Household Cavalry sculptor-in-residence

After years in a city job, Zoë Carmichael was destined to devote herself to the antique discipline of sculpture and immortalise her favourite subjects - horses - in bronze

- Bethany Stone

I’ve hunted all my life. Growing up, I hunted with the Cotswold and VWH and I’m lucky to have been out with lots of packs, from the Teme Valley in Wales where I learnt the name of almost every hound, to days out with the Beaufort with a field of 200-plus. My greatest moments have been following my best friends over Ledbury hedges.

Eventually, I focused on eventing – I did juniors and under-21s. Then I got a four-year-old, Bertie, and took him up to what would be four-star today.

I remember going into my first intro and realising what a horse we had. At home, Bertie’s sharp and spooky, but once you get him on a cross-country course he’ll jump anything. At Belton, he tripped in the middle of a double of hanging logs, but he knew he had to find a way between those flags. We’d always treat him to home-made flapjacks afterwards. He’s retired now, but he’s still king of the yard.

I joined a finance company after university and worked there for eight-and-a-half years. I was senior staff, managing a team of 17, yet in every corner of my life there was a drive to create. I suppose it’s in my blood – my granny was an artist, my auntie is an artist, my dad makes furniture – and I’ve always painted watercolours, and made cakes that look like things.