By Sue Weakley
Imagine five teams of six top Grand Prix dressage riders and their mounts bedecked in colorful costumes dancing to choreographed freestyles before a sold-out crowd — all to raise funds for breast cancer research — and you’ve just scratched the surface of the fun and excitement of the Challenge of the Americas (COTA).
COTA creator Mary Ross had no idea the afternoon luncheon/exhibition she created in 2002 to honor her mother, who died of breast cancer, would evolve from three pas de deux horse-and-rider combinations to a one-of-a-kind international dressage extravaganza featuring 44 Grand Prix dressage riders and their mounts. She enlists the help of some of the top names in dressage, from riders and choreographers to coaches, judges, musical gurus, photographers, and announcers who generously donate their time, talent, and expertise to #ChallengeBreastCancer.
COTA has grown into one of the highlights of the South Florida winter show season and a beloved fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation through their partner, Play for P.I.N.K. The 2024 Challenge will be held on Friday, March 8, at the Adequan® Global Dressage Festival showgrounds in Wellington, Florida, and if you can’t be there in person, you can watch the live stream along with thousands of fans from across the globe.
“Everyone knows someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer,” Ross says. “My mother lost her battle, and she is the reason the Challenge of the Americas is here today. COTA was created in her memory and has grown from a small tribute to an event before a sold-out crowd of 1,300 spectators and a livestream audience of more than 5,000 online viewers. It takes a community to make the Challenge a success, and I thank each of those generous individuals who have given their time to assist Play for P.I.N.K. in their efforts to prevent and find a cure for breast cancer.”
The most highly anticipated event of the evening is the Grand Prix Quadrille Team Challenge, but there are spectacular pre-quadrille events as well – including the crowd favorite jumping mini horses and their full-sized friends, a Tina Turner tribute pas de trois, and a new event for 2024, the Disco Dressage Derby. The 70s-themed competition features three fab pas de deux teams as they boogie down to musical selections chosen just for them. In the final minute of each four-minute freestyle, the riders must bust a move to an undisclosed musical selection as two top judges, Jeanne McDonald and Gary Rockwell, choose the winners.
The headline event, the Grand Prix Quadrille Challenge, pits five teams made up of six horse-and-rider combos performing themed freestyles created by some of the top names in the business. Judges Janet Foy, Cesar Torrente, and Lee Tubman will make sure all the Grand Prix moves are included in the choreography with additional criteria these 4* and 5* judges don’t usually consider when scoring freestyles. The teams pull out the stops when they dress to impress, and the usually sedate dressage crowds come to life – clapping and singing to the familiar tunes, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the tight formations and creative patterns. At the end of the Grand Prix Quadrille Challenge, one team is crowned the winner — a hotly contested honor.
Not only is the evening tons of fun, but the Challenge of the Americas has a serious side as it raises funds to help breast cancer research. The beneficiary of the event, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), through their partner Play for P.I.N.K. (PFP), is the largest private funder of breast cancer research and the largest private funder of metastatic research in the world. Play for P.I.N.K. is a grassroots organization committed to raising funds for breast cancer research via sporting and lifestyle events. Since 1996, PFP has raised more than $80 million for breast cancer research and is currently supporting 20 research projects to bring about breakthroughs in detection, treatment, prevention, and survivorship.
In 2023, COTA was thrilled and honored with the naming of The Play for P.I.N.K. Challenge of the Americas Award by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in conjunction with Play for P.I.N.K. This distinction was given following the 2023 Challenge of the Americas, COTA’s most successful fundraiser to date. The inaugural grant will be presented to Dr. Benita Katzenellenbogen from the University of Illinois, whose groundbreaking research focuses on metastasis, treatment, and tumor biology.
COTA’s success and continued growth are due not only to its partnership with the top-rated breast cancer organization in the US, but also to its uniquely entertaining format. VIP tickets, which include a gala dinner and dancing, are available here, and General Admission seating, with an ideal vantage point from the grandstands, may be purchased at the gate the night of the Challenge ($30 per adult, children 12 and under are free). Gates open at 5:45 PM EST at the Global Dressage Festival showgrounds on the corner of South Shore Boulevard and Pierson Road in Wellington, Florida. Grandstand guests can grab some food and beverages available for purchase as they enjoy pre-show entertainment.
If you can’t be there in person, you can watch the free live-stream—but please consider donating to help #ChallengeBreastCancer. A QR code and link where you can donate in honor of your favorite team or Disco Dressage Derby duo will be available at ChallengeOfTheAmericas.com and on social media. Nearly everyone knows someone who has been affected by breast cancer, and ending breast cancer isn’t BCRF’s only priority: their researchers are also focused on innovative ways to prevent breast cancer in future generations.
Be watching the Challenge of the Americas website, Facebook page, and Instagram feed for live stream information, as well as ways you can donate to breast cancer research while the Challenge of the Americas gives breast cancer the boot.
