Jeffrey Johns and It’s A Good Pleasure Win Congress L1 Amateur Horsemanship

By: Brittany Bevis

Jeffrey Johns showed the girls how to get it done this afternoon, making a surprise appearance in L1 Amateur Horsemanship with the 7-year-old gelding, It’s A Good Pleasure. For Jeff, who is typically a Western Riding and Trail specialist, competing in Horsemanship brings with it some unique challenges. Up until a month ago, he wasn’t even planning on competing in the class.

“Western Riding and Trail are my go-to classes,” he says. “I love them, but Horsemanship is still kind of greek so me. But, I had a lot of fun out there. It’s a good challenge.”

“Riding in Horsemanship always helps me for my other events, so Deanna [Searles] and I were practicing one day. This was about a month ago, right before Congress entries were due. She said, ‘Why don’t we enter you? You don’t have to show in it, if you don’t want to.’ As of this morning, I didn’t want to show, but I’m really glad I did!”

Before he entered the pen to compete, his trainers, Jim and Deanna Searles, gave him some helpful advice on his body positioning. “My left shoulder always gets really far forward, from Western Riding and Trail, so for Horsemanship I need to keep my left shoulder back, lower my shoulders, and open them up a little more. Also, Deanna says to sit back and, when I think I’m sitting back, sit back more! I really felt like I was doing the limbo today.”

“Looking at some of those girls… their posture is picture perfect. Being a guy, it’s a totally different look. It’s a little intimidating, absolutely. But, I might stand out a little more, being a guy, that’s for sure.”

“Trapper” has been part of the Johns family for the past two years, after he was purchased at the AQHA World Show. “Horsemanship and the other pattern classes are really new to him, but I think he likes it. His spin was really correct in the finals, and my lead change was really good. Also, he’s the easiest horse to stop and back. I think those were my strong parts, that’s for sure.”

The last time Jeff found himself in the middle of the pen accepting a Congress bronze was back in 2007 when he won Amateur Trail with I Gotta Good Name. “It’s been a while,” he says. Next week, he will return to his comfort zone in Western Riding and Trail with Lopin For A Chex. 

The Reserve Champion in the class was Brooke Ingstad with HP Ima Foxy Dreamer. Third was Amanda Warwick with To You Lazy. Fourth was Lindsey Gillette with Lethal Secret Weapon. Fifth was Jason Wanderer with Zippos Petite Prince.