Nineteen year-old Jessica Greaves is hoping for the same success this year as she had last year in the futurity arena. This year, Greaves is showing a two year-old western pleasure horse Owe Good Invite (Sherman). He is by Surely Im Good and out of an Invitation Only mare that her trainers, Mark and Judy Zeitler own. Sherman is the full brother to Earn An Invitation, which is the two year-old Greaves won the NSBA World Championship on last year in the Two Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure.
“Sherman looks like he should be in a My Little Pony package at Wal-Mart,” Jessica tells GoHorseShow. “His goal in life right now is to eat as much as possible–as quick as possible, creating quite the hay belly at the moment. It probably has something to do with the reason he is laying down, sleeping more than he is on all fours!”
Greaves adds, “Sherman loves to come out every day and do his job–he learns very quickly. This horse rarely has a bad day.”
Jessica grew up in De Pere, Wisconsin, but, when she was ten, she moved to Abrams directly behind Mark and Judy Zeitler’s training facility.
“I had two paint horses that I showed in 4-H and wanted some place to board them, so, of course, I went to the barn behind our new house,” Greaves recalls. “Mark and Judy did slam the door in our face twice,” Jessica says and laughs. “But I was persistent, and they eventually agreed to let me in with my horses. About a year later, they bought me my first quarter horse, and I have been with them ever since.”
Greaves says that she actually enjoys the training and riding part of being involved with horses more than showing. “I strive for the feeling of when you are working so hard on a horse, whether for two days or four weeks, and you come out the next day and mount that horse, and it does exactly what you have been trying to train it to do. That is the best feeling of accomplishment in the world to me. Also, when I go out and show one, or, even when I sell one, and see it succeed–that’s what keeps me riding everyday.”
Greaves proudly states that Mark and Judy Zeitler have been her mentors ever since she became involved in the Quarter Horse world.
“They got me my very first quarter horse as well as my first Congress win,” says Greaves, who plans to eventually become a trauma nurse when she is finished with school. “They have always been at my side from day one, and I consider them to be family to me. They push me so hard that they can somehow manage to get every ounce of effort and dedication out of me when it is most important. They never make me feel bad about any mistake or accident that might happen, and they are always pushing me whether it’s from the bottom or higher up from the top.”
Her favorite horse show memories involve winning the Congress two years in a row, her very first two years showing in Ohio and also winning at the NSBA World Show.
“The funny part of it was after I won the first year at Congress, everyone thought the chances of me winning again were very slim and made a whole bunch of bets with me that I wouldn’t win it again,” Greaves remembers. “Well, I did, and I still made them all pay up!”
The Wisconsin native adds, “Also my NSBA World Championship win with my two year-old last year is at the top of my list of memorable moments. I really enjoyed the win because it was a two year-old that we all raised, and I helped start– to see him succeed was just the icing on the cake.”
Greave’s family is no stranger to the winner’s circle but just in a different venue. In Jessica’s ads, she has the quote, “Family of Champions” and that refers to her family’s business, Johnny G Motorsports. Her brother and my father race off-road trucks for Monster Energy. Her father has won six championship titles and her brother, who is new to the racing program, is going on his third championship title in a row.
“I traveled a lot with them when I was younger, but, then, I decided to dedicate my time to my horses and my desire to show, and, now, I do a lot of traveling on my own going to horse shows,” Jessica says.
Jessica’s future plans in the show arena is to hopefully keeping showing two and three year -olds at the major futurity shows. “I will always be involved in the quarter horse circuit no matter what, so don’t ever stop watching for me!”
Photos © Larry Williams, Jeff Kirkbride
