Jockey Jellison Dies of Cancer at Age 51
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Jockey Jill Jellison, who rode nearly 2,000 winners during her career, died of breast cancer July 28 in a Rhode Island Hospital. She was 51.
Jellison tallied 1,913 victories and ranked among the nation's top female jockeys. She began race riding professionally in 1982 and her mounts amassed purse earnings of $13.6 million.
Her 28 stakes wins came primarily in the Northeast, at Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park, including three $50,000 events aboard Dreamed a Dream in 2012 and 2013 during her final two years of riding when she was being treated for cancer.
Jellison had one of her best years in 1998, riding 240 winners at Rockingham to lead all jockeys at the spring and summer meets. That year she was the No. 2 female rider in the nation behind the legendary Julie Krone.
Jellison, who was mentored by trainer Bobby Raymond, was honored in 1993 with the New England Turf Writers Association Lou Smith Memorial Award for outstanding achievement.
"She could do it all, short or long, turf or mud," jockey and close friend Tammi Piermarini told the Boston Globe. "She had gifted hands, knew how to position her horse, and always had something left at the end."
Jellison, a native of Rhode Island, rode her first race at Suffolk Downs in 1982, and got her first career win a short time later at Finger Lakes aboard Mighty Peter.
A funeral Mass was to be held July 29 in All Saints Church in Woonsocket. According to the Globe, Jellison requested her ashes be spread at Raymond's farm in North Smithfield, R.I., where he taught her to ride her pony, Blackie, when she was only 4.