Jenny & Audrey Rollins

When Jenny Rollins enrolled her six-year-old daughter Audrey at Bookmark Farms six years ago, she had no idea she was re-igniting her own passion for horses. Jenny rode Saddlebreds from the age of five until her college years. Twenty years later, and a few months after watching Audrey start her training, Jenny decided to try hunt-seat for herself. Now she's admittedly hooked and she shares the passion for the sport with her daughter. “We don't have a choice about whether to ride or not, we gotta do it. It's not an option. It's like our sense of life.” she says.

Eleven-year-old Audrey likes to take up to three lessons a week on her pony, Sir William. When she shows, Audrey regularly receives reserve or champion ribbons in walk/trot and cross-rail classes, and she recently moved into the short stirrup divisions, going over 2'3" jumps.

Mom and her horse, Simon, show in hunter and jumper classes. She also enjoys trail riding and hunter paces, and recently rode in the George Morris Clinic at Scion Farms. 

Both riders train with Bookmark Farms' Owner/Director Joan Promen. Jenny says they're lucky to have found Bookmark Farms and that she felt comfortable with Joan almost immediately. “Nobody can layer education with a horse and rider the way Joan does. She doesn't push you too hard, and when she does, you and your horse are ready. She's smart enough that she's going to keep you in a safe situation while at the same time challenging you.”

From Joan's standpoint, the admiration is mutual. “Jenny is a dedicated and committed horsewoman. She has a great attitude, always upbeat. She's instilled a great attitude in Audrey. Jenny takes about three lessons a week and is very good about following a program. It's especially important to follow a system with a horse like Simon, who came off the track four years ago. She's always doing what's best for Simon.”

Simon is a 12-year-old chestnut thoroughbred that Jenny bought in 2005. Sir William is Audrey's six-year-old paint pony that joined the family in 2006. Both horses live at Bookmark Farms. Audrey happily reports the two like each other and do turn-out together. As she puts it “they're buddies in the field.”

The rest of the Rollins family supports the time and effort the two put into their riding. Jenny's husband, Tim, works as a commercial developer. When asked to describe his interest in horses, she smiles. “He won't come out and brush a horse necessarily, but he'll buy me a brush,” she says, laughing. The couple's other daughter, 14-year-old Elaina, rode for a year at Bookmark Farms and now spends much of her time playing tennis. Both girls go to Columbus School for Girls.

Bookmark Farms is happy to have Jenny and Audrey Rollins as such great friends and great clients. Their love and commitment to Simon, Sir William and to themselves as riders is an inspiration to all!