Judy Cook

Click on the blue words for photos of Judy's evolution in the horse industry!

Judy's career with horses spans over 40 years. Judy started riding & showing horses in the late 50's. By age 18, in the early 60's she was riding professionally, Galloping Thoroughbred racehorses; one of the first women to do so.

In the mid 60's after moving to Dayton, Ohio & the birth of her daughter Debby, she started schooling horses & teaching young riders. Returning to NJ, she started breaking Thoroughbreds while training show horses on their farm in Medford. She became involved in Thoroughbred racing full time in 1968, breaking & galloping horses in NJ until eventually training race horses on her own in 1976; all of this at a time when women were not easily accepted in the racing industry.

As her daughter became involved in riding, Judy participated in 4-H and the US Pony Club activities; eventually coaching her Pony Club show jumping team to a National Championship. She also has competed in driving & hunt competitions.

Judy has been at River Run Farm since 1979 boarding, training, breeding, breaking & rehabilitating horses with the assistance of her daughter. Debby has become a talented rider in her on right who with Judy at her side, competed on the show jumping circuit in the northeast and Florida until starting her own family in 1991, (and her own website too: SterlingStables.com ).

Judy now enjoys riding as much as ever, along with sharing her love & understanding of horses & horse sport. Together Debby & Judy live on River Run Farm which hosts many activities for the Shore Riders Pony Club.

Several instructors are teaching at River Run, including:

Kathy Whelan - Dressage rider and veteran rider for the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Equestrian team.

Chrissy & Carlos Covarrubias of Pembrook Farm

Jon Sterling

Dr. Sharon Vaillancourt, DVM, MS

Atlantic Equine Clinic