“THE BEST RIDE OF ALL”

Bobby Ingersoll received the Chester A. Reynolds Award at the Western Heritage Awards in March of 2023.

BY JENNIFER PAULSON

Every year, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum bestows a living legend with the Chester A. Reynolds Award, in honor of the museum’s founder. This year, National Reined Cow Horse Association Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Ingersoll received the accolade during the annual Western Heritage Awards.

The award acknowledges four key factors: dedication to or promotion of the ideas of individualism, honesty, humility and integrity that are closely identified with the American West; a distinguished life’s work as a rancher, cowboy or ranch hand; leadership within professions or businesses that define themselves through their strong connection to the American West; and demonstration of a single remarkable achievement or body of quality of work through the years, with unwavering commitment to Western ideals and values.

Clearly, Ingersoll represents each of these qualities and has demonstrated them in his life as a horseman and NRCHA professional. His commitment to the Spanish Vaquero horsemanship methods shine through in his many successes, and his commitment remains strong today, conducting clinics, training horses and coaching riders to achieve their cow horse dreams.

“A gentleman named Dana Aler spent a lot of time around me in my younger days,” Ingersoll recalled. “He appreciated that I follow the California Vaquero horsemanship style. When I moved to Reno, he came to me in 2017 and told me he was going to nominate me for this award.”

As the years went on and Ingersoll went about his life training horses, the nomination went to the back of his mind. At the end of 2022, he received a call that he’d be receiving the award at the 2023 Western

Heritage Awards. Ingersoll was in awe at the call, but even more so when he arrived at the awards ceremony.

“It was like the Academy Awards,” he shared. “NRCHA staff and Million Dollar Riders joined us there. I felt really blessed that they all took the time to come see me get the award.”

Ingersoll also gave a workshop during the awards weekend, discussing Vaquero horsemanship and the traditions it follows.

“NRCHA stands for tradition,” he said. “The horses we see in our competitions today, the horsemanship out there, the bloodlines of the horses—it’s all built on tradition.”

It was like the Academy Awards.

NRCHA staff and Million Dollar Riders joined us there. I felt really blessed that they all took the time to come see me get the award.”

—Bobby Ingersoll

From his home in Reno, Nevada, Ingersoll continued to bask in the awe of being part of such a prestigious event. The Western Heritage Awards typically feature star-studded celebrities—musicians, actors from television and the big screen, and more. For them to recognize a humble horseman meant a lot to Ingersoll.

“The Western Heritage Awards ceremony is something I’ll never forget,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of great rides in my lifetime; I’ve ridden a lot of great horses. But that night—that was the best ride of all.”