Rick Johns’ love of fast, pretty horses started early on his family’s vegetable farm in Glendale, Arizona. Johns’ first started showing in the mid-1960’s at shows around Arizona. He was soon asked to serve at President of the Arizona Quarter Horse Association in 1971.

Soon after serving as AzQHA President, Rick had an idea to start a circuit of horse shows in the Scottsdale area. He met with Ruth Adams, John Hoyt, and Jim Paul in Mag’s Ham Bun in Scottsdale. The idea of the Arizona Sun Country Circuit was hatched over a ham sandwich. In 1973, Rick saw his dream come true when the Arizona Sun Circuit, the first show of its kind, was held over ten days in two different venues.  It soon became the premier Quarter Horse circuit in the nation and remains so today.

Rick’s passion for good mares soon built an impressive band of broodmares consisting of AQHA Champions and halter class winners. Some of the top horses that Johns was associated with were; 1978 World Champion Yearling Mare Triple Lindy, Superior halter horse Quincy Cupid, AQHA Champion and Superior halter horse Quincy Style, 1976 World Champion Aged Stallion Son Of Sun, AQHA Supreme Champion Desto Bar, World Champion sire Zip To Impress, World Champion sire Sir Quincy Dan, World Champion Opie’s Pride and racing ROM earners Chicks Gann, Everything Lovly, My Gracious and Azure Sugar.

In 1984 Rick Johns was elected the thirty-fourth President of AQHA. In 2013 Rick was inducted into the inaugural Arizona Quarter Horse Association Hall of Fame.