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 during the Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes. Four honorees will be inducted to 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 the first woman to win the Snaffle Bit Futurity®, Sandy Collier.
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 mark on the reined cow horse industry, Doc Bar (Lightening Bar x Dandy Doll x Texas Dandy) and Shining Spark (Genuine Doc x Diamonds Sparkle x Mr Diamond Dude). Doc Bar was inducted to the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 1993 and innumerable horses count the sorrel stallion bred by Tom Finley in 1956 in their pedigree. Originally bred to be a race horse, Doc Bar found his 15-hand stature best suited for halter, then siring athletic, cow-savvy offspring. He was purchased by Dr. Stephen Jensen and lived his life out at the Jenson’s Double J Ranch in Paicines, California, until his death in 1992.
Shining Spark was the first NRCHA All-Time Leading Sire, a title he held for 17 years until 2021, the year of his death. The palomino excelled in the reining arena, but his offspring took more than their share of earnings in the reined cow horse pen. Notably, Shining Spark’s daughters have set the stallion apart as the leading broodmare sire in the NRCHA. Bred and owned by Carol Rose, the stallion was NRCHA’s first $4 Million Dollar Sire. He passed away in December 2021.
“Our Hall of Fame Committee, chaired by Dan Roeser, works hard to recommend only the most deserving inductees” said Anna Morrison, NRCHA Executive Director. “This is certainly the case with the inductee class of 2022, and we will be honored to celebrate with Doug, John and the connections of Doc Bar and Shining Spark, all of whom made their mark on our sport.”
In addition to inducting four to the Hall of Fame, the Banquet will celebrate the Vaquero Award winner, Debby Sanguinetti. The award recognizes an NRCHA member that works tirelessly to promote the association and strives to retain traditional reined cow horse methods.
The Hall of Fame Banquet will kick-off with cocktails at 5:30 p.m. before the ceremony begins at 6:30 p.m. The event is produced by the NRCHA Foundation which supports the reined cow horse community and honors the legacy of the reined cow horse sport through the enactment of charitable and educational programs. The NRCHA Hall of Fame Committee selects the inductees annually. Tickets will be available through advanced purchase through NRCHA. For more information on the Teton Ridge Stallion Stakes, visit nrcha.com/nrcha-stakes/ and for more information on the NRCHA Foundation or the NRCHA Crisis Fund, visit nrchafoundation.com.
