Twin Wins For Sisters Lindsey and Gretchen Ross and A Thumbs Up Ride in Equitation Over Fences

By: Brittany Bevis

Two sisters captured twin wins at the 2014 All American Quarter Horse Congress this week. Yesterday, Gretchen Ross rode A Thumbs Up Ride to a win in Novice Amateur Equitation Over Fences. Today, it was little sister’s turn in the winner’s circle in Novice Youth Equitation Over Fences.

We caught up with the newly crowned Congress Champion, Lindsey Ross, and her sister shortly after the results were announced. Gretchen was the first person at the gate to greet her sister with a huge congratulatory hug.

“I’ve been coming here since I was 11, and I’ve never done this well, ever,” Lindsey says. “It’s been a long time coming. They didn’t call back who was in the top 15, so they got all the way to first and I thought I didn’t place. I didn’t think I placed at all. It feels really good!”

Lindsey and her 11-year-old AQHA gelding “Rudy” have only been a team since January. At first, it didn’t seem like a match made in horse heaven…

“He’s kind of funny because he’s grumpy most of the time,” she says. “When I first got him, he didn’t really like me at all. It took him a long time to warm up to me, but I feel like he loves me now!”

The show day has only just begun for the Ross sisters; the pair still has four more classes left to show in with Rudy including Working Hunter and Hunter Hack in their respective divisions. Both ladies rely on the guidance of their trainer Michelle Thompson.

“We’ve shared horses before,” she says. “We’re kind of used to it. We each have to let each other do our own things. I’ve been riding him a lot at home, because he is mine. She just started nursing school, so she’s been busy with that. I don’t want to tell her what to do, so I let her do her own thing and I do mine.”

Congratulations to this dynamic pair of sisters on their big wins thus far at the Quarter Horse Congress!

Novice Youth Equitation Over Fences-

1- A Thumbs Up Ride/Lindsey Ross

2- Beyond Captivating/Nya Kearns

3- My Secret Past/Maria George

4- Sculptured In Iron/Kaitlyn Lomas

5- Art Of The Deal/Natalie Vargo

6- No Longer Captive/Grace Baum

7- BMQ Ride The Stride/Noel Meadows

8- Review This Preview/Morgan Reifsteck

9- Rockin Kelvis/Monika Zoromski

10- Have A Luke/Megan Clouden