"As long as you are green, you will grow.  Get ripe and you will rot."
                                             ~Jerry Stanford Striding for Perfection

Born and raised in Gastonia, North Carolina, D. John Deas has been training horses for twenty-five years.  During this time, he has trained and shown several horses who have won APHA Superiors in Western Pleasure, as well as points in other events too numerous to mention.  At his first APHA World Show in 1993, he brought home a top five finish in the Senior Pleasure.  D. John's first World Championship came in the Bridleless Western Pleasure aboard White Stone in 1997.  In all, he has earned 22 top ten finishes at the World.  In addition to his own accomplishments, every year at least one of his youth or amateurs returns with top ten finishes as well. 

D. John has also been featured in the industry's leading magazine, the Paint Horse Journal, twice.  Articles include an in depth discussion of the spur stop and tips on picking your next pleasure prospect.  (Click the link to the left to read the articles.)

D. John says there is no such thing as a "finished" horse.  If you find that phrase on this website or in a quote from him, it's a mistake.  Horses, like people, are never too full to learn.  You may send him a horse to get ready to show, but you can't send one to him to "finish."  He applies the Jerry Stanford quote above to his own life as well as the training of his horses and just tries to make it his philosophy in general.