With its stable of horses, outdoor and indoor rings, and peaceful country setting, Guilford Riding School (GRS) has now been a part of the town's landscape for 20 years. Owner/instructor Jill Walter-Robinson established what she calls a "mom and pop shop" in 1992 with her husband, Dale Robinson.

On March 25, GRS's stable of alumni and friends surprised Jill and Dale with a 20th-anniversary celebration at the Community Center.

"We were told we were going to an awards banquet for one of our kids," says Jill. "We went to see the awards and, surprise, it was us!"

A New York native, Jill has been teaching riding and managing stables since 1972. Dale, the school's business manager, was raised in Madison. The couple found GRS's Clapboard Hill Road property during a trip from their Maryland home.

"I came with a lot of experience and the desire to open my own school," says Jill. "When we saw it for the first time, the barn and house had been abandoned. We got in touch with the people who owned it and asked if we could rent it."

The couple opened the school and continued renting the property until 1995, when they leapt at the opportunity to buy. Today, it's a beautiful piece of land, complete with a spring-fed pond and gentle rolling hills that make perfect viewing theater.

An event competitor to this day, Jill earned her instructor certification in 1972, going on to instruct Olympic rider Debbie Dolan during Dolan's early career. Jill taught and managed at Sweet Briar College in Virginia and The Farmington Polo Club (teaching hunter/rider Shashine Bell) and directed the state-certified equestrian career course at The Maryland Horse Center.

In Guilford, Jill created a place where students can learn to ride and care for the stable's school horses without having to own their own horse. Jill teaches riders to have a good work ethic, a will to work with their horse as a team, and to understand the horse's limits.

In return, "sometimes your horse saves your cookies," she says, smiling.

"The school is the way we express our care for horses," says Jill. "Even with our summer half-day programs, the kids learn to take care of the horse. They'll groom and put tack on as well as riding every day."

For students of all ages, Jill, who served three years in West Africa with Peace Corps (through 1969) has also created a valuable community service experience: the GRS annual Jump-a-Thon to benefit St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Over the past 12 years, GRS has raised more than $80,000 for St. Jude's.

"When St. Jude's first contacted me, they were calling from down south in winter, asking if I could do one of their trail ride fundraisers," recalls Jill. "I tried to think about what I could do here in winter and thought of the idea of a jump-a-thon. As far as I know, it's never been done anywhere else."

This year's fundraiser was held on Feb. 26, when 27 students raised $8,312 in one afternoon.

Currently, GRS has 140 students, up from the "depths of the recession" roster of 128 riders, says Jill. Jill and her experienced staff of instructors, many of them GRS alumni, teach students ranging from age five through senior citizens.

"I have four people in their 70s. One of my senior citizens has been here since the day we opened," notes Jill. "I have students now who are my old students' kids. I'm waiting to teach their grandkids!"

From simply learning to ride to qualifying for the school's Eventing Team (dressage, stadium jumping, and cross country jumping), riding is confidence-builder, Jill adds.

"It's amazingly empowering to put a child on a horse and have them discover this horse will do what they tell it to do, if asked properly. It's also a rough sport. You can fall off, but it's important to get back on, as long as you're not hurt," says Jill, who's the event rider pictured, mid-leap, on the school's new banner, a 20th-anniversary party gift.

While Jill loves to compete, she enjoys instructing and sharing her appreciation of riding and horses just as much.

"I like teaching kids and adults. Kids have much less fear, they're much more relaxed, and their brains are wired for learning. Adults learn on a more intellectual level. Riding is incredibly involving-talk about in the moment-but incredibly rewarding, too."

For more information about the Guilford Riding School, visit www.grsriding.com, call 203-453-8768, or email grsriding@msn.com.