo whilst at the event, changing from her $1,258 AUD Rebecca Vallance dress into more appropriate riding gear.
The couple last appeared at the event in 2020 prior to the event being cancelled for two years due to ongoing border closures. They have also been ambassadors for the event for the last decade.
Speaking at the event, Mike said that it was ”lovely” to return to Australia once more.
”It’s lovely to have a break from the bleak January in the UK. It’s nice to come back down and see all our friends again. We love the ambassadors and we love getting together,” Mr Tindall said.
Zara said that coming to the Magic Millions was like ”coming back home.”
”It really is like a family and it’s been hard not being here for two years,” she said.
Following their 2023 trip down under, Mike Tindall revealed if and when he and wife Zara will be making a permanent move to Australia following a lifelong love affair with the country.
Speaking with HELLO! at the Legends of Rugby Awards in February 2023, Mike said he would ”never say never,” to living in Australia full time.
”It’s not on the cards, people try to say we almost did but we never almost did. It’s never been an actual thing where we’ve looked for a house or anything.
”We love Australia a lot and we love the lifestyle, I think it’s brilliant for kids but whether we could actually move there, we’re not sure.”
Not only do Zara and Mike love the Australian lifestyle, but the couple actually met right here in 2003, completely by chance.
Because their love story began down under, Zara and Mike have a strong connection to the country and they make the effort to visit every year not only for the Magic Millions event, but also so they can relive the magical moment when they met.
“We try to get back to have lunch at the place where we met whenever we can,” Mike told HELLO Magazine in June 2024.
“We love Sydney and have loads of friends there, so it’s been an important city in our lives.”