Laura Johnson

Laura Johnson started riding at the age of 11 at ClayHill Stables with Emmy Prettyman. She learned at a young age horse management and care skills by working off her pony’s (Sajel’s) board and by, practically, living at the barn. Laura showed with ClayHill locally and rated in hunters and equitation. After moving with her family to Willowbend in high school, Laura began showing her Arabian stallion, Gwydson, on the Arab Show Circuit. They qualified for Nationals three years in a row and placed in the top ten on the east coast in both hunter and western pleasure.
Laura is a CHA Master Instructor and Clinician. She has directed several CHA clinics since 2000. She stared teaching in 1984 when her family moved to Willowbend. They began the stables with just a couple of school horses and have grown to twenty-five. “My goals have always been that my students go away from each lesson having learned something, challenged but not over faced, and wanting more. Riding needs to be fun. Goals need to be set but may not always be ascertained by the end of each lesson. If something is not working, try something else: end successfully and on a good note. Little successes are just as important as great ones.”

Currently Laura runs Willowbend’s lesson program, teaching and coaching full time with our other instructor, Emily Merkel. During the fall and winter months, Laura keeps busy coaching the show teams along with teaching our regular lesson program. Throughout the summer she runs the Summer Camp program, takes adult and children riders to show, and still teaches full time.

Laura is known by her students as a coach and a friend, someone they can talk to and joke with, and someone who is always there coaching and cheering for them. These qualities have earned her “Coach of the Year” honors for the NCEL teams three times, and runner up three times, since the award was first given in 1998.

In addition to all of her work at Willowbend Laura started Sunset Ridge Farrier Services several years ago.