Halter Icon, Kenny Mills, age 80, passed away on April 28, 2019, due to complications of Pulmonary Fibrosis.
Besides being successful and well regarded in the business world, Mills was an enthusiastic horseman and one of the premier breeders of American Quarter Horses for over 20 years. He showed in halter classes at countless Quarter Horse, and Paint Horse shows throughout the country, winning many prestigious awards, and raised some of the finest World Champion Quarter Horses and American Paint Horses. Mills and his wife, Kara, were well known for owning the legendary halter sire, Kids Classic Style as well as Golden Gunslinger.
Doug Tallent, who managed Kids Classic Style, talked about how Kenny came about buying the gorgeous buckskin halter stallion. “One day he walked into my barn and told me he was going to buy him,” Tallent recalls. “I had never met the man. I told him he better have a lot of money. He told me he did, and he turned around and left. I didn’t know if he was serious or not, but he did what he said he was going to do and got the deal done. The stallion changed both of our lives. He was a horse from Heaven.”
Tallent continues, “Kenny had a will to win. He was a good horse trader and loved horses. He also loved buckskins even though it wasn’t a popular color back in the day. Now, it’s a very popular color largely because of Kids Classic Style. Kenny loved to bring him to Stallion Avenue at the Congress and show him off to everyone.”
“It was always one of the best times when I saw Kenny at a show or a sale, great conversations. I respected his knowledge and appreciated how he treated others,” says Don Falcon, WCHA Executive Director. “He was good for our industry, and I was grateful for his friendship. God Bless.”
It is without a doubt that he made a significant impact in the world of horse breeding and showing and was well liked and respected by his colleagues.
Friend LuAnn Knost also expressed her condolences. “Kenny Mills was a great guy; his radiant smile always enlightened a room. Kenny was very knowledgeable and a great promoter in the halter horse industry. He will be missed.”
A Visitation will be held Friday, May 3, 2019, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Holloway Funeral Home in Salisbury, MD. A Funeral Service will take place on Saturday, May 4, 2019, at 11:00 AM, also at Holloway’s. A Visitation will be held one hour before the service. Entombment will immediately follow at Wicomico Memorial Park in Salisbury, MD.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Kenny’s memory may be made to the Fruitland Volunteer Fire Dept., 104 E Main St, Fruitland, MD 21826.
Arrangements are in the care of Holloway Funeral Home, P.A., 501 Snow Hill Road, Salisbury, MD 21804. To send condolences to the family, please visit www.hollowayfh.com.
