RIDING TO THE RESCUE
In this exclusive interview, Jodie Kidd tells us how horses cured her anxiety after she quit modelling and opens up about her equine-loving royal friends
The former model and England polo player’s love of horses is clear to see; and (below) Jodie with her close friend and fellow equestrian Zara Tindall in 2018
Looking a picture of health and glowing with vitality, Jodie Kidd gently strokes her horse’s mane as she stands in a field surrounded by her beloved animal companions.
The 46-year-old entrepreneur has had a passion for equestrian pursuits since she was a child. However, these noble creatures have also played a vital role in her life: they have helped cure her debilitating anxiety.
“Animals helped me through a scary period of anxiety and lows, and very tough times in my life,” Jodie reveals in this exclusive interview with hello! from her home in West Sussex. “They bring a huge sense of calm and happiness and love.”
Best known for a glittering modelling career in which she rubbed shoulders with Kate Moss, shot global campaigns for Chloé and walked the runway for Chanel in Paris, she first suffered from the condition during her catwalk heyday.
Her ascent had been rapid: Jodie shot to fame in 1994, aged 15, when she was scouted by photographer Terry O’Neill on a beach in Barbados. The following year, she found herself drinking champagne backstage at shows.
“I didn’t know what was going on, because I was a late teenager,” Jodie has told us. “It was when people didn’t really know about anxiety, so I thought I was going mad.