NRCHA Foundation

STORIES FROM THE SHEDROW

Preserving the history and traditions of reined cow horse is paramount to the NRCHA Foundation.

By Kate Bradley Byars

In 2022, the National Reined Cow Horse Association once again celebrates the past through the Hall of Fame induction. As the athleticism and talent of our cow horses continues to advance, we remember that the sport of reined cow horse evolved from and continues to draw from one place: Vaquero training traditions. It was that foundation on which today’s sport was built, and it is important to continue to honor that history.

As the NRCHA’s partner in charitable works, the NRCHA Foundation is focused on its mission to support the reined cow horse community and honor the legacy of reined cow horse sport through the enactment of charitable and educational programs. This includes heritage preservation, one of the tenets of the Foundation.

To capsulize the NRCHA’s history, briefly, remember that the idea of an association of like-minded men and women set on preserving Spanish Vaquero traditions first met in 1949. By 1950, the California Reined Cow Horse Association had 174 members. Those initial members included a future NRCHA Hall of Fame trainer, John Brazil, Jr.

“The old timers, the officianados of the Old West, wanted to be sure the history wouldn’t die and [the tradition] is handed down,” Brazil said in his 2014 video.

Today, the sentiment of honoring the past as it continues to shape the future is vital to the association and it is done most visibly through the NRCHA Hall of Fame.

To recognize and honor the people and horses that have been the foundation of the association, the Hall of Fame was created. The 1996 induction class featured California horsemen Bobby Ingersoll and Greg Ward, as well as Ralph and Mickey Gragg who supported the NRCHA from the grassroots on up.

Since then, the Hall has filled with 47 inductees, including Don Dodge (1998), Ronnie Richards (2001), Smoky Pritchett (2004), the Roeser family (Jim, Jon and Dan), Benny Guitron (2008), Ted Robinson (2009), Sandy Collier (2013) and Lyn Anderson (2016). It also honors those horses that helped shape what constitutes a cow horse. That began with the first inductee, Fillinic, in 2003, and continues this year with Shining Spark and Doc Bar. There are 21 horses currently in the Hall of Fame.

From legendary trainers to foundation sires, the Hall of Fame not only brings together those that supported the reined cow horse industry from all sides, but it showcases the drive, the desire and the passion felt through the years to continue to make cow horses that not only reflect their traditional training but that can be the gold standard of the equine industry. As the association continues to grow, take time to look back on how far it has come, from 174 members to more than 5,000 that are dedicated to this sport.

The NRCHA Foundation looks forward to continuing to showcase the heritage of reined cow horse sport through this column, supported by Kalpowar Quarter Horses, in future Reined Cow Horse News issues. For more on the Hall of Fame, visit nrcha.com. The NRCHA Foundation works directly to assist members. For more information, visit nrchafoundation.com.

NRCHA HALL OF FAME BANQUET RETURNS AT 2022 TETON RIDGE STALLION STAKES

In 2022, the National Reined Cow Horse Association and the NRCHA Foundation will once again honor inductees at the Hall of Fame Banquet. The event, which was postponed in 2020 and 2021, is planned for Friday, April 1, at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes. Four honorees will be inducted into the Hall of Fame: Doug Ingersoll, John Ward, Doc Bar and Shining Spark.

Doug Ingersoll founded his training business in Lincoln, California, in 1973, with his wife, Debbie. An NRCHA 3A judge, cow horse trainer and competitor, Ingersoll is the younger brother of NRCHA Hall of Fame member Bobby Ingersoll. He mentored several prominent reined cow horse trainers, including Sandy Collier, the first woman to win the Snaffle Bit Futurity® .

NRCHA Million Dollar Rider John Ward is from Kingsburg, California. The son of NRCHA Hall of Fame member Greg Ward, John made his own way into a successful cow horse career. He is a two-time NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Champion, first winning in 1998 and then again in 2008.

Horse inductees include two horses that made their marks on the reined cow horse industry, Doc Bar (Lightning Bar x Dandy Doll x Texas Dandy)