Best friends, five-year-old Shayne Gilliam and four-year-old Lilly Jones have grown up in Indiana going to the horse shows and doing everything together since they were babies. Lilly is the daughter of trainers Chris and Melissa Jones of Reelsville, Indiana while Shayne is the daughter of trainers, Jason and Jessica Gilliam of Greensburg, Indiana. Young Lilly and Shayne have plenty of time to start showing in the riding events. But for now, their focus is on the showmanship. Luckily for both of them, they are in very good hands.
Lilly’s mother, Melissa Jones, grew up showing in her native Australia where she often competed in showmanship. Melissa’s mark on the showmanship world has come primarily as a trainer. She has, most notably, coached Jessica Baird to NSBA and AQHA World Championship titles as well as a Reserve Congress Championship in the showmanship.
Earlier this month, Melissa added another World Champion team to her resume when Alex Albright and The Best Gift Yet were named 2016 AQHYA World Champions in the showmanship (pictured right).
Melissa told us that she has been “lucky enough to coach girls who are talented and have a great work ethic.”
Shayne’s mother, Jessica Gunn Gilliam and her aunt, Caroline Gunn Rogers are about as showmanship royalty as it gets. While in youth, the Gunn sisters earned a combined 1,798 AQHA showmanship points and were Congress Champion or Reserve Champion in showmanship eight times. Both were Reserve AQHYA World Champions as well; Jessica in 1997 with Sleepy Clover Dale and Caroline in 2003 with Chips Time Machine. (Grandma Janet, Aunt Caroline, Shayne and Jessica pictured below).
Now that both Melanie and
Jessica’s daughters are old enough to start thinking about showing, it only makes sense that they would start out with showmanship horses to learn the ropes. These lucky little girls get to learn from the best of the best; not only are they are receiving help from their showmanship-savvy mothers, each girl has been paired with one very special showmanship-loving horse. Shayne is leasing 2015 AQHYA World Champion, A Perfect Pleasure from the Scheckel family while Lilly gets to learn with 2007 AQHYA World Champion, Assigned With Love.
How did these two little girls get so lucky to get a World Champion showmanship horse as their first horse? The answer to this question isn’t as simple as you might think.
Shayne Gilliam and 2015 AQHYA World Champion, A Perfect Pleasure
In 2015, after Sydney Scheckel won the showmanship at both the AQHYA World Show and the Congress, the Scheckel family retired “Pip” to their farm in Kansas. However, in July, Shayne’s grandmother, Janet Gunn asked the Scheckel family if they would consider leasing the 19-year-old mare to her granddaughter, Shayne to be her first horse and help teach her the showmanship.
“We immediately said yes,” Sydney’s mother Angie recalls. “There’s not another horse out there that deserves to be spoiled more than Pip. She always gave 110% to my little girl so what better teacher for another little one who is as passionate? It would be selfish to keep such an amazing animal to ourselves when another little girl deserves to learn from her, too.”
Shayne’s mother, Jessica, told us that Shayne was beside herself when she found out that Pip was going to be her horse. “She wouldn’t even practice with Blondie (Kaleena Weakly’s AQHA World and Congress Champion showmanship horse, Hours Yours And Mine) while she was waiting for Pip to arrive because she said that she didn’t think that Blondie was as accomplished as Pip,” Jessica says laughing.
In July, Angie and Sydney hauled Pip to the Gilliam’s so Sydney could help Shayne get introduced to the sweet mare. After the eight hour drive from Kansas to Indiana, Sydney told us that when she arrived, Shayne immediately came out to the barn with a sign that she had made that read “Welcome Pip Love U”.
“Shayne wasn’t shy at all around Pip in their first encounter. She just put her halter on, led her out of her stall and headed for the arena,” Sydney says. 
“We immediately choked up when Pip just went into babysitter mode and put her head clear down to Shayne’s level,” Angie recalls.
“Miss Shayne Gilliam is already phenomenal at showmanship and she’s five,” Sydney told us in amazement. “She was all business, and I talked to her like I talk to an adult. I just love her. She has such a beautiful, successful future ahead of herself.”
Shayne’s hoping to make her showmanship debut in Florida in December. “Pip does showmanship so well and doesn’t mess around and she is a sweet horse and she loves me and my friends. And she will always take care of me,” the spunky five-year-old told us.
Lilly Jones and 2007 AQHYA World Champion, Assigned With Love
Earlier this summer, Lilly was given 2007 AQHYA World Champion, Assigned With Love to have as her first horse. Jessica Baird, who has trained with Chris and Melissa Jones for 13 years, thought “Emma” would be perfect for Lilly. Baird showed Emma for several years culminating in the pair mare winning the 2007 AQHYA World Championship in the showmanship.
In 2008, Baird’s parents purchased an all-around prospect, Cool Movin Lady. Baird’s beloved partner, Assigned With Love was sold to a select exhibitor to show. She later donated the mare to New Mexico State University.
“When we found that Emma was in New Mexico, my mom contacted the University and expressed that whenever they were done with her that we would love the opportunity to purchase her back, as she deserved and always held a forever home with us,” Baird recalls. “Earlier this summer, my mom explained that New Mexico State had contacted her and that they were finished with Emma and we were welcome to have her back.”
Baird continues, “After talking it over, we decided that what would be even more heartwarming to us than just having her in the pasture, would be for her to be Miss Lilly Jones’ first horse. Deciding that was one of the easiest decisions of my life. Chris and Melissa have been second parents to me for the past 13 years and my love for Lilly runs deeper than anything I know. She sweetly refers to me as her ‘seester'”
In July, Emma arrived at the Jones’ Farm. “I knew she was coming home, but I didn’t know exactly when” Jessica recalled. “So, one random weekday, I went to the barn to ride, and Lilly ecstatically greeted me at the door, shrieking, ‘Jessie, Jessie I have a surprise for you!’ I was totally clueless as Lilly is always full of little surprises, so I followed her to the barn. Lilly marched right to the stall and there was my little World Champion looking as good as ever at 15-years-old.”
Lilly’s mother, Melissa Jones told us that she is grateful that her daughter has the chance to learn the ropes from Emma. “It was a no-brainer that we wanted Emma to live out the rest of her life with us. She helped put our business on the map so to speak. The connection we all had with her when Jessica owned her was deep,” Jones recalls. “I will never forget the Youth World where Jess had to say goodbye to Emma. She sat in her stall and bawled her eyes out for about two hours. Emma is kind and the most willing horse I have trained.”
Jones says that Lilly is an animal lover so they hope this encourages her love for horses and understanding of how to care for them. “If they make it to the show pen that will be a huge bonus. I think a first horse can make or break a child’s love and passion for horses, and we just lucked into the perfect one. She does want to show, but I think she is mostly excited to have her as a pet.”
When we asked Lilly what she likes the most about Emma, she excitedly told us, “I love Emma because she doesn’t buck me off and she likes hugs and kisses.”
While it was a coincidence that these two best friends got new horses at the same time, they are able to be excited for the other.
Lilly says, “I can’t wait until we can ride together.”
Shayne adds, “It’s awesome and we just love our horses and we are best friends.”
There is a well-known saying that, “Horses should be loved by a little girl once in their life.”
Earlier we asked the question, “How did these little girls get so lucky?” After talking to both of them, the answer is that the horses are just as lucky. We wish Shayne and Lilly the best of luck and much enjoyment with their new horses. There is no doubt we will be seeing them in the winner’s circle soon.
