a YOUNG rider from Lydford with a special way with animals is celebrating a successful Devon County Show in the saddle.

Millie Login, 16, won first prizes in both the In Hand (leading the horse) and Ridden classes at the Devon County Show on George VI, a 17.2hh Hunter. She also competing in the Welsh native breed classes on her Welsh D Demy, winning several prizes.

Mum Dena said she was very proud of her daughter, who works all hours helping her look after her horses and other animals. She explained that the family had only recently moved to Lydford, having lived in Salcombe and Kingsbridge for many years.

‘Millie is 16 and has been competing at county level since she was 10,’ said Dena. ‘We moved to Lydford in 2020 and we absolutely love it. We have the beautiful moors to ride out on which must be the best training ground going, and to be so close to the A30 to get to training sessions and shows. We feel very blessed.’

Dena used to own George VI, the 17.2hh Hunter, and when the current owner, a family friend, offered Millie the chance to compete on him in this year’s Devon County Show she jumped at the chance. The classes she took part in are area qualifiers for championships later in the year.

‘Both classes were very well attended with a high standard of lovely horses and ponies so to be placed first in both the Ridden and the In Hand classes was a tribute to the professional way she presents her horses, and of course the quality of the horse.’

She said Millie had done well too in the Welsh D classes, coming third in the ridden class and fourth in the In Hand Class.

‘We bought him as a three-year-old which looking back was a bold move as Millie was only 14,’ she said. ‘However she has worked so hard training him and building up his fitness, and with the help of amazing instructors produced a lovely horse. She has a busy summer ahead, competing at the up coming agricultural shows and hopefully an exciting future.’

Millie has just finished Okehampton College and starts a two-year animal therapy course in September where she will be working on the interaction between animals and humans alongside schooling her horses.