An award-winning equestrian has swapped life in the stables for the glitz and glamour of the catwalk after reaching the Miss England final. 

Two-time Horse of the Year Show finalist Sophie Mitchell, 25, has set her sights on winning the prestigious beauty contest being held on November 17. 

A far cry from her day job, Sophie will be competing against up to 100 other glamorous participants with the hopes of becoming the next Miss World, currently held by Grace Richardson from Leicester.

While Sophie has never modelled before, she initially entered Miss England to prove that equestrian riders can also be glamorous after receiving swathes of abuse from online trolls over her appearance. 

'Lots of people believe that in order to do something, you should look a certain way. I love farming, I love horse riding and I also love being glamorous,' Sophie, of Horsley Woodhouse, Derbyshire, said.

'Spreading the message of, you can look however you want to, is very important to the younger generation.'

Also competing to earn the honour of representing the nation at the 76th Miss World competition is PC Tara Sampson, 24, who has been working for Greater Manchester Police for over a year and was recently crowned Miss Manchester. 

Other stylish competitors include Harley Jade Chesworth, a makeup artist from Manchester, 21-year-old fashion student Tabitha Bennett, HR coordinator Kunwal Nadeem, 22, and Laiba Khursheed, 20, an actress from Cheshire.

At the Miss England semi-final contest held on October 11, Sophie won the people's choice public vote award and placed second in the talent round with an entertaining performance of Dolly Parton's 'Coat of Many Colours'. 

She received a remarkable 196,000 public votes which fast-tracked her to the grand final, which will be held at Athena events venue in Leicester next month. Grace Richardson, who currently holds the Miss World title, will be crowning her successor. 

Sophie, who also runs a doggy day care business, added: 'I'm incredibly honoured and grateful to have won the Miss England semi-final People's Choice public vote.

'The support I've received has been truly overwhelming. It means so much to know that so many people have got behind me.'

Sophie and her horse Mel - who she lovingly named after Spice Girl Mel B - came in sixth place at this year's acclaimed Horse of the Year Show, following an eighth place success the year before.  

That same year, she also achieved fourth place at the prestigious Hickstead Royal International Horse Show.

Although competing at prestigious horse shows may seem a far cry from competing in beauty pageants, Sophie is adamant that the two ventures have more in common than one might think. 

She added: 'Pageantry is the same but different to equestrianism.

'When you are riding you are part of a team, but with showing horses, the competition is about the confirmation of the horse, how well it is put together, how athletic it moves, how well mannered it is.

'It is about so much more than the best turned out horse. Pageantry is similar as it is about the person, and being a well-rounded individual as well as looking good.

'Showing is what I am entirely most passionate about, I have dedicated my life up until now to showing horses and will continue to do so.

'No one else wears a full face of makeup in the ring apart from me- I will always try to look glamorous whatever I do.'

Mel was gifted to Sophie by her mother Laura at Christmas 2024, the Irish-bred mare is produced by Edward Young and has enjoyed considerable success.

Sophie, who has been riding since the age of three, added: 'Mel is my absolute world.

'I couldn't love her any more if I tried. She's truly worth her weight in gold.'

The winner of Miss England will represent the country at the next Miss World 2027 in Tanzania in May.

Grace Richardson became the first British beauty queen to win Miss World's talent round in its 75-year history in August.

The performing arts graduate from Leicester beat 111 other contestants to become the first Miss England ever to win the Miss World Talent round, fast-tracking her to the final.

She sang her way into the history books this week after stunning judges and fans with her moving rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow - an 'extraordinary' achievement considering Grace was born with a condition known as tongue-tie.

The beauty queen's proud mother Alyson said the award represents Grace's 'determination and resilience' after overcoming ankyloglossia, which restricts the movement of the tongue.

'She has had to work incredibly hard to find different ways to form sounds, words and musical notes,' Alyson said. 'That makes this recognition feel even more extraordinary to us'.

The musical theatre student, who was crowned Miss England last November, said it feels 'incredibly special to be recognised' for her talent, adding: 'I can't wait to see what the next two weeks bring, knowing I'm already through to the top 40.

'I'm just going to enjoy every moment and continue to give it my all representing England.'

Alyson, who is in Vietnam supporting the beauty queen, said 'singing' was initially difficult for Grace.

'Grace has been humming and dancing for as long as we can remember, even before she could properly walk or talk. But singing and speech have never come easily to her,' she revealed.

'Grace was born with ankyloglossia, commonly known as tongue-tie, which restricts the movement of the tongue.

'As her parents, we couldn't be prouder. This award means so much because it feels like recognition not just of Grace's talent, but of her resilience, determination and all the hard work she has put in to overcome the challenges along the way.'

Miss England Director Angie Beasley said: 'This was the round Grace really wanted.

'Performing is her passion and her ultimate dream is to appear on a West End stage.

'She wasn't sure whether to sing or dance after injuring her ankle last year, especially with such a high standard of talent in the competition.

'But Grace went out there, gave it everything and sang her heart out – and it paid off. We couldn't be prouder of her.'

The competition has not had a British winner since 1983 and Grace has previously said it would be 'absolutely incredible' to bring the Miss World crown to England.