Martin Rebel King & Lance Johnston
Martin Rebel King & Lance Johnston • Photo by Rockin' Horse Photography

Martin Rebel King and Johnston Find Their Groove in Idaho

The Idaho Reined Cow Horse Association Magicality Futurity is one of Lance Johnston’s favorite shows, and the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Million Dollar Rider missed it for the first time in more than two decades in 2021 due to back surgery.

This year, Johnston made his presence known aboard Martin Rebel King, winning the Futurity Open with a composite of 590.5 (herd 146 /rein 146/cow 150/final cow 148.5), earning $15,343.

“[Martin Rebel King’s] weak event has been his fence work because he’s been scared of a cow. I usually do a lot of roping on them over the winter time that I wasn’t able to do this year because of my back surgery,” Johnston explained. “He was really a good boy there, he was brave and he held his own. I was really proud of him, that he toughed it out and stepped it up. He’s very cowy and he doesn’t like the cow in his bubble.”

Martin Rebel King (Metallic Rebel x FMR Double The Pepto x Peptoboonsmal) is owned by Gretchen Lemonine of Fresno, California.

Martin Rebel King & Lance Johnston
Martin Rebel King & Lance Johnston • Photo by Rockin’ Horse Photography

“I bought him as a yearling for Gretchen [Lemonine], the owner. She’s been a customer and friend of my family for 30 years now,” Johnston said.

The pair had a decent showing at the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity in Fort Worth, missing the Open Finals by a few points. According to Johnston, that was the first show that Martin Rebel King started getting braver in the fence work.

“Usually for me, the brighter they are and more draw they have on a cow the harder it is to get them in there [with the cow],” Johnston said.

Johnston thanked back surgeon Dr. Johnson and assistant trainers Cara Hencratt and Amber Lee Johnson for their hard work keeping things going while he was recovering.

“Dr. Johnson basically turned my life around. Without what he did for me, I’d probably be retired,” Johnston said.  

Reserve Champion in the IRCHA Futurity Open was Remerada (Cats Merada x Chicks Sassy Nic x Reminic) and Jared Jones, who scored a 589.5 composite (herd 145/rein 146.5/cow 147.5/final cow 150.5), earning $11,305 for owner Lucava Farms Inc.