Jean Collins
Jean Collins has been a Committee member since 2017. She started taking her youngest daughter to the Youth Dressage Festival in 2009 and they loved going every year. She volunteered a few times even after she stopped bringing kids to ride and was helping Ellen in the “store” when she was asked if she would be a member of the committee. Jean was involved with Pony Club for a number of years and Dressage4Kids seems similar with its emphasis on good horsemanship, good riding, and education. She likes everyone who works with D4K. “It’s a very nice group of people!”
Jean started riding as a child at local shows and trail rides. At one time she was married to a race horse trainer, so she had race horses. She’s worked at the Saratoga yearling sales and with broodmares, babies and young horses in training. She’s also ridden a couple of cutting horses. Although she doesn’t consider herself a professional riding instructor, Jean has taught children, including some of her own. Although she doesn’t have a horse right now, three of her children are still very active. One has pet horses she trail rides, one works for an international rider and is currently in Wellington (although she travels all over the world) and her youngest, who showed her ponies at the Youth Dressage Festival, now works at a local farm and rides other people’s horses and wants to be a professional one day. Jean has always loved learning anything about horses and riding and she loves being around people who also enjoy them.
