Vista Farms

Spotlight on Lisa Janssen

by Wendy Jewell-Onstott

In 2005, Lisa and her horse, "Kris", wowed them at the Arabian Youth Nationals in Albuquerque, winning both National Top Ten in the Half Arabian Open division and Reserve National Champion in the Freestyle Reining.

She went back on the road in 2006, with even bigger plans!  So, if you like a story that motivates and inspires you to do better, buckle up, cuz here goes:

This not a story about how to play the game with the most money or the best trainer; instead it shows us what can be done through sheer perseverance and dedication.

Lisa started her horsey career at Vista Farms and Team Sha-Wen.  Leiha Kunz introduced Lisa to Vista and that's where it all took off.  Before Vista, she took jumping lessons at both Horizon Farms and Alta Hills, but Vista seemed the right place to be.  Lisa took lessons with Candice Young for many years before doing the "training thing" herself, meaning she did the training on her own horses.

Lisa began showing on the first horse she owner, Charo, who she still owns and who is a master lesson horse at Vista, and participated in the Youth Saddle Program for two years before taking on a new project, her 1/2 Arabian Kris. 

She showed Kris in the Youth Saddle Program and won the 14-17 year old age division Saddle!  Then, she moved onto bigger stuff.

Lisa and "Kris" won the 2006 Canadian National Championship in Half Arabian Reining Amateur Owner to Ride!!  Then, she rode back in the Open division, and was named the Reserve National Champion against nothing but trainers!

"Kris" is now "Karizmas Best +", the plus mark is a new addition to his name; they won the Arabian Association's Legion of Honor by accumulating the required amount of points.

"Kris" was a rescue horse that was already 6 years old and un-broke when Lisa zoned in on him.  He had tons of natural ability for reining and Lisa had dreams of having a reining horse.  Through her past years, she had learned to ride, show and compete on Arabians at Vista Farms, through the training and horses of Wendy Onstott and Candice Young.  In fact, she even ended up owning an Arabian horse, "El Charo", that showed her the ropes and took her to many wins in the youth divisions, including Western Pleasure, Hunt Seat and Showmanship.  She still owns "El Charo"; he is now 27 and is a tenured school master for the pre-school aged riders at Vista Farms and every child's favorite horse to learn on.

When Lisa was getting itchy to move on, suddenly there was "Kris"...needing someone to take him on and make use of his great build and "give me a challenge" attitude.  They met each other head on, and the rest is history.

Most reining trainers didn't want to give Lisa the time of day, but Lisa, Candice and Wendy all knew the potential this horse had packed away.  So, they started a training program for him to get "Kris" in the ring as a rail horse, get his mind working and get settled and comfortable in the ring.  He showed his first year as a Western Pleasure, Showmanship and Hunter Pleasure horse.  In fact Lisa won her age division in Youth Saddle that year, 2004!

Then, the hard work was ready to begin.  Lisa took "Kris" down to Lehi, UT to ride with top reining trainer, Jake Stephens and Jake took Lisa through all the steps to get it going.  Lisa was already a top horseman; her goal was to train "Kris" herself and she did, with Jake at the helm, teaching her how to do it.

Lisa's national wins have come as a shock to many of the riders and trainers that compete against her.  How can someone who knew nothing about reining two years ago come out of nowhere and beat them?

"There were quality horses and quality riders.  They we multi-national champions," Janssen said.  "I was intimidated, to say the least.  I was showing against people who have beaten me before.  But, I asked him ("Kris") for everything that he could give me, and he gave everything he had."

There's an advantage to training your own horse.  He knows you, and you know him.  It is a unity that cannot be acquired any other way.  And, at the national level shows, that fact came clear to a lot of people. 

Her personal relationship with this horse is what made them champions, that and the unwavering support of her dad, Eric Janssen.

Where will Lisa go from here?  Well, she is not resting, you can count of that.  She has a young (2 year old) quarter horse filly coming up that she is training herself, and she plans to take her the same route...start her slow and easy, and build to a huge finale.  Lisa knows what value time has, and how to use it to her advantage.

Meanwhile, she is attending the University of Utah, and puts the same effort into her education that she has put into her equestrian accomplishments.  Lisa Janssen is a success story that all of us can learn from:  Never think that you can't do something.  Just set your mind to it, make some goals and GO FOR IT!

 

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