A few minutes with… Jessica Lindsey
Racetrack veteran is Jerry Robb’s assistant
Press Release
July 15, 2026
by Emily Fewster
Between morning sets, I caught up with Jessica Lindsey, John Robb’s assistant trainer and a lifelong horse-racing enthusiast. Jessica has been instrumental in the development of some of Robb’s top horses, including multiple stakes-winner Anna’s Bandit, Romeo, Studlydoright, Princess Kokachin, and Fille d’Esprit.
Q: “Jessica, how long have you been doing this?”
A: “I’d say 25 years, with five of them with Robb. I started in the test barn at Colonial. From there, I walked hots for Ferris Allen. I just kept going.”
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Jessica has been spotted saddling in the paddock and smiling in the winner’s circle, but she hasn’t forgotten how she got there, since her family wasn’t involved in racing.
“My parents got me into horses, thinking it would keep me away from the mall and boys,” she laughed. “It was the most expensive mistake they ever made.”
Jessica, having galloped and ponied, now spends her days as the assistant to longtime Maryland-based trainer John “Jerry” Robb. I asked Jessica for a little insight into her life as the “mother hen” to a full barn, including a group of young exercise riders, as well as all other barn responsibilities.
“I love the 2yos. It’s super exciting to watch them develop, but heartbreaking at the same time,” she said quietly. “It’s so good to know the family and each generation. It’s so special to know them from birth through their first steps on the racetrack. But it makes it harder. I’m more emotionally invested. It makes the claiming game harder. They are my family, like my kids.”
Her familiar smile and laugh took over. “What can I say? I’m a nut.”
Jessica spoke with a more serious tone, emphasizing the teamwork involved. “It’s a real group effort here, all for the benefit of the horses. It can be tough because outsiders often don’t see the full extent of everyone’s involvement. It’s literally everyone—the owners, the barn staff, and the farm workers—all working together,” she explained.
Q: What’s your advice for the younger generation?
A: “Work, work harder, and try to work under a veteran, an old-school guy who has been in the trenches. Start however you can, and listen, take it in. Jerry has more knowledge in his little toe than I’ll ever have. He might be tough, but whenever I need it, I have someone to answer for anything. He’s just one call away. I have a lifeline of support and information with him and Gina [Robb].”
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