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About Jillian
About Jillian
Jillian Gemmell’s love of animals started at a young age, and she has been working with horses for over two decades.
Although her initial training was in the saddle, it wasn’t long before she was carriage driving full-time, beginning her competitive career as a teen with her Haflinger gelding, Nolan One.
After high school graduation, Jillian became a working student for four-time national champion Muffy Seaton of Shepherds Purse Farm. As a working student, Jillian regularly drove singles, pairs, tandems and four-in-hands, working with a variety of breeds in both combined driving and pleasure driving.
Jillian returned to central New York in 2009 and began to build what is now Mountain Thyme Training, simultaneously obtaining her associates degree in agriculture business from Morrisville State College.
From 2008 to 2012, Jillian was navigator and groom for Australian driver Janelle Marshall. At the 2011 World Pony Driving Championships in Slovenia, Janelle, Jillian, and Janelle's pony, Captain Jack Sparrow, finished 18th in a field of 31, expanding Jillian's competition experience to the international level.
Jillian is the only carriage driving professional in NYS to hold a bronze medal from ADS for driven dressage, and is just one qualifying score away from earning her silver. Jillian was 2025 North American Preliminary Pony Champion, with the lowest overall score of all preliminary drivers.
Jillian trains out of Freshwind Farm LLC in Eaton, New York. She is available for lessons, training, clinics, and educational seminars
A list of Jillians Accolades with her personal horses
A list of Jillians Accolades with her personal horses
- 2006 TwinBirch Haflinger Classic Driving champions with Nolan
- 2006 Barneveld Fall Show Single Horse Driving reserve champions with Nolan
- 2007 NYSHBA Green driving champion with Nolan
- 2007 NYSHBA Haflinger driving champion with Nolan
- 2007 Lorenzo Driving Competition Junior Champions with Nolan
- 2008 HOPE High point haflinger, junior driver with Nolan
- 2008 Pine Tree CDE Training level single pony second place overall with Nolan
- 2009 Lorenzo Driving Competition Reserve Large single Pony champion with Nolan
- 2009 second place in the Walnut Hill carriage dog class with Angus
- 2010 first place Lorenzo Driving Competition carriage dog class with Angus
- 2011 first place Lorenzo Driving Competition carriage dog class, and fourth at Walnut Hill with Angus
2012 first place Lorenzo Driving Competition carriage dog class with Angus
- 2014 Northampton Driving Show- while no championships are awarded at this show, the team placed first in reinsmanship, second in working, first in timed obstacles and third in gamblers choice with Nolan
- 2016 Walnut Hill HDT preliminary pony champions and overall preliminary champions. Jillian and Nolan had the lowest scores in dressage, cones, and the obstacles- their dressage score was a 40.33!
- 2017 Brookfield Riding and Driving Association dressage show Jillian and Nolan's first time competing at intermediate level, the duo had the best score of all the ridden and driven dressage tests of the day with 37.63.
-2018 Lorenzo Driving Competition- Jillian and Nolan won the intermediate single pony division with a dressage score of 41.60.
-2019 GMHA intermediate single pony combined test champions with a 46.94 in dressage with Nolan
-2019 GMHA ADT intermediate single pony divison, second place overall (no championships awarded for the ADT) with Nolan
-2019 Lorenzo Driving Competition best intermediate dressage score and winner of the intermediate pony division with a 33.6 with Nolan
-2019 Lorenzo Driving Competition trophy ladies to drive on the pleasure drive award, winner of the picnic class with Nolan.
- 2019 first place Lorenzo Driving Competition carriage dog class with Caledonia.
-2020 GVRDC intermediate pony champions with Nolan
-2021 BHA Reserve Champion of the driving trial with a 38.2 in dressage with King
-2021 Lorenzo Driving Competition CT Preliminary Champions with the lowest dressage score of the day- a 40.436 with King.
-2022 first place Lorenzo Driving Competition carriage dog class with Olive.
-2022 GMHA Preliminary single pony combined test champions with King..
-2022 GMHA CDE preliminary single pony reserve champions with King.
-2023 GMHA Preliminary AT Champions, first prelim single pony division with King
-2023 Windridge Farm CT/DT first place prelim single pony division with King
-2024 Elk Creek CT and HDT first place prelim single pony division with King
-2024 Gladstone CT and HDT first place prelim single pony division with King
-2024 Lorenzo CT first place prelim single pony dressage, and lowest prelim score overall with King
-2024 GMHA overall preliminary champions and first place prelim single pony with King. They also participated in the 2024 CANAM challenge and were apart of the winning US Team!
- 2024 Garden State CT champions and CDE preliminary dressage winners, best prelim dressage for both competitions with King.
-2024 Jillian received her bronze medal from ADS for driven dressage.
-2025 Southern Pines CT Champions and American Driving Society NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Preliminary Champions with the lowest score of all preliminary competitors with King.
-2025 Elk Creek CT and DT Intermediate single pony champions with King.
-2025 Lorenzo Driving Competition Intermediate CT Champions with King and Utility Champions with Peter Pony.
- 2025 GMHA Intermediate single pony CT first place and overall reserve championship intermediate CT with King.
- 2025 GVRDC preliminary single pony champion with Peter Pony and intermediate champions with King.
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