Parker, Colorado’s Jessica Laine Johnson is living proof that you can go off to college and remain successful in the show ring.

At age 25, Johnson, who describes herself as a nontraditional student studying Human Services at Metropolitan State University of Denver will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree upon completion of an internship this summer. For the past few years she has become quite adept at balancing school, riding, working, a personal life and showing.

But that’s not to say you won’t find her in the trailer or sitting at the stalls with her laptop out and working on an assignment in between  Hunter Under Saddle and Equitation.

Johnson credits her ability to finish her college degree and still stay in the show pen to her support group including trainers; Jimmy Daurio of Pueblo, Leslie Sayler, Kristin Pokluda,  and her mother, Beth Johnson.

Johnson grew up in Parker predominately a “horsey” community near the Colorado Horse Park,  with many “A” circuit hunter trainers and facilities.  Although Johnson had a lot of support from her mother, growing up at horse shows, her father, Bill and brother, David, don’t share that same passion.

Johnson was first paired with a 1996 bay gelding, Rugged Trouble, sired by Rugged Lark. Trouble taught Johnson plenty about riding, primarily by bucking her off most every week. Eventually the two became a perfect match.

“Trouble taught me a lot about riding and now he’s a wonderful kid’s horse,” Johnson explains.

Johnson moved on to Knee High Investment, a 1996 bay all-around gelding by Principle Investment.  “Even though he was a really good all-around horse and good in pleasure, I found my love for hunt seat on him”  Johnson says.

Her next horse happened by chance. Johnson had been looking for a new show partner when a 1997, bay, gelding, named Louisanna Blend (aka Kahlua) by Louisiana Swamp  out of Easy Brandy Jet showed up at the barn where she was riding and he was for sale. It was more or less love at first sight.

“It was just meant to be,” Johnson recalls. “There he was, a big, beautiful, a great mover, with a trot to die for in our barn and we didn’t even have to go looking for him. He just showed up one day.”

The purchase of Kahlua eventually led to the purchase of his sister, Taloula, as well. Johnson has been using her as a broodmare and would love one day to raise her own champion.

Johnson began showing on the American Quarter Horse Association circuit in 2002.   In 2006 and 2007, she qualified for the Youth World Championship Show in Hunter Under Saddle and Equitation. That same year she also competed at the All American Quarter Horse Congress in Ohio. In 2007 Johnson was a finalist in both Hunter Under Saddle  and Equitation on Kahlua at the AQHA Youth World Show.

Johnson took a very brief break from showing from 2009 to 2010 when she first started college at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. During this time period, she kept Kahlua turned out and took up Breakaway Roping with the school’s team.  She had participated in breakaway during high school and says she enjoyed the “adrenaline rush!”

“I couldn’t show because of school and I roped some in high school, so it fulfilled my horse need,” Johnson says. “It’s something different and I like it. It’s one extreme to the next. It also helped my equitation by getting on different horses because you become stronger and better. Breakaway gave me another opportunity to ride.”

In 2011, Kahlua returned to training with Daurio in Pueblo and Johnson made the four-plus hour drive from Wyoming to Colorado as often as she could to practice. Together they carefully selected shows with the opportunity to earn the most number of points to qualify for the AQHA World Show, now as an amateur competitor.

Johnson took a short break from college then transferred to Metro State, to be closer to home, and picked up showing again with specific goals set each season to fit into her rigerous school schedule.

“Now that I’m in school, each year I’ve tried to map out a few of the shows over the spring, winter and summer breaks that I can go to when I’m not in class and better myself each year with limited time,” she says.

In 2011 Johnson and Kahlua placed fifth in Amateur Hunter Under Saddle at the AQHA World Championship Show. They returned in 2012 to place sixth in Equitation. Then last year they placed fifth in Equitation at the AQHA World Show and won the Non-Pro Equitation at the National Snaffle Bit Association’s World Championship Show. They also won numerous circuit championships and Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Association awards.

Johnson keeps six horses at home now. She rides with trainers at their facility if she needs help or gets a lesson at a show. She is also busy working with her new all-round English prospect, A Dark Nite, sired by Lousianasaturdaynite and out of Sky Willow (by Skys Blue Boy). She says she first saw him as a yearling at Susan Clune’s Bridwell Farms in Edmond, Oklahoma, where she purchased her other two show horses. “I loved the way he trotted,” she says. She has been working toward showing in the over fences classes and hopes to show him in Hunter Hack at the Congress.

Her advice to others trying to juggle college and showing? “Commit to wanting it that bad. It’s very consuming,” she says. “You must have a support system behind you too.”

Johnson will graduate this fall with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services. Her plan is to work and continue showing and then continue her education by working toward a Master of Science and eventually a PhD in Psychology.

Outside of showing horses, trying to finish her degree and working, she manages to find time to spend with her boyfriend, Joel Martin and her family’s five dogs.