Zelie Bullen, an Australian horse-lover and training expert, has dedicated her life to animals and was chosen to train the horses in Steven Spielberg's blockbuster movie Warhorse. Bullen was proud to take on such a unique and important role in cinematic history.
"I have always admired Steven Speilberg and been fascinated by his work," Zelie told Eurodressage's Sarah Warne. "He is a quiet, gentle and sincere man who I found very approachable and reasonable to work with. However, he was one of the most difficult directors that I have ever worked with as he sets a fast pace and expects excellent results quickly. I think it needs to be said that a man could surely not get to his position within the film industry without expecting a certain standard from each member of his crew on each of his movies."
Given the gig on Warhorse after working with a member of Spielberg's crew on a previous job, Zelie applies a training method using combination of many methods learnt over several years working with and assisting many great trainers. "I combine all this with techniques evolved from my own personal experience. I am one of the lucky few within the animal training industry who has been lucky enough to work with many species of animals and therefore been able to experiment and trial various methods with various breeds and species."
Following her sister Freda into horses as a young girl, the 7-year old Zelie was fascinated by her elder sister Freda's first horse. "I followed her everywhere I could asking for a ride! Mum finally realised that horses/ponies weren't going to wear off and I got my first pony, "Peppermint Candy", for my 10th birthday (once I was old enough to care for her myself)."
In love with "everything" about horses, Zelie is particularly taken by their majesty, grace, beauty, loyalty, style, athleticism, ability, and their social structures. "And possibly most of all: their ability to bond with each other and with humans," she said.
Bullen got started in the movie business as a stunt woman and Warner Brothers Movie World was her first stepping stone before becoming established in the stunt industry in the early 1990's. From 1996 to 1999 Zelie worked on more than 30 productions in countries such as the US, Namibia and Indonesia.
Starting a family business in Australia, Animals All Around, Zelie set up the company with her husband Craig, who is 3rd generation from the famous Australian Bullen's Circus Dynasty. "Combined with my background which was fully submersed in animals, I feel that perhaps the most special thing about Animals All Around is that we work with many species and breeds in a very diverse range of situations and in many countries."
Zelie has a long list of people who support and challenge her to be better including her husband, sister, Wendy Griffith, and Silvana Stockley. Extremely proud of her life with animals, Zelie feels that becoming a mother and raising her son, Colt to the best of her ability is her most fulfilling life achievement. In 2010 Zelie and Craig travelled to England to take on the training of liberty horses.
With a regret of not qualifying to gain entry into veterinary science after high school, Zelie also knows that if she had become a vet her life would have taken a very different path. "Although I would have sincerely loved to have become a qualified veterinarian, I know that I would have missed out on all the fun I'm having now with my life," she explained.
One of the most famous horses in cinema history, the Warhorse himself named Abraham, was a difficult horse to get close to but Zelie certainly fell in love with him during her time on set. "He was very untrusting and aloof to begin with but was gentle and kind. He is very athletic and has a lot of charisma," she said.
The British based Abraham was not allowed to be brought home with Zelie but she hopes that he has a happy, safe and very well cared for future ahead on him on the other side of the world.
"As for my future, I still have a lot of projects I intend to do: among them are raising some more lions to work together as a pride; train a new liberty horse act unlike any I've trained before; to work zebras and horses together and to work various animals with both my husband and my son," she concluded ambitiously.
by Sarah Warne
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