Jill McNicol and her family currently have approximately 20 horses, with 12 being Connemaras and the balance Irish Draught, Irish Draught Sport Horse, and Thoroughbreds. She is a practicing veterinarian with a very busy small animal and equine reproduction practice.
Jill has been heavily involved with horses personally and professionally for most of her life. She spent her youth showing Quarter Horses and returned to the AQHA show ring after veterinary school. Having spent an externship during vet school at an equine practice in Northern Virginia, Jill saw a photo of Moxley Duncan in the farm office of Blue Ridge Farm during a return visit to that area to evaluate Thoroughbred yearlings for clients.
At the time, the McNichol family had a very nice Welsh (?) cross pony and her farrier was continually asking if Jill would sell her… or make more like her. It planted a seed and so Jill’s Connemara journey began. Very shortly after Jill obtained her first Connemara pony, she became in Inspector Candidate, progressing to Inspector. She has a long history of evaluating horses for clients and counts looking at horses of any kind, high on her list of favorite things in life! She has also judged several of the Regional Connemara shows.
Cool Spring Farm currently stands two Connemara stallions and their breeding program focuses on purebreds while making room for a couple of purpose bred upper level event horse types.
As an inspector, Jill’s goal is preserving type in a well conformed, capable, athletic pony while encouraging education and enjoyment of one of life’s greatest treasures, the Connemara Pony.
