Cecilia Hylton · Honoring a Lifelong Commitment to Horses
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By Susan Winslow
Cecilia May Hylton, owner of Hylton Quarter Horses in Nokesville, VA, passed away on February 8, 2021 at her home in Gainesville, VA. Hylton was a business dynamo, female groundbreaker, compassionate and innovative horsewoman, and beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She went through life facing every challenge with the can-do attitude of a true horsewoman.
When she was young, Hylton received her first horse from her father, and that passion remained a cornerstone of her life. Her daughter, Jamie Hylton, recalls, “My Mom got her first pony when she was a teenager; and the first time she rode him, he threw her off. She was afraid and didn’t want to get back on, but her father wasn’t buying that. He told her to get back out there, and she did. Eventually, she had that horse so well-trained that he’d come to her call, and she would ride him at a full gallop with no saddle or bridle. From then on, she was hooked.”
After high school, Hylton joined the family construction and development company, The Hylton Group, forging a role as a leader in development during the 1970s when women faced daunting odds in a male-dominated industry. Undeterred, she went on to take the lead in multiple large-scale projects as a construction supervisor, eventually rising to the position of Executive Vice President of the company.
Horses were always a big part of Hylton’s life, and her involvement with the American Quarter Horse was inspired by a grey Quarter Horse mare she bought when Jamie was young. Jamie recalls the joy she felt as a three-year old riding double with her Mom in the arena at Connie Christopher’s barn. When Hylton expressed an interest in competing, Christopher helped her find a suitable mount, Doctor J Flash, purchased from Donnie Dickerson.
