28 SIDELINES OCTOBER 2011
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
On Course with Gillian “Jill” Grant
By Jan Westmark-Allan
Gillian “Jill” Grant is an adult who
loves her life as an amateur rider.
Jill lives in Wilmington, Delaware
and for the past three years she
has ridden with Louise Serio at
Louise’s Derbydown Farm. “I knew
going to Derbydown that it would
be a very different environment
in terms of the level of focus and
commitment compared to my other
riding experiences, however I never
expected it to be so fun! Louise
is so fexible and always fnds the
balance between making sure her
riders enjoy their time at Derbydown
and that we are in top form to walk
in the ring and compete,” she said.
As an adult amateur, Jill balances
her time between riding, showing
and working. A few years ago
Jill opened her own information
management consulting business
after spending years working for
a company that kept her traveling
overseas. “I spent seven years
traveling back and forth to India and
China. I loved my time in India. The
people are very warm and family
oriented. It was a great experience to have to adapt to a
different culture,” Jill said.
With her own business doing well, Jill now focuses on
her horses and showing. “I love being part of the horse
world. There is a wonderful camaraderie that I have never
found anywhere else. I know how hard everyone works to
take care of the horses, ride or show and it is the tie that
binds all of us together.”
Sidelines:
How did your riding career begin?
JG:
My mother, Maria, showed for years and my family has
a ranch with horses so it was just a natural progression.
However, my parents really wanted my sisters and me to
be well rounded so we were required to do other activities
and we were only allowed to show a handful of times a year.
I spent my junior years with Mousie Williams in Pasadena,
California. It was an idyllic upbringing as she had a ton of
horses and always needed extra riders to help out. Mousie
is a great horseman and she gave me the opportunity to
bring green and off the track horses along and show them.
Growing up, I had Santa Anita in my backyard so I spent
summers at the racetrack and prepping yearlings for Three
Chimneys Farm, in Kentucky, which provided me with a
whole different set of experiences and insights.
Sidelines:
What do you like about training with Louise?
JG:
Even after three years, I learn just as much sitting
and watching her ride as I do having lessons. She is
an incredible horseman. She never asks the horses a
question they can’t answer and never complicates their
training. She just gets on and rides. I have just started my
own business, so I am attuned to how Louise leads by example.
Her loyalty to her clients and her sense of responsibility to give
back to our sport humbles me. Her success is a direct refection
of being totally committed to everything she does. She always
wants to do the right thing for her clients and horses. Even when
we disagree on things I know she has my back.
Sidelines:
What do you like about being an amateur rider?
JG:
The beneft of being an amateur is perspective. I was
convinced that the be-all and end-all as a rider was qualifying for
the medal fnals as a junior. I was so wrong. There are so many
opportunities to be part of the horse community as an amateur.
Before I rode at Louise’s, I rode with Vince and Janice Dugan for
ten years and had a blast showing at local shows, paper chasing
and fox hunting. There is truly something out there for everyone
at every riding and economic level.
Sidelines:
What horses do you own?
JG:
I own Rohoe, whose show name is Ledger, and I show him in
the A/O Hunters. Also, I have my retired Adult Jumper, Tucker that
I showed for fve years with Vince and Janice Dugan.
Sidelines:
What do you consider your career highlights?
JG:
I think the highlights that stand out from my show career with
Rohoe is Louise winning the First Year Green Stake at Devon on
him last year. That was pretty surreal. My own personal highlight
was fnally winning an A/O hunter class in Florida this past winter.
We had a string of 87% and 3rd places all season. It was nice
fnally to get the job done and come home the winner in one class.
Also, in 2010 at WEF, we were Reserve Circuit Champion in the
Adult Hunters and Champion in that division during Hunter Week.
Jill (right) co-chaired the Brandywine Valley Summer Series and presented Christina
Serio, the daughter of her trainer Louise Serio, with the Open Jumper Championship on
her horse Navarre
Photo by Rebecca Walton/PMG
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