Team Texas Holds On to Narrowly Defeat Mexico

Team Texas Holds On to Narrowly Defeat Mexico in the Overall $30,000 Alamo Cup Challenge at the Pin Oak II Charity Horse Show presented by BBVA Compass Bank 

By Anne Lang

KATY — On March 30 at the Pin Oak II Charity Horse Show, equestrian fans certainly “remembered the Alamo” during the $30,000 Alamo Cup Challenge – a trio of exciting, high-speed jumper ride-off classes featuring qualifying riders from Texas and Mexico.  The Challenge ended with Team Texas barely edging out Team Mexico for the overall win.  The event was a fitting conclusion to two consecutive weeks of the historic annual shows, which began on March 19.  The Pin Oak Charity Horse Shows (I and II) were presented by Compass Bank Wealth Management Group, and took place at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center near Houston.

The Alamo Cup Challenge Finals were comprised of three levels of jumper riders – Open Level (with jumps set at grand prix heights of 4’9”), sponsored by Alamo Resources LLC and the Pelletier Family); Junior/Amateur Level (with jumps set at a height of 4’6”), sponsored by the Howard Butt III Family and HEB, the Nusz Family, and Oasis Energy); and Children’s/Adult Level (with jumps set a height of 3’6”), sponsored by Sleepy P Ranch.  The festive opening ceremonies for the Alamo Cup Challenge ride-off featured the playing of the Mexico national anthem, followed by the U.S. national anthem (complete with the American flag spirited around the arena by a costumed cowgirl on a galloping horse) – and although the crowd was largely Texan, there was an equal amount of enthusiastic cheering for each team and every rider as the classes ensued.

In each class, speed was of the essence – as riders were limited to a very short amount of time to complete the 10 jumping elements.  Each team featured three riders from Texas and three riders from Mexico (although the Open Class had only two riders from Mexico, since many open-level Mexican riders encountered travel conflicts that day and couldn’t stay to compete).  Each rider earned his/her spot for Sunday’s final ride-off with points accumulated in various qualifying jumper classes held over the course of the two consecutive Pin Oak shows – so the audience was treated with truly seeing the “best of the best” riders in the ride-off.  

Prize money for the $30,000 Alamo Cup Challenge was a lucrative incentive – in each $10,000 class, the awards were distributed with $3,600 for first place, $2,500 for second, $1,400 for third, $1,000 for fourth, $800 for fifth and $700 for sixth.  The winning team (i.e., bragging rights) for each class was determined by the highest number of points accumulated by the riders for their corresponding state (Texas) or country (Mexico).  In the end, it was Texas that won the Open and Children’s/Adult classes, and Mexico that won the Junior/Amateur class.

Mike McCormick of Flower Mound, Tex., was the winner of the Alamo Cup Challenge Open class aboard MTM Remington.  Second was Alberto Michan of Mexico on Et Chavo, third was Paolo Tropia of Texas on CR Lucinda, fourth was Tracy Fenney (McCormick’s wife) of Texas on Naboo, and fifth was John Perez of Mexico on Ibris la Cantera.  

McCormick was delighted with MTM Remington’s win in the Open class.  He said he felt he was lucky that “Remington,” a Thoroughbred/Trakehner cross, is “really careful.  He does his best not to touch any jumps, so if you don’t miss, he’ll try his best to go along.  I decided to go around one jump at a full gallop instead of turning on the short side – and that full gallop proved to be about four seconds faster, for the winning time.”

Of the inaugural event, McCormick said: “This provided a nice format – Texas against Mexico, and it was really, really a good course where you could be neat and tidy and slick about everything.  In the future, I think it could be Mexico against Texas, again – OR Mexico against the U.S.  Because there were a lot of riders who said: ‘Gee, I wish I lived in Texas, because I would love to do this.’  Everybody seemed to be excited about it; I heard good reports.  

“Next year,” McCormick concluded, “I think the Mexican team will load up and gear up for this, and we need to pay attention to that – because there’s going to be a big party for whoever wins!  The sponsors and the horse show put up a lot of money for this, which was great.  I think it’s going to be a really fun deal.”

Alvaro Becker of Mexico City, Mex., won the Alamo Cup Challenge Junior/Amateur class on Lassiter BS.  Second was Pablo Torres Hernandez of Mexico on Lian, third was Megan Haag of Texas on Cantona, fourth was Emily Allen of Texas on CR Napoleon, fifth was Sarah Busbice of Texas on Tenfold, and sixth was Alberto Michan of Mexico on Quetzal.

Becker said he was thrilled with his victory in the Junior/Amateur class.  The Alamo Cup Challenge, Becker said, was “really nice, really amazing, a lot of competition.  The Cup and all the gifts they gave us are really nice.  This year I came with one horse, but next year I think I’m going to come with six horses!  The course was really good, designed to be not too difficult, but made for speed.”  Does he think Mexico could win the whole thing next year?  “Oh, for sure!” Becker nodded enthusiastically. “We’ll need to bring more children to try to qualify for the children’s/adult level.  We’ll be more organized next year, to be ready and to make competitive teams for each of the divisions.”

Indeed, the Texans seemed to have the edge in the Alamo Cup Challenge Children’s/Adult class – won by Michaela deLeyer of Tomball, Tex., on Figaro.  Second was Alison Brennen of Texas on Skylark, third was Rebecca Novelli of Texas on Flambeau H, fourth was Aleka Gonzales of Mexico on Sandor la Cantera, fifth was Eduardo Tame of Mexico on Primo, and sixth was Monica Torres Hernandez of Mexico on Jus de Pommes.  However…2009 will offer yet another chance to “remember the Alamo” in the arena at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show, and anything can happen!