Jill Carenza, who has died aged 72 after a short illness, was hailed by H&H as “The Queen of Hirelings” but her contributions to the equestrian world ranged far wider. for almost 60 years.
She was born Jill Sadler at Papermill Farm, Stanway, Gloucestershire, the youngest of four children, and started riding almost as soon as she could walk. She rode her pony to school from the age of five, by which time her mother, who was related to legendary jockey Fred Archer, had died and she was brought up by her father and stepmother.
Aged 11, Jill took over the riding lessons her sister Ann had been giving. Jill was still taking as many as 10 lessons a day until her final illness. It was a matter of pride that she never turned away a client.
Married at 19 and a mother at 20, she moved to The Vine in Stanton in 1975, where she lived for the rest of her life. She created a yard, and her stable of horses and clients grew fast. Jill Gabb, as she was, became famed for her involvement in every equine discipline – team-chasing (she and the other Stanton Comedians became national ladies’ champions), point-to-pointing and eventing, competing at Badminton, Gatcombe and Blenheim.
When Jill’s business outgrew the yard at The Vine, she constructed a new one at Washpool just outside Stanton. There she kept about 100 horses but they were only part of the story. Jill was passionate about not getting rid of horses when they reached the end of their working lives. She used to say: “They have worked for me, they deserve a retirement.” She kept as many as 30 on the hill outside Stanton, fed and cared for.
Jill taught riding to three generations, who came from around the world to experience her unique teaching. Not for her insisting that riders should spend months being walked around on a lead rein.
The North Cotswold Hunt owes a tremendous debt to Jill, as current joint-master Oliver Dale said when a one-minute silence was held in her memory before the meet. She also provided hirelings for the Beaufort, VWH, Ledbury, Cotswold, Warwickshire, Heythrop and Cotswold Vale and Farmers’ Bloodhounds.
Jill is survived by her husband Lui, daughters Kate, Sarah-Jane, Charlotte and Emily, eight grandchildren and three stepchildren.
Her funeral will be at noon on 24 January at St George’s, Didbrook, with a live feed to a marquee at the Stanton Club. After the service she will return on a horse-drawn carriage to Stanton, from where she will always be heard shouting at those taking lessons at Cotswold Riding: “Kick on! Kick on!”
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