Jill Jellison
Jill Jellison has been a jockey for more than 19 years and is one of the few female riders with over a 1000 wins. We are proud to present an interview with this veteran rider.
FOTH: Where were you born and where did you grow up?
JJ: I was born in Rosocket, Rhode Island and that is where I grew up as well.
FOTH: What sort of kid were you growing up?
JJ: What sort of kid? (laughs) I had only a few friends, maybe a bit of a loner. I am still now. I kept to animals and horses and stuff.
FOTH: Have any brothers or sisters?
JJ: I have 2 brothers and sisters.
FOTH: When you were growing up did you have any desire on wanting to be a jockey or was being a jockey the furthest thing from your mind?
JJ: Well, when I was a kid, I was just being a kid, having fun, especially when I was 13, 14 years old. I wasn't thinking about work, I was just having fun with my friends and going to school.
FOTH: What event or events led you to becoming a jockey?
JJ: I actually grew up on a farm. My grandmother lived right across from a farm. I would stay with her on the weekends and I grew up on a farm and I was sort of around the horses a lot when I was a kid. I got my first pony when I was 13 or 14 years old. A few people on the farm had horses so we would go trail riding a lot. And a lot of the times I would ride other people's horses that they had a hard time with or could not handle and I would ride them and have no problem with them. I would break them from their bad habits. The person who purchased the farm where I had my horse there was also a trainer. He actually trained quarter horses. He started training thoroughbreds and he got me into racing. I started exercising his thoroughbreds at that same farm and it grew from there.
FOTH: If you can remember what do you remember about your first race?
JJ: My first race was at Suffolk Downs and I finished 5th. It wasn't a big deal ya know cause I didn't hit the board or win.
FOTH: Were you nervous at all?
JJ: Yes I was. I was nervous and excited.
FOTH: How much longer after you got your first ride did you get your first win?
JJ: It wasn't long after maybe my 5th or 6th race where I got my first win. I think he won pretty easy and it was a pretty nice horse. That was at Finger Lakes. And they got me with all kinds of stuff after the race.
FOTH: What other tracks have you ridden at?
JJ: Rockingham Park, I have ridden in New York a few times when I ride nice horses at Suffolk and they can go to New York and do well, I have ridden across the country actually. I have ridden in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Japan. I rode there for 3 weeks and Diane Nelson was too, but for some reason she did not go. That was pretty exciting for me.
FOTH: You mentioned Japan. How different was it riding over there as opposed to over here.
JJ: You still have to ride the same and get out of the gate good and ride a good race. The horses over there I think are a bit quieter and more mellow. They train a little different over there too.
FOTH: How are the crowds over there?
JJ: Oh a lot of people. I rode at some of the smaller tracks over there and there was still a ton of people.
FOTH: You have over a 1000 wins. How did that feel for you to finally get 1000 wins? Did you do anything special to celebrate?
JJ: It felt really good. I actually had 5 or 6 2nd place finishes that week, so by the time I finally got it was pretty exciting. I didn't do much celebrating cause I had to ride the next day. It was just an accomplishment I was glad to have. It was at Rockingham for a trainer I had been riding for 10 years so that was really cool.
FOTH: Do you feel you can still improve as a jockey?
JJ: I couldn't say that cause I have been riding 19 years now. I can still learn a lot, but as far as improving, I don't know cause I am getting up there in age. I am 38 now so I'm thinking about retiring and maybe looking to do something else. But I still love to ride, still love to win. I still feel I can do my best riding.
FOTH: I was gonna ask you how much longer you wanted to ride for.
JJ: That's a tough question. I'm 38, I'm still making good money and I'm winning races. I really don't know. I can’t imagine me running over another 5 years. It's a hard question to answer.
FOTH: A book about female riders came out not too long ago. A chapter was devoted to you. Have you gotten a chance to read the book and what do you think of it and the chapter on you what do you think of it?
JJ: I like the book and pretty much anything that was written was how I grew up. If you want to know more about me then read the book.
FOTH: You are based in the Suffolk/Rockingham area. Do you feel that area is more accepted of female riders cause there seems to be a nice female jockey colony at those tracks.
JJ: I have never been to many of the bigger tracks to really have an opinion on that. If you’re a good rider and you go to a track and you get to know trainers and the owners and prove yourself I think you can be a female and ride anywhere. I have never really been anywhere where it has been really tough.
FOTH: Take us through a typical day for you.
JJ: I usually get up and get over to the track by 7am. The first thing I do is go see the trainer's that I ride for that day or to gallop their horses or check with everybody I ride for. If you’re riding for them that day they want to see you that day in the morning so they can go over the race. I usually get on a few horses and training is done around 10am and then I head over to the jockey's room where I have a few hours before I race. I might get in the whirlpool or go to get some breakfast and then I go ride.
FOTH: What do you like to do when you get away from the track?
JJ: I just relax. I just go see my mom and she cooks me dinner and I usually do this a few times a week. I usually don't do much on my days off. I just relax and take it easy. We work like 6 days a week so it is kinda tough.
FOTH: How do you stay motivated after riding all this time? Ever want to quit at times?
JJ: I think it is just the love of the animals really. I love riding, I love winning, and I like making people happy with what I am doing and when you do that it helps keep you going. Sometimes I do get discouraged, just like in any sport, when you lose you go to just keep your head up and just got to keep working hard and you can't let it get you down, you just got to go out there and hustle mounts and keep it going. If you don't go out and work hard, you won’t get any good, live mounts. You can't quit, you just need to out and work hard.
FOTH: What was the biggest race you ever rode in?
JJ: Biggest race I ever rode in was at Saratoga on a horse called We Thunder and I think it was a $50,000 stake race. He was a pretty nice horse. He finished 4th by 2 lengths. It was the "King Bishop Handicap" and he ran against some of the best horses in the country. He was a really nice horse.
FOTH: What was your best day riding?
JJ: I had 4 wins on a card at Rockingham.
FOTH: What would you say to someone who wanted to become a jockey?
JJ: They would have to love horses. It is the love of the animal that will make you want to be a jockey. It is tough job and as a female it is even tougher cause we have to prove ourselves more. You have to put 100% into it, 7 days a week.
FOTH: Is there any other female riders you like or admire?
JJ: Julie Krone was one of them. Even before she quit whenever she was riding I would watch her race. She had such good hands on a horse to make them switch leads. I probably learned a lot from just watching her ride.
FOTH: What was the worst injury you ever had?
JJ: Worst one was when I broke my shoulder and dislocated it back in 1987. I was out for 6 months, but when I came back I was leading rider a year later so that wasn't too bad. (laughs)
FOTH: Jill I am all out of questions. Thanks for the interview and we wish you much success. Any last words?
JJ: No not really. Just thanks for the interview and interest in female jockeys.