Posted on Feb 27, 2015 in
NEWSWORTHY
Greetings and rider Morgan Erbstoesser were winners of last year’s Week One $10,000 United States Hunter Jumper Association, Inc. (USHJA) National Hunter Derby. Presenting the award were Georgia Carter, Elizabeth Wood, Katie Lambert Boone and Robin Walker. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography.
The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show will celebrate a 70 year tradition of excellence and a legacy of giving when more than 1,200 competitors of all ages and 2,000 horses and ponies of all sizes gather March 17th through March 29th at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy. One of the oldest and most prestigious charity horse shows in the nation, the 70th Pin Oak Charity Horse Show is presented by Irish Day Farm and Haras Dos Cavaleiros. This family-friendly horse show is a series of events that take place in covered and outdoor arenas at 2501 South Mason Road. Most events are free and open to the public.
Proceeds from The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show benefit three organizations that focus on healing sick children: Texas Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald Family Rooms at Texas Children’s Hospital and Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Family Alliance, which supports the Texas Children’s Cancer Center. The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show has entered into a $550,000 commitment to the Sports Medicine Program at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, enabling the program to have a Sports Medicine Fellow, which is critical to expanding the care for adolescent athletes. This pledge brings Pin Oak’s giving to the West Campus of Texas Children’s Hospital to $1.25 million in recent years. Pin Oak has also pledged a $100,000 commitment to Texas Children’s newest hospital in The Woodlands, which is slated to open in 2017.
“Pin Oak has supported the growth of Texas Children’s Hospital from the very beginning. We’re truly honored to have Pin Oak give so generously to expand our care in the Sports Medicine Clinic at West Campus and at our newest campus in The Woodlands,” noted Mark Wallace, president and chief executive officer of Texas Children’s Hospital.
The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show combines extraordinary equestrian competition, ringside social events and charitable giving – almost $6 million since the show’s inception in 1945, with a donation of $200,000 in 2014. The vision of J.S. Abercombie, founder of The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show, continues to bring the best horse show teams together to benefit the community, specifically children, through the establishment of a pediatric hospital that would turn no child away. In 1947, Pin Oak made the first donation to build Texas Children’s Hospital. That vision became reality in 1954 when Texas Children’s Hospital opened its doors. Today, the hospital serves children not only from Houston or Texas, but from around the world, with over three million patient encounters annually from over 50 nations.
Olympic caliber Grand Prix events and the International Hunter Derby are highlights of the two-week horse show that attract thousands of spectators. Week one of the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show, March 17th to 22nd, features various breeds, including American Saddlebreds, Andalusians, Lusitanos, Hunter competition, Show Jumping and All-breed Working Equitation. Pin Oak Week One also includes the Collegiate Invitational, with eight equestrian teams competing in Hunt Seat. Riders and coaches will represent Delaware State University, Fresno State, Louisiana State University, New Mexico State University, Southern Methodist University, Texas A&M University, Texas Christian University and Rice University. Week two finds elegant Hunters and exciting Show Jumpers in all rings from March 24th to 29th.
Lynn Walsh, president of The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show and an accomplished equestrian, reflected on Pin Oak and its meaning. “The Greater Houston community has extended tremendous support to The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show over these 70 years. Thankfully, this amazing support continues to get better every year. It is gratifying to be part of a mission that endures, yet evolves over time and that delivers value on so many levels. We have outstanding national sponsors, tremendous publicity and promotional support from media partners like absolutely! Katy and absolutely! Memorial Magazines and spectators filling our grandstands on Grand Prix Saturday nights.”
General admission tickets for the Grand Prix events on March 21st and March 28th are available for a donation of $10 each for spectators 12 and older. Children under 12 are admitted free. For more information, visit www.pinoak.org.
