Bally Mar

Bally Mar is a 16.1h U.S.-bred Thoroughbred-Hanoverian chestnut mare, owned by John and Dianne Pingree from Hamilton, Mass.

Bred by the Pingrees, “Amber” (Omar--Bally Thorn) is the granddaughter of Bally Cor, the 1976 Olympic three-day gold medal-winning mare.  She was very feisty as a foal, and became most independent at a very young age.  Jim Stamets took her on as a loving challenge, and with time, patience and ingenuity, he gained her trust.  By the time she was almost five, they were truly loyal friends and he was able to back her.

Amber won the Advanced at Millbrook in 1997 at age ten, was 2nd at Fair Hill and won the following year at Southern Pines.  After a great run at Blenheim, Jim and Amber continued their successful partnership, and she earned the USCTA (USEA) Mare of the Year award for 2001.

In November of 2001, Jim passed away of heart failure, and the Pingrees decided to send Bally Mar to Karen....along with her long time groom, Max Corcoran.  Amber trusted Max, and she knew her “Bunny-head” inside and out.

The new partnership flourished, and Karen and Amber went to Blenheim in 2003, finishing in 5th place out of 100 competitors.  They followed that accomplishment with a trip to Kentucky in the spring.  At Rolex, her first four-star, she was 16th as well as the top mare.

At 18 years old, Bally Mar was headed to retirement, but not until after a fun and successful competition at Rocking Horse.  Karen handed Max the reins and she rode Amber to a 2nd place finish in the Training Rider division in front of their friends and fans.

The mare was formally retired at the 28th anniversary of the Groton House Farm Horse Trials.

"We feel Amber is one of our own," said Groton House organizer Ann Getchell. "A bit of a hard case to start with, she was tactfully tamed and trained by the late Jim Stamets, who brought her to the advanced level. After his untimely death in 2001, she continued her outstanding career with Karen O'Connor."  As the crowd cheered, O'Connor galloped the gleaming chestnut mare, and when announcer Tim Murray asked to see some jumping, O'Connor obliged.

The little chestnut flew over the last fences in her competitive life with her trademark flair and exuberant style. O'Connor dismounted and allowed Amber's long-time groom, Max Corcoran, the honor of unsaddling her, placing a flower-adorned streamer over her shoulders, and leading her out of the arena.