September 1, 2016

Road to DCA Championships, the 70th Edition

The Hawthorne Caballeros final stop in their 2016 regular season tour was the Reading Buccaneer’s home show, Big Sounds in Motion. The corps finished third with a score of 92.50, winning best color guard. Full show standings below:

Reading, PA (8/27/16)

Buccaneers: 95.15
Cadets2: 93.80
Hawthorne Caballeros: 92.50
White Sabers: 88.20
Bushwackers: 83.25
Carolina Gold: 81.90

It was a somber night for all corps performing, as everyone paid tribute to a fallen Reading Buccaneer.  It is nights like this that prove that we are all one drum corps family.  From the Cabs to the Bucs, our hearts go out to you, both on the field and off.

On Friday morning, 9/2/16, the Cabs travel north to Rochester for their final push in their 70th season of competition.  They will be practicing, over the next three days, at Douglass HS (940 Fernwood Park, Rochester, NY 14609).  On Friday night, from 8P-9:30P, look out for a SPECIAL PERFORMANCE outside of the Cabs’ hotel, Radisson Rochester Riverside — it is a fan favorite every year!

On Saturday, they prepare for DCA Preliminaries, they will be performing at 7:38P.  See below for full preliminary schedule:

Class A Prelims

2:00P: Excelsior
2:18P: Chops
2:36P: Kilties
2:54P: Erie Thunderbirds
3:12P: Cincinnati Tradition

INTERMISSION

Open Class Prelims

3:55P: Carolina Gold
4:13P: Alliance
4:31P: Connecticut Hurricanes
4:49P: Skyliners
5:07P: Bushwackers
5:25P: Govenaires
5:43P: Sunrisers

INTERMISSION

6:26P: White Sabers
6:44P: Fusion Core
7:02P: Atlanta CV
7:20P: Minnesota Brass
7:38P: Hawthorne Caballeros
7:56P: Cadets2
8:14P: Reading Buccaneers

Over this special weekend, we would like to recognize Peggy Todt.

Every prelims day, for the past several years, Peggy Todt puts together a luncheon for the Caballeros.  She does so quietly and does not look for any recognition.  Peggy goes through all the trouble to pay tribute to the memory of her late-life partner, Richard Pronti. “Dick” had a drum corps career that spanned almost 60 years.  He was a marching member of several Rochester corps over the years.  He then went on to teach, arrange, and consult for many national-level corps, including the Caballeros.

Soon after, Dick became one of the most respected marching band and drum corps judges in the country.  He founded the DCA I&E competition, in 1988 — a competition that he continued to run through the 2011 season.  Finally, in 2005, he was elected into the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame.

The luncheon is more than a modest gesture — it continues to preserve the legacy of Dick Pronti, a man who dedicated his life to working and caring for the young people in drum corps.

As the lucky recipients of Peggy’s love and generosity, the Caballeros say, “thank you!”

This is yet another prime example of what drum corps is all about!

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