Jenna Dempze Wins First Congress Title With Rewind And Repeat in Amateur Western Pleasure

By: Brittany Bevis

For Jenna Dempze, today’s win in Amateur Western Pleasure with Rewind And Repeat was a very emotional experience. “I don’t know why I got so emotional,” she says. “It’s just one of those things. Those are the best horses in the country, and I know, on any given day, any one of them could be the winner.”

“They’re all really good, and everyone out there showing is really experienced. I knew it was going to be tough. Being the last one out there means a lot.”

Earlier at the Congress, Dempze and “Rerun” were named the Reserve Congress Champions in the Non Pro Western Pleasure Maturity. Also, trainer Gil Galyean and Rerun were named the Congress Champions in Junior Western Pleasure, capturing the Dempze family’s first ever Congress win.

Today, Dempze was careful and calculated about how she went about showing in a very competitive and packed class of 25 finalists.

“He was really quiet,” she says. “I felt like he was really tuned in and soft. He was right there. It was a little crowded in the finals, but I felt like I had pretty good spots and positioned myself well. I did what I always do, and it worked out today. The judges recognized him.”

“[Gil told me to] be conscious of my rein length; if he was being good, really pitch him away. If I felt like I needed to get him back, shorten up. [I needed to be] relaxed and calm and think about everything before I did it.”

For those who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Rerun, Dempze describes her horse as having a goofy but loveable personality.

“He is a super people horse,” she says. “He has a goofy personality, but in a good way. He loves attention, and he’s a little mischievous. He’s always thinking, so we try to stay one step ahead of him.”

Coming up at the AQHA World Show, Dempze will show Rerun in Amateur Western Pleasure and Amateur Performance Halter Geldings, and Gil Galyean will show in Junior Western Pleasure.

Amateur Western Pleasure–

1- Rewind And Repeat/Jenna Dempze

2-Huntin Big Dreams/Angela Wade

3-VS Flatline/Kristen Galyean

3-Caught Me Looking/Kaleena Weakly

5-Hot Lopin Goodbar/Alexandra Chavez

6- A Good Touch/Laura Yungclas

7- Touched Softly/Katie Johnson

8- Suddenlee Single/Brittany Bevis

9-Invite Me On Sundi/Whitney Wilson

10-Hez Whiskey Bent/Brynne Tincher-Ketner