Our History

The Show debuted in Houston on May 26, 1945 at J.S. Abercrombie’s Pin Oak Stables with the proceeds given to charity. In very short order this annual event became THE social event of the season. At one point when hosted at the original stables in Bellaire, tickets for Pin Oak were harder to come by than Kentucky Derby tickets.

In 1948, Pin Oak began a long-term commitment to raise funds to construct, and later support, Texas Children’s Hospital, which opened in Houston in 1954.

During the next three decades, “Mr. Jim” Abercrombie, Leopold Meyer, the Junior League and a group of dedicated Houstonians established Pin Oak as one of the preeminent horse shows in the nation, attracting as many as 60,000 visitors, and enabling the Association to contribute millions to worthy causes.

Pin Oak is one of the only horse shows in the nation that features not only hunters and jumpers, but also American Saddlebreds, Andalusians, Roadster horses, and Welsh ponies. The show also features various breeds of horses on exhibit and in specialty and demonstration classes.

The new generation of Pin Oak leaders began allocating funds for needed research at Texas Children’s and supporting the construction and maintenance of Family Room Centers at the Hospital staffed by Houston's Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms volunteers. The Family Room Center continues to grow and serve the families of seriously ill children and the children themselves by providing a home away from home.

We would like to thank our members and exhibitors for their continued patronage and participation. We are also deeply grateful to all of our sponsors and other contributors whose generous support enables us to carry on the tradition of charitable giving for which Pin Oak was established. Last but by no means least, we wish to acknowledge the immeasurable contributions of the Pin Oak Board and all the volunteers who give us so generously the gifts of their time and their talent.