About Shelly Francis
About Shelly Francis
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Shelly Francis is one of the few elite high-performance trainers in the U.S. with a long career as a successful international competitor aboard horses she has trained herself. Her long list of accolades includes representing the U.S. as an alternate at two Olympic Games, as well as making the U.S. teams for two World Equestrian Games, two World Cups, and many Nation Cups. Some of her most notable victories include her 4* Grand Prix Freestyle wins at Aachen in 2018 and at Hagen Horses and Dreams in 2019.
Shelly’s talent extends beyond just training as her ability to teach riders is second to none. Shelly’s students range from green to international Grand Prix competitors. Shelly’s training focuses on teaching riders to be fair, clear, and effective to create a harmonious relationship with their horse.
Photos by Allyssia Timberlake Photography
Some of Shelly’s Career Highlights
1990 USET Festival of Champions – Small Tour Reserve Champion – Pikant
1991 USET Festival of Champions – Pikant
1996 USA Olympic Team Second Alternate – Atlanta, GA Olympics - Pikant
1997 USDF Grand Prix Champion Horse of the Year - Pikant
1998 World Equestrian Games - Rome, Italy -Pikant
2009 Grand Prix Special CDI3*– Wellington, Florida – 1st Place – Dominion
2009 Grand Prix CDI3* – Wellington, Florida - 1st place - Dominion
2009 Grand Prix Special CDI3* - 2nd Place – Dominion
2014 AllTech™ FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France – Doktor
2015 Adequan™ Global Dressage Festival CDI – Doktor
2016 USA Olympic Team Alternate – Rio Olympics – Doktor
2018 Grand Prix Freestyle CDI4* – Aachen, Germany - 1st Place – Danilo
2018 FEI World Cup™ Paris France – Danilo
2019 Grand Prix Freestyle CDI4* – Hagen, Germany – 1st place – Danilo
2019 Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3* – USA – 1st place 81.84% – Danilo
2019 Grand Prix Freestyle CDIW – USA – 3rd place 80.05% – Danilo
2019 Grand Prix Freestyle CDI5* Nations Cup– Copiegne, France – 3rd place 79.61% – Danilo
2021 Grand Prix Freestyle CDI3* – WEC USA – 1st place 75.065%- Danilo
About Charlotte Jolin
About Charlotte Jolin
Charlotte is Shelly's assistant trainer, head groom, and barn manager. Charlotte has been with Shelly since November 2022.
Charlotte Jolin grew up riding and competing in central Maine through Maine Dressage Society shows, Maine Combined Training Association events, and Northeast Region Pony Club rallies. She began teaching lessons and running youth camps at Infinity Farm in Dover-Foxcroft while still in high school.
In 2017, Charlotte became a working student at Huntington Farm in South Strafford, Vermont, where she trained under Ann Kitchel and Deborah Dean-Smith. Over the following years, she gained extensive experience managing a successful breeding, training, and boarding barn and show venue.
During this time, Charlotte earned all of her USDF Bronze Medal scores and half of her USDF Silver Medal scores on her Huntington Farm-bred gelding Guinness (“Sixy”) that she brought along herself. After his semi-retirement in 2020, she purchased AnnaLena (“Squealie”) to pursue her FEI goals. Within their first year together, Charlotte debuted Squealie at Prix St Georges and completed her USDF Silver Medal. The following season, they competed at Intermediate I and Charlotte received half the scores needed for her USDF Gold Medal.
Following the sale of Huntington Farm in 2021, Charlotte freelanced throughout Vermont and New Hampshire while continuing to train with Deborah Dean-Smith. After graduating early with a degree in elementary education from the University of Maine at Farmington and earning her Maine teaching license in December 2021, she then chose to pursue riding professionally full time.
In 2022, Charlotte moved to Ocala, Florida, to work for Shelly. After rehabilitating Squealie from a pasture injury during their first Florida season, the pair successfully returned to Small Tour competition. They placed 12th in large Open Prix St. Georges and Intermediate I Championship classes at the 2024 Region 3 Finals before debuting at Medium Tour the following spring. She and Squealie are preparing to compete at Intermediate II and U25 Grand Prix, with the goal of completing Charlotte’s USDF Gold Medal.
In addition to riding other horses in Shelly's training program, Charlotte is currently competing Julie & Bryn Campbell's 2018 Hanoverian mare "Diana" with hopes to debut her at Small Tour this summer. She is also bringing along Landon, a 2014 Oldenburg gelding owned by her sister, Gabrielle Jolin.
Charlotte’s teaching background shapes her training philosophy, emphasizing patience, confidence-building, and individualized approaches for both horse and rider.
Allyssia Timberlake Photography
Andrew Ryback Photography
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