Jan Royce Conant Part I

In Part I of this Two Part Series meet Jan Royce Conant, Equestrian and Artist.

Born Jan Royce in Boston, Massachusetts, the artist studied under Elizabeth Saltonstall at Milton Academy and majored in graphic fine arts at the Boston School of the Museum of Fine Arts and the Cincinnati Art Academy. She was a Founding Member of The Glastonbury,Ct Arts Guild. Ms. Conant is a regular exhibitor at The Lyme Art Association where she also serves on the Board of Directors and A.P.E.C Committee. At the age of 18 she ran her own horse riding school in Cape Cod, MA for two summers and wrote her first book, HALF PINT and OTHERS.

A licensed judge by The American Horse Shows Assoc. since 1963, she also held her "S" Dressage and her "R" CT Technical Delegate licenses in 1997. She has since retired her USEA "R" and FEI "I" Eventing licenses. Ms. Conant has also owned and operated her own equestrian training farms. In 1962 at Tinker Hill Farm, South Glastonbury, CT and from 1973 until present at Stonefield Farm, East Haddam, CT. It was at these two farms that many professional riders today and Olympians in all three of the equestrian disciplines received their foundation training. Ms.Conant worked as a volunteer instructor and officer for The United States Pony Club, Inc. Other duties included District Commissioner for the Glastonbury Pony Club for 16 years; Regional Supervisor, NYUCT Region; Governor, National Examiner, Committees Chairperson, and Vice President of the USPC, Inc. 

In 1975 she moved to Jamaica, after a life changing event, for a period of 25 years. During that time from 1982 to 1985 Ms. Conant designed and served as Managing Director of Chukka Cove Polo Club and Equestrian Center. She also continued her painting and was commissioned to do four water color paintings for Jamaica's Rose Hall Wyndham Hotel.

Ms. Conant recently received the S.Braley Gray Award given to an individual instrumental in the development of dressage in the U.S.

At age 80 she currently resides at her farm in East Haddam, CT where she tirelessly shares her property with ten different species of animals and still manages to create wonderful works of art.