Our Story
Derbydown was founded in 1947 by Louise Serio's mother, Mary Warner Brown. It originally served as a cattle farm and was converted into a horse facility when Mary moved in. It’s history dates to the 1700s and at a time served as part of the Underground Railroad.
The farm is conveniently located in beautiful Chester County, close to the Main Line, Philadelphia, Maryland, and Delaware. Derbydown sits on 30 acres, and we host 2 outdoor rings and 1 indoor ring, with GGT Footing in the main ring, a large grass field, and 15 turnout paddocks. We have two main barns with 35 stalls, all equipped with automatic waterers. We have 2 wash stalls, a heated/air-conditioned tack room, a walker, a treadmill, and a theraplate.
The farm is conveniently located in beautiful Chester County, close to the Main Line, Philadelphia, Maryland, and Delaware. Derbydown sits on 30 acres, and we host 2 outdoor rings and 1 indoor ring, with GGT Footing in the main ring, a large grass field, and 15 turnout paddocks. We have two main barns with 35 stalls, all equipped with automatic waterers. We have 2 wash stalls, a heated/air-conditioned tack room, a walker, a treadmill, and a theraplate.
Our TEAM
Louise Serio
Owner and Head Trainer
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Louise Serio, championship rider and trainer, owns and operates Derbydown, nationally recognized as one of the foremost show barns in the country.
Originally founded in 1947 by her mother, Mary Warner Brown, Derbydown is a full-service training, boarding, showing, and sales business with a multi-level horse facility providing all levels of instruction focusing on hunters, jumper’s, and equitation to Premier Horse Showing. After growing up on the farm, and having Mary as her teacher, in 1975, Louise continued the tradition and began training at Derbydown, which is in Kennett Square, PA. She has consistently trained and ridden champions in every division at the most prestigious shows on the East Coast. Her illustrious career has had numerous high points. She is two-time WCHR Professional Rider Champion, has won the WCHR Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular, been Leading Lady rider at Devon, won the Old Springhouse Trophy for Lifetime Achievement, has been named the Chronicle of the Horse Hunter Horseperson of the Year, has represented the United States as part of the WCHR Hunter Team defeating the European Team at the 2009 World Cup Finals and the USHJA International Hunter Derby Team at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and was inducted into the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame in 2012. Her clients and horses have qualified for Indoors, Devon, Junior Hunter Finals, Medal and Maclay, and Pony Finals for the past 30 years. She has dedicated her life to providing the best for her clients and their horses and is a USHJA Certified Trainer. And with her 45 years of experience, Louise has developed quite the network and intuition to satisfy your sales and lease needs and find the perfect match. Derbydown South is in Wellington, Florida, where our team is based out of December through March. Louise has committed herself to the growth and the future of the equestrian sport. In 1991 she was instrumental in helping found and create the World Champion Hunter Rider Program and the American Hunter-Jumper Foundation, which is now part of the United States Hunter Jumper Association. Having won the USHJA’s Committee Excellence in Service Award in 2012, she currently serves on multiple USHJA committees. In 2011, Louise continued her commitment to the sport by helping found the Brandywine Horse Show, a two-week horse show focused on showcasing excellence in the hunter divisions. The Brandywine Horse Show has hosted the USEF Junior Hunter Championships as well as the Green Incentive Regional Championships. Louise has two children, Christina Serio, who is a professional equestrian working for Derbydown running a Young Horse Development Program, and TR Serio, who is a farrier and married to Allison Serio. TR and Allison are parents to Mary Jo, who loves to ride both English and Western. 
Louise Serio, right, with her daughter Chrissy.
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Sally Yacka
Office Manager
Sally has been working at Derbydown since 1992 and manages the business side of the daily operations and the farm. Sally graduated from Colby Sawyer College in NH with a degree in business. She grew up riding in the area and in Belgium. Sally has three children, Becky, Devon and Andrew, and four grandchildren. Becky and Devon rode at Derbydown, first with Mary Warner Brown and then with Louise.
Chrstina Serio
Assistant Trainer &
Young Horse DEvelopment
Christina Serio is an integral part of our team, heading up the Young Horse Development Program at Derbydown. After much success in both the hunter and jumper rings, we are loving to see her take on the development of green horses. She earned the Champion Equine Insurance Trophy as a developing professional in 2018 and took Discovery-O from the 5 year old jumpers to multiple top placings in Grand Prixs. At the 2017 Pennsylvania National, Christie and Clairvoyant captured the USHJA Green Incentive Stake with a 90 and took home the Reserve Champion honors in the 3′ green hunter division.
