A quintessential horse-crazy kid, they were all Kelly Soleau-Millar could talk about from an early age. It took determination but, after visiting more farms than they could count, Kelly’s mom finally found an instructor willing to take on a two-year-old! Her first pony, Sweet Dreams, was purchased when Kelly was three and, despite being told that the pony would only walk and trot, she persevered and found a way to make him canter.
Her mother spent her weekends taking Kelly and Sweet Dreams to various horse shows where they started out in the leadline classes before advancing to the walk-trot and short-stirrup divisions. By the time Kelly was nine, she had qualified for the prestigious Washington International Horse Show where she and Farnley Beeware were the only pony entry competing in the Children’s Hunter division.
When Kelly was ready for the Children’s Jumper division, they imported a horse from Switzerland, naming it Vonderheyde in tribute to her father’s family heritage. Together, Kelly and Vonderheyde claimed the 1998 Marshall & Sterling League national championship title. She also qualified for the major Equitation Finals for three years with Heart’s On Fire, who did double-duty with Kelly in the Junior Hunter divisions.
Kelly represented U.S. Zone 1 at the North American Junior and Young Riders’ Championship on five occasions. For her first appearance, she leased Kinders Lucky Charm for the week and won the Junior division Farewell competition. In 2003, she enjoyed a top 10 finish individually in the Young Riders’ division with Master Man, her partner of 11 seasons and the horse she credits as being the biggest part of her career to date. Starting out in the Low Junior Jumper division, Master Man carried Kelly to her first World Cup Grand Prix as well as her debut in the International Ring at Calgary’s iconic Spruce Meadows.
With another special mount, Centre Ice, Kelly celebrated victory in the $20,000 RAM Equestrian Grand Prix in 2014 in at the Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave, ON. Kelly and her now-husband, Jonathon Millar riding his father’s 2012 Olympic mount, Star Power, were the only two people to qualify for the jump-off. Having previously part-owned Centre Ice, Kelly’s father had purchased the horse for her outright shortly before his passing, making their grand prix win together both memorable and bittersweet.
Kelly’s current top mount is Cacharel, owned by Donna Vanderwoude-Dyment in partnership with Bridge Brook Arms. Kelly and Cacharel began competing together during the 2017 season and, based on impressive results at the international level, were named to the United States Equestrian Team for the €250,000 CSIO5* Longines Nations’ Cup in Coapexpan, Mexico, marking Kelly’s Nations’ Cup debut.
Competing as a professional, Kelly works full-time as a rider, trainer, and the manager of Millar Brooke Farm. She continues to ride for her family’s farm, Bridge Brook Arms, based in Wellington, FL, and founded by her parents, Mary Christine and Robert Soleau. In December of 2015, Kelly married Millar in Key West, Florida. A true animal lover, Kelly is rarely seen without her pack of Welsh corgis in tow. In addition to a regular pilates regime, Kelly enjoys interior design and renovating both houses and barns.
