Isobel Hector tells how she is combines cow farming with modelling

But when Isobel Hector was invited to a top London model agency to see if they wanted to add her to their books she told them that she couldn’t make it – as it was lambing season.

Fortunately for the 18-yearold from Swanwick although the agency – Milk Management – had a good laugh about it they were impressed with her work ethic and happy to wait until she could see them.

And when they did see her they liked her so much that they offered her a contract on the spot.

It’s the sort of thing dreams are made of, but not Isobel’s dreams – she has always wanted to have her own farm and her greatest passion is for cows.

A family friend and model scout, Emma Mackie, first suggested to Isobel that she might like to become a model when she was 16 but encouraged her to wait until she had finished her education.

“I was a bit interested at the time but then I completely forgot about the whole thing, to be honest,” says the five foot nine teenager.

Isobel Hector

In the meantime Isobel fell in love with farming.

“The students at her school did work experience and I encouraged her to do something she would never get a chance to do otherwise,” says Isobel’s mother, Sally. “She went to a dairy and she was hooked!”

After finishing her GCSEs, Isobel went to Sparsholt College, where she studied agriculture, and began to pursue her dream job of farming.

“With farming I like being outdoors and the people are really nice and I like being with big animals, especially cows. I’m not a complete cow freak, but they are really curious and calm,”

she laughs.

Isobel has made a name for herself in the local farming industry and managed to get a number of temporary jobs but due to the seasonal nature of farming, found herself out of work. It was then that her thoughts turned to modelling again.

“There weren’t many jobs around which was why I got back in contact with Emma – I needed another job,” she explains.

“It’s not really my top interest but I wondered if I could get into it. I saw curve models were being recruited by some of the big agencies and I wondered if I could do that, because I didn’t want to have to lose any weight.”

Isobel Hector

Isobel has been taken on as a curve or plus-size model.

“I'm glad I'm doing plus-size because although I eat healthily I don't have to worry about what I eat like the other girls do,” she says.

She adds that having been added to Milk Management's books she is more interested in modelling.

“It's nice not being scruffy and wearing nice clothes and having your hair and make-up done,” she says.

“It would be good if I got to travel to model too - that would be really exciting.”

Although the two jobs are very different she hopes they will fit together well.

“I really want to balance modelling and farming,” she says.

“I love farming and I have commitments to it. I've been offered a job at a farm. It was going to be full time but I asked if they would mind if I give the modelling a go and milk for them when I can. Luckily they are happy for me to do that.”

If Isobel is successful as a model, she could find herself earning more in a week on a photo shoot than she does in a year on the farm, but for her that isn't an issue.

“I do farming because I love it,” she says.

“I don't want modelling to change me. I don't think it will because I'll soon be back in overalls and covered in cow poo again!”

Isobel Hector