Millie Halley
Millie Halley
Equestrian and artist
Millie Halley dares to dream. Dream big. And judging by the hard work, talent and realism this 21-year-old displays, one of these days you get the feeling that dream may come true.
Millie, who lives near Bridestowe, is a passionate horsewoman who is aiming to become a professional three-day eventer - the ultimate test of horse and rider. She’s currently at novice level but is hoping to compete at internationally next year with her horse, Pie. Sponsored by Saddleshack in Holsworthy, she’s already spent time working with Olympic riders Ludwig Svennerstal, Oliver Townend and Mary King, always learning and honing her skills and she has high hopes for her other young horse, Florence, who she broke in herself.
‘She’s a fantastic horse, she’s going to be really good in the future, but it does take a long time and a lot of hard work and training,’ said Millie, who started riding when she was about six years old.
‘My Mum’s always been horsey and we’ve always had horses and ponies - all I have ever wanted to do is be a professional event rider. It’s a hard thing to do, for every good day you have, you’ll get three or four that are bad, so you have to be quite a resilient character. When you get that good day, it’s incredible, but you have to soak it up, because it doesn’t happen so often!
‘To succeed at the top you and your horse have to work really hard and you also need a bit of luck - then sometimes bad luck hits you and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it. There are so many more variables - if you are an athlete there’s just your body to think about, but with riders, there’s the horse as well. You definitely have to have a sense of humour!’
Millie probably competes in a dozen or so events throughout the season, which runs from April to October. When not competing she also rides for other people - sometimes she may take out as many as five horses in one day.
Being fit and active is obviously very important to her - after she left school she did a foundation degree and qualified as a personal trainer, but working with the horses takes up the majority of her time - that and her other great passion - drawing.
She is a talented, largely self-taught artist whose skill was recognised last October when she won the national SAA (Society of Amateur Artists) artist of the year title in the junior section of the animal and wildlife category - beating more than 3,000 young hopefuls with her stunning image of Florence.
She said she was very surprised - and ‘super pleased’ - to have won such a prestigious title, which she hopes will boost the second string to her bow, completing art commissions for animal lovers in the area.
‘Art is a hobby but it’s turned into something really useful!’ said Millie. ‘I ride during the day and I draw during the evening. I’ve been getting people saying “Can you draw my horse, can you draw my dog?” and it’s snowballed.’
While Millie tends to concentrate on horses and dogs, she said she would be happy to tackle any animal - although she steers clear of drawing people. Working from photos, a picture could take anything from 15 to 30 hours for her to complete.
’The devil is in the detail,’ said Millie. ‘Anything fluffy or curly takes ages because you have to draw every hair. . Something like a spaniel’s ears, which also have so much character and texture, you can’t mess up. They look amazing when they are finished, but they are the hardest thing to do.’
MIllie’s artistry isn’t confined to paper - she also decorates cakes, loves to bake - and can even turn her hand to bricklaying at a push.
‘I’ll do anything if it’s creative, but oddly enough I can’t get to grips with flowers. I love them but I just can’t get them to do what I want them to do,’ grinned the daughter of a professional florist!
Despite her dream of becoming a professional three-day eventer, Millie said she’d never leave Dartmoor permanently - and paid tribute to her ‘amazing family’ and friends who were so supportive of her.
‘I know I am very lucky,’ she said.
Jane Honey