Edited Press Release
Saturday wasn’t a bad day to be an Ingram.
John Ingram and Martha Ingram took wins in the 3’6” and 3’3” Amateur Owner Classics, respectively, to close out their divisions for week one of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival.
John Ingram wasn’t quite satisfied with just the win, as he ended up in both first and second place with his mounts, Dynamo and Romeo, in the Rider’s Boutique 3’6” Amateur-Owner Classic. He and Dynamo scored 174 over the two rounds while Romeo followed close behind with a 172.5. John led his closest competition by 4.5 points.
Coming off of his jumper career, Dynamo has adjusted well to the hunter ring under the piloting of John. “He’s just getting more and more comfortable with this new job and he was just terrific here,” explained John. “He loves his job and he loves Michigan in the summer.”
Romeo, on the other hand, is a new partner for John, who spoke highly of the 11-year-old. “This is my first show at 3’6” with him; he’s fantastic,” Ingram expressed.
The Ingram family has a long history in Traverse City and makes sure to stop by each season. “Hard to beat 75 degrees in the summer,” said John of the Michigan weather. “The setup is fantastic,” said John. “They keep making it better and we’re happy to be exhibitors, happy to be sponsors, and happy to be here.”
Not to be outdone by her father, Martha Ingram captured the second Amateur-Owner Classic of the day as she and veteran mount Private Practice rode to the top of the leaderboard in the Madd Horse LLC 3’3” Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic.
“I think his expression going around the course really set us apart today,” she said. “He’s an excellent jumper who absolutely loves his job, and his presence is really noticeable to the judges.”
The pair bested 16 other horse-and-rider combinations for the honor as they prepared for WCHR classes in the coming week.
“I am still learning from him because he is a bit like a Ferrari in that he has so many different gears,” Martha added. “You can add or leave out as many strides as you want so my main focus is managing his stride, especially at this height. He is always up for anything which is amazing.”
The younger winning Ingram has been attending summers at GLEF since her years of piloting small ponies and noted that the family plans to continue to make it a highlight event of their travels for years to come.
“We have been here every year, and I just absolutely love Michigan and this show,” she stated. “Everything is always so beautiful, and the management does such a fantastic job.”
