Interview
turned out in their riding breeches , hacking jackets and hats for their meeting with Princess Anne . “ I was just wearing jeans and desert boots and thought that would be it ”. However , when the Princess Royal came in , along with daughter Zara Phillips , it seems they hit it off pretty quickly despite Catherine ’ s dressed-down look . In fact her interview took place in a car as they drove around the estate – ‘ crawled all over by the dogs ’ - and was more of a ‘ lively conversation ’ than a formal quizzing . “ I wasn ’ t expecting that at all !” says Catherine , who was told afterwards that she was offered the job because of her informal , down-to-earth approach . Catherine was hired to work for Zara at Snowshill as well as Princess Anne at Gatcombe Park . She recalls Captain Mark Phillips buying the legendary chestnut gelding Toytown for his daughter Zara in 1999 , and starting to work with the lively and unpredictable horse . Though not exactly a natural eventer , Toytown was brought in to line sufficiently to help win Zara the Young Rider title at Bramham Horse Trials in 2002 , followed by a string of other successes at home and abroad . Catherine worked so closely with Zara that they covered each other ’ s days off – and she says she has nothing but respect for the young Royal ’ s hard work ethic . She ’ s also full of admiration for Princess Anne , whom she describes unaffectedly as ‘ pretty wicked ” “ She ’ ll be the first person on the estate with her hands down the drain when it ’ s blocked – then you ’ ll
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