This year marked Pin Oak Charity Horse Show’s 70th year anniversary, and it was time for me to finally get out to Houston to see this remarkable event first hand. I was able to experience Week II of Pin Oak Charity Horse Show presented by Irish Day Farms. First, I will start off by saying EVERYTHING totally is bigger in Houston, as they all say. From the shopping, eating, and hospitality, Houston is TOP notch.
As I arrived at the Houston Hobby Airport, I was greeted by GIANT decked out all American cowboy boots. Not only does The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show run during these two weeks in Houston, but also the Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show. It’s English equestrian style meets Western equestrian style in one of the largest cities in the United States! 
When I arrived, I was greeted by the lovely Laura Pennino of Pennino and Partners who showcased Houston in a fun and remarkable way. Laura was by far the BEST tour guide anyone could ask for. Just as I landed in Houston, she escorted me to one of the best BBQ restaurants in town: Goode Company BBQ. I posed under the magnificent Armadillo across the street at Armadillo’s Palace:
More about my favorite restaurants I visited in Houston,TX to come soon! after filling up on some great food in Houston, I made it to the beautiful Hotel Sorella at Houston City Centre.
The view was amazing, and not to mention that extremely comfortable bed and incredible shower. (They surely don’t skimp on water pressure at Hotel Sorella) it’s a fabulous shower for one with heavy thick blonde hair that needs to get washed at the end of a long day at the horse show 😉 The service and dining experience is exceptional at Hotel Sorella ~ I highly recommend!
When I first arrived at Pin Oak, it was quite a bit rainy, but luckily the tents and indoor arenas saved the day from getting “too muddy” out there. It was great to see some east coast and west coast riders meet in the middle at The Pin Oak Charity Horse show.
Oh, *snap* look who I ran into ringside! The absolutely fabulous, spectacular, Hunter rider extraordinaire, Hope Glynn. We both knew the best hairstyle for the day for a rainy Saturday… Braids on braids on braids!
Meanwhile, when its raining, what do we do? SHOP! The shopping at the show grounds definitely peeked our interest, especially during some of the rainy weather on Saturday. We were thrilled to finally meet The Bizi Bee mobile airstream boutique, The Pin Oak Boutique and Cavallo Couture. Take a look below at some of our favorite horse show shopping spottings:
The Bizi Bee Boutique boasts beautiful feminine, chic, comfortable clothing. Be sure to check out her shop online here.
Plenty of equestrian gifts and decor can be found at The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show. Be sure to walk around the entire grounds so that you don’t miss out on anything!
From Saddlebreds, working equitation, hunters and jumpers, you surely will see all types of equestrian style at The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show. One of my other favorite events at the Pin Oak was the Breyer Model Horse Show. As a child, I collected Breyer horses for many years. So many of us have our favorite “Breyer” memories… These next to photos were my favorites from the Breyer expo:
Check out the details on this Polo tack!
A Cinderella Breyer scene… Precious!
Social Media surely is a hit at Pin Oak Charity Horse Show. Riders ringside sharing #PinOak posts on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook was “the thing to do”.
Pin Oak Charity Horse Show truly does an amazing job not only with a beautiful horse show experience, but by benefiting the Texas Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald House of Houston, and Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Family Alliance. In 2014 alone, the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show will donate over $150,000 to these charities! Supporting events for Pin Oak Charity Horse Show continue all year from Holiday celebrations, fashion shows, and more.
Saturday night showcased the $30,000 Grand Prix presented by Hildebrand Fund. The night started off with a fabulous introductory program by the Leadline class, Cowgirls, Scottish Bagpipe Players, and the National Anthem sung on horseback. Mouths dropped when the American Flag suddenly shot a giant sparkler off at the top as the cowgirl galloped out of the ring in a flash. They sure don’t mess around in Houston, Texas.
The Pin Oak Sponsors Club is the “place to be” to meet and mingle with friends. I was so excited to see one of my favorite people, Aurélie Ferrut of Hermès who now resides in California. Aurélie’s style is timeless and elegant, and I always swoon over her fabulous French apparel. I dream of the day we get to travel to Paris together for an exclusive shopping spree at her favorite French boutiques.
The food was absolutely delicious in the Sponsor club at Pin Oak. For lunch, we had a fresh caesar salad, lasagna, and chocolate mouse desert. Dinner was delightful with a spinach salad, Texas barbecue pork and vegetable risotto. Desert consisted of a 70th year celebration cake served during the Grand Prix. The course was set very similar to a hunter course, with long strides and tough oxers off of the corners, which proved to be challenging for most riders. Tracey Fenney walked in the ring and killed it in both rounds. She totally deserved that win!
In the evening I caught up with fans like Jessica , who have been following the Equestrian Stylist for quite some time. “I still have one of the original shirts you sold when you first started,” she explained. It was quite flattering, I couldn’t believe it!
It’s truly an unbelievable experience for me to realize how impactful this little blog has become. I am excited to be back out and about again traveling around and working with some of my favorite people. Life and illness can push our schedules to a screeching halt, but I am thankful to be well enough to continue to share some exciting experiences on Equestrian Stylist. After all, life is about having fun and even though sometimes it may feel like “work, I pinch myself every day as my job is truly a dream come true.
Until next year, y’all! Yeeeehaw, Houston!
Once again a great article!
Hope we can schedule an Equestrian Stylist’ visit in France before next year so you can dress up for Pin Oak 2016!
im so glad I ran into you ash and finally got to meet you. So happy you had such a great time!
So glad we finally got to meet!!