An impromptu shopping trip for a student turned into Tillie Jones finding her now up-and-coming Grand Prix partner, Cilla Franchesca. “Coco,” as she’s known in the barn, came into Jones’ life when she least expected it, and the pair has blossomed into serious competitors and partners.
Finding her way to the saddle at 7, Jones became enamored with the sport after her family surprised her with a horseback riding lesson.
“They blindfolded me, took me out to a barn, I had one lesson, and the gift kind of kept on giving,” Jones remembers.
Captivated by the mare’s looks, stature, and impressive breeding, Jones was fresh out of college when she made the quick decision to jump on a flight to Fresno, Calif., to meet the 2016 Oldenburg mare (Franziskus FRH x Zardin Firfod).
“It's actually funny, because I was horse shopping for my student, and she came across an ad on Facebook. I was super excited because it was a horse that you fly out and see it the next day because it seems really special,” she explained. “I told my student and she said she wasn’t ready for that type of commitment. I asked her if it was okay for me to jump on the plane and see this horse, so that's what I did.”
It didn’t take long for her to realize how special that mare was, and after spending six hours doting on her, she knew Coco was the perfect match.
What made the decision-making easier was Coco’s previous owner, Merrie Velden. She showed Jones around her property and encouraged her to learn more about Coco’s personality. Velden’s encouragement gave Jones the confidence to make the right decision.
“Our visit wasn't a ‘we're there for an hour, ride the horse and leave’; it was more so, ‘Please, stay and get to know her,’” Jones recalled. “She wanted us to make sure we liked our decision because we weren’t buying her as a machine; we’re buying her as a partner. It seemed like the perfect match and the right timing. You don't get special horses like that every day where you can fly out, make a connection, and be confident about the purchase.”
In the barn, Coco has learned she is the trainer's horse and has accepted the label “boss mare.” The kind and empathetic mare can be found seeking cuddles to buy time before training sessions, but when asked to perform, she shines.
A stickler for not rushing the process, Jones was focused on the basics with no pressure to move up the levels, but with Coco’s incredible work ethic, the pair have gone from Training Level to earning their USDF gold medal to now debuting in international competition as a pair.
“We were doing Prix St. George last year, and doing fantastic, so I wanted to train really hard this winter and see where we’d go,” Jones said. “I didn't want to push her if she wasn’t ready, but she told me she was, and she was very excited to do it with me.”
Jones’s passion and determination led the pair to be selected to represent U.S. Dressage at the 2026 FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC) in the U25 division after building on their scores each time they trotted down the centerline.
“I didn't think it was ever going to be possible because I sold my other horse, and I had only three years to make it to the U25 with a 6-year-old,” she said. “The odds of that becoming possible without injury, illness, and the ability to athletically get there were small, but she wanted it as much as I did.”
Not only is Jones a budding individual athlete, but she’s also a business owner and trainer, though it was never her plan to do so. The opportunity fell into her lap, and after taking on her first student, it only felt right. Based out of Lincoln, Neb., and named after her late trainer, Felice Rose, she opened Serenity Rose Equestrian Center in May of 2022, and her business has not only grown exponentially, but it has also become a community that fosters growth among the next generation of youth riders.
“There's a lack of junior athletes in this sport, and I love bringing them up from the very beginning. I think it's really important to have a strong foundation and teach juniors to love the sport for the sport and not to get scores,” she said. “It’s important to spend time with your horse and bond with them, rather than just buying a horse to get 70s.”
Achieving her dreams with the mare she bought herself as a senior in college has made the journey to the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions even more special, and as she finishes her final U25 year, Jones continues to dream big.
“It's always been a dream to be an international rider, and whether we get there or not, I'm really happy to have a horse that I made myself,” she said. “I’ll keep improving her to be the very best Grand Prix horse that she can be, and if that's not good enough for the international level, that's okay because I love my horse and the partnership we have.”