John Hanley Pictures

John Hanley is inducted into the Pacific Coast CHA Hall of Fame

Tack Room Talk - An Article From Quarter Horse News, December 1, 2004

Four Inducted into Pacific Coast Hall of Fame

Coy Sanders, Fallon, Nev.; John Hanley, Lincoln Calif; Jerry Louie, Chico, Calif; and Dr. Jerry Black, Oakdale, Calif., were inducted into the Pacific Coast CHA Hall of Fame during the PCCHA Futurity, Gelding Stakes and Cutting Stakes, which was held Oct. 27-Nov. 7 in Reno, Nev.

The PCCHA Hall of Fame has 19 members.

Sanders and his wife, Nancy, lived in Livermore, Calif., for nine years until moving to Nevada seven years ago.  A member of the PCCHA since 1980, Sanders first rode with trainer Gary Long and owned San Poppy Smoke, which was ridden to first place at the 1982 World Championship Snaffle Bit Futurity. Sanders and trainer Tom McTaggert also showed another great horse, Peppys Deliverance.  His most recent trainer is Long's brother Tom.

In the mid-1980's and mid-1990's, Sanders was director of the PCCHA Stallion Owners Committee.

Hanley, who was born in York, S.C., grew up in Wisconsin, where he spent summers on his uncle's farm.   He received a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Wisconsin.  In 1978, he bought a ranch in California and purchased his first cutting horse in 1979.  Ledgendary trainer Buster Welch, Hanley's mentor, encouraged him to purchase his first stallion, Beats Workin', which went on to become the PCCHA Open Champion.

He partnered with Louie in the great stallion Dry Doc and the Hanley Ranch also stood another great stallion, Miss N Cash.

Earnings of more than $240,000 have enabled Hanley to rank among the top 100 non-pro competitors in cutting.  His titles include PCCHA Derby Non-Pro (twice), PCCHA Classic/Challenge Non-Pro, Red Bluff Derby Non-Pro and PCCHA Reno Classic Non-Pro.   He has also won the NCHA Futurity Non-Pro Semifinals.

A member of the PCCHA since 1979, Hanley is a member of the board of directors.  He was PCCHA vice president for two years, on the PCCHA Executive Committee for four years, and has served chairman of the PCCHAS Stallion Committee and Finance Comittee.

Louie was a member of the PCCHA Board of Directors from 1986 to 1996, during which he was chairman of the PCCHA Finance Committee, vice-president and president from 1991-1992.   He served as a member of the National Cutting Horse Association Executive Committee and chairman of the NCHA Non-Pro Committee.

Since purchasing his first cutting horse in the early 1980's, Louie has been a successful competitor at PCCHA aged events and weekend shows.

Black lives in Oakdale with his wife, Melinda, and son, Brandon.  The Blacks own Valley Oak Ranch, where they have a stallion station and mare care facility.  They stand Boomernicker, Cattitude, Charles Starlight, Diamond J. Star, Moonstone Cody, Simply A Spark, Somebody Smart, The Dualler, and WR This Cats Smart.

At present, Black is vice president of PCCHA.  He was PCCHA president in 1995, 1996 and 1999 and has served as the association's official veterinarian for 31 years.   Black's involvement has included the PCCHA Board of Directors from 1992 to 2000 and the PCCHA Executive Committee from 1993-2000.

He also has served on the NCHA board and numerous other committees.

As a competitor, Black's successes include the 1999 PCCHA Futurity Amateur Championship and the 1997 $50,000 Amateur Reserve Championship at the NCHA Western Nationals.

Black is a past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and he has served as a trustee of the American Horse Council.