about me:
Colette Clair
My love for animals, especially dogs and horses started when I was a young girl. I was 3 years old the first time I got on the back of a horse, and that was the catalyst for my life long passion. In 2019 I graduated from Centenary University with a bachelors degree in equine studies with a concentration in business management. During my time at school I had the privilege of expanding my equine knowledge through the schools immense equine program, interning at the Winter Equestrian Festival, and competing as the captain of the Hunter/Jumper team. Post graduation I took on managerial and groom roles in the equine industry before setting off on a life changing journey. In the spring of 2022, after feeling a bit burnt out from my job, I hiked the Appalachian trail, Georgia to Maine. Prior to the A.T I was not a backpacker but something inside me just kept whispering to try. During my six month hike I gained new insight and perspective, which followed me home. Knowing that I did not want to go back to what I had been doing previously, and also knowing how important involvement with animals was to me, I started getting requests to dog sit. Pretty quickly, word of mouth spread and every weekend I was booked! Seeing a need in the community, I opened my services up to dog walking, as well as private horse care for people who kept their equines at home. With all this business coming in, I knew my next step had to be creating The Jolly Walker!
behind the name:
Early on while hiking the Appalachian Trail, I was given a trail name. This custom of giving and receiving trail names is very common when embarking on long distance hikes, particularly in the United States. A trail name is an alias you go by and no one refers to you by your government name! I was given the named “Jolly Rancher” after discovering how great a snack the candies of the same name made! Many people call me Jolly for short!
Jolly Rancher summiting Mt. Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian trail. Sept. 13th, 2022
Since the AT, I have been fortunate enough to keep my adventurous spirit alive. In the fall of 2022 I hiked the Shikoku 88 trail in Japan, and more recently The Camino Frances in the fall of 2023!