Jill Brookey

Jill Brookey
Senior Instructor

Jill brings decades of lived horsemanship, teaching mastery, and leadership to every space she enters. Raised in Defiance, Ohio, Jill grew up grounded in hard work, responsibility, and a deep respect for animals—values that would go on to shape her entire professional life.

She went on to study at Meredith Manor International Equestrian Center in Waverly, West Virginia, one of the country’s most rigorous riding and instructor-training programs. Jill graduated with a Riding Master VI and a Teaching Level 3 certification, achievements that reflect both technical excellence and the ability to teach riders across skill levels. During her two years at Meredith Manor, she logged more than 2,000 hours in the saddle—an immersive, demanding education that forged a rider with exceptional feel, adaptability, and depth.

In October of 2001, Jill was hired at Riverbend Equestrian Park, in Greenville, SC — a county ran riding school — where she spent the next decade teaching riders and shaping programs with consistency, clarity, and care for connection and details. Her long tenure speaks not only to her skill as an instructor, but to the trust she built with students, families, and colleagues alike. When Greenville Parks and Recreation shifted the structure of the barn, Jill transitioned into a marketing role for four years, followed by three years as a waterpark manager—expanding her leadership experience while remaining deeply connected to community-based programming.

Today, Jill is back in the Parks and Recreation office, where she oversees seasonal and part-time hiring, coordinating and managing the onboarding of more than 400 employees each year. Her work requires discernment, people skills, and an intuitive understanding of how to place the right individuals in the right roles—skills that mirror her approach to teaching horses and riders.

Outside of work, Jill is the proud partner of her husband, David, and a devoted mom to Ashley (15), Emma (10), and Bradley (4). Their home is shared with two cats, a dog, and five fish, and her life outside the barn is rooted in the same love of the outdoors and curiosity for new places that has always guided her path.

Jill is seasoned, steady, and deeply capable—someone whose experience runs wide and deep, and whose presence reflects a lifetime of commitment to learning, leadership, and the long game of doing things well.