Wendy Davis Gerrish

A rider from a young age, Wendy Gerrish is the President and General Manager of October Hill, overseeing all facets of the farm’s daily activity. She is also the supervisor of the Breeding Program and manages the breeding stallions in residence. A rider from a very young age, Wendy spent many years showing in the hunter ring, earning many championships at the A/O level. A graduate of Vanderbilt University with a Masters in Liberal Arts from Texas Christian University, she is a busy mom to two cute kids and a volunteer with various non-profit organizations including the American Holsteiner Horse Association.

Christian Heineking

A native of east Germany, Christian Heineking is the Vice President of Operations for October Hill. Christian is a top USEF-ranked rider in Grand Prix level money earnings and has had numerous international level wins as well, leading the victory gallop in over 40 Grand Prix level classes since 2013 aboard such horses as NKH Selena and River of Dreams. Christian’s riding skills were initially developed as a young rider at the Redefin Federal Stud of Mecklenburg. In his role at October Hill, he is not only supervises the training of horse and rider, he is also the main contact point for interested buyers. Christian became a member of the Davis family in 2013 when he wed Erin in a beautiful ceremony at the family’s home in Fort Worth.

Erin Davis Heineking

From the age of six, Erin Heineking has been on or around horses, competing first in ponies and then, by her twenties, representing Zone 7 in the Young Riders Championships. Her first Grand Prix win came in 1997. An owner of October Hill Farm, her role is in the development of our farm’s young jumpers into confident and proficient showhorse prospects for our wide audience of buyers. An international and Grand Prix level rider with many placings, Erin proves her expertise in young horse development time and again, notably with her own homebred Grand Prix horses. Erin’s other passions include her daughter Ella, who is a fierce leadline competitor, her husband Christian, and her cat Bob, a famous feline on the show circuit.

Kayce Grice

A Texas native, Kayce Grice started at October Hill as an assistant rider and has become a valuable part of our management team. A graduate of the equine studies program at Findlay University, Kayce brings sizeable organizational capabilities and communication skills to her critical role as Operations Supervisor and also finds time to develop young riders and future horse owners on our marvelous school horses. Recently wed, she also has a busy side business named Kayce’s Kitchen, a gluten-free online bakery shop for which we all eagerly provide taste-testing services.

Drake Camilleri

Maintenance is a big part of our daily work at October Hill.  Whether he is on a mower, repairing a fence or a pipe or dragging a ring, there is a never a moment that Drake is not working to make October Hill Farm beautiful for our clients and guests.

Vivian Lewis

Watching our accounts has always been a big job, but Vivian Lewis makes it look easy. As part of a larger support team at our parent company, Davoil Inc., Vivian does the work of many in half the time. She is the voice on the other end of the line when there is a billing question or concern, and is quick to find answers if she doesn’t already have one. She offices in Fort Worth in a big shiny building, but doesn’t mind getting her feet dusty during a farm field trip or two in the spring to see our new foals.

Working Students

Working students at October Hill Farm are fully dedicated to the performance of vital daily chores in the care and training of horses at our facility. Our learn-by-doing approach gives our students the bottom-up experience they will need as equine professionals in the future, from a firm knowledge of the basics to the refined details of elite performance horse management.

Grooms

No barn of the caliber of October Hill is without a skilled crew of efficient and hard-working grooms, who know the horses so very well that they can see and describe subtle behavioral and movement changes, who are careful and attentive in their work and handling of the horses, who pride themselves in a day of constructive and meaningful accomplishments such as Grand Prix wins, and who work in symphony to accomplish the considerable daily work load of a busy farm.