Mrs Miller passed away in July at the age of 82 after a battle with cancer, though her spirit will live on through her significant contribution to the Australian equestrian community.

Her daughter Debbie Cheney said her mother was still out at the pony club every weekend and training Wagga's light horse troop right up until COVID struck.

Mrs Miller, born Betty Cottom, was the sixth child of a farming family and grew up in Tumbarumba riding horses to school.

A formidable horsewoman from a young age, Mrs Miller went on to compete in rodeos where she won events against the men and was eventually inducted into the Stockman's Hall of Fame.

Betty first rode at the Wagga rodeo in 1953 in the ladies' buck jump and placed third, at only 15 years old.

The next year she won the Riverina ladies' buck jump title and then went on to compete at the Condoblin NSW championship, winning there as well.

The last ride - and win - of her roughriding career was in Moyhu in Victoria.

She met Dave Cheney, the man who would become her first husband, in the rodeo arena and the couple had four children - Gail, Roger, Chris and Debbie.

Debbie inherited her parents' passion for horses and was taught to ride at an early age.

"The good memories were all to do with horses, because that's basically all we did. We were all passionate about it," Mrs Cheney said.

"We lived for that. That's what we did."

The family were involved in everything from rodeo to showing horses to dressage, showjumping and cross country.

Mrs Miller was a determined mentor who ran a riding school and had many riders rise up through the ranks under her tutelage.

Some of her students went on to compete in the Olympics including the esteemed Australian rider Andrew Hoy.

She also taught her second husband Murray how to ride.

Her longtime friend Mick Batchelor, a well-known horseman from Grong Grong, has fond memories of Mrs Miller being "straight down the line".

"Anyone that turned up - say at the pony club, from a battlers family with a rough pony and the saddle not real flash or whatever - she would treat them the same as she would if it was a millionaire's kid," Mr Batchelor said.

Mr Batchelor started the Riverina's Light Horse Troop in 2016 and reached out to Mrs Miller to ask if she would be their chief instructor.

"A lot of ex light horsemen from WWII became instructors at pony club when it was established in Australia in the 1950s," Mr Batchelor said.

"My father was in the Light Horse in WWII and he always spoke of Eric Hamilton

"Betty was one of his pupils, so she got her start as an instructor through Eric Hamilton and learned all the proper Light Horse skills."

Mr Batchelor said even though Mrs Miller was by this stage in her late 70s, she was very keen to become the troop's chief instructor.

"She'd look at you if you hadn't done it right and say, 'Haven't you read the manual?' ... She'd memorised it," he said.

"She's going to be hard to replace. She's nominated one of her past pony club kids to take over."

Mrs Miller had a private funeral and members of the Light Horse Troop were there to send her off with a guard of honour.

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"I've known Betty on and off for a long time. And to be asked to come and do that for a woman of her calibre, with her achievements, it was very special," Mr Batchelor said.

Mrs Miller leaves behind her children and a number of grandchildren.

She was especially close with her daughter Debbie's children - Tim, Codey and Tammie Hammond, all of whom are Australian title winners in Barrel racing.

Mrs Miller will be dearly missed by her great granddaughter Hope.

"Mum's trained her in barrel racing, she's doing roping. She'll go on to be very competitive too," Mrs Cheney said.

Mrs Cheney describes her mother as independent, strong and fearless.

"She never asked for anything but would do everything for anyone. She'd give but not receive. She was very generous," Mrs Cheney said.

"I consider her to be very brave with the passing and what she was enduring. She never complained once about anything, even to the day she died.

"The feedback from people is that she's reached out and touched people's lives."