SAN ANTONIO – Before the Texas Cavaliers and the King Antonio title became synonymous with San Antonio’s Fiesta celebration, the organization spent decades trying to figure out its identity — starting with what to call its king.
“In 1896, there was a King Cotton, and then after that, there were three King Selamats — which is Tamales spelled backwards,” Cavalier Wendell Hall said. “Then there was a one King Omala, which is King Alamo spelled backwards.”
The organization even crowned a King Zeus, Rex and Alegria before finally landing on King Antonio. And the numbering? That’s a mystery all its own.
“One, two, three, four, and they skipped five, and no one knows why, and then they went to Kings seven and eight,” Hall said.
John B. Carrington was King Antonio VIII when the Texas Cavaliers were officially founded in 1926. Early on, the king’s look leaned more theatrical than tactical.
“He had a flowing robe behind him in tights and something that looked very regal,” Hall said.
But that changed quickly.
“In 1928, a group of Cavaliers revolted,” Hall said. “And they sketched out a uniform that they thought would be appropriate.”
The new look was far more practical.
“It had red britches and riding boots, and a blue jacket with a sand brown belt — much more military looking,” he said. “It was made for riding, because most all the men were riders and had horses, and rode horses.”
A hospital visit that changed everything
The group’s original mission was to promote and maintain horsemanship during the early era of the automobile — but a chance hospital visit in 1929 gave the organization a new sense of purpose.
“King Antonio, back in 1929 — King Antonio Jack Beretta, he was King Antonio XI — went to Santa Rosa Hospital because one of his aides’ wife had just had a baby,” Hall said.
“While they were there, the Sisters of Charity said, ‘Would you all mind going to see the children in the children’s wing?’” Hall said. “And while you’re at it, would you go to two of our orphanages that we support?”
The royal entourage obliged — and came away forever changed.
“What happened was the king and his entourage were more inspired by those visits than the kids,” Hall said. “And that’s when the Cavaliers found their heart for the children of San Antonio.”
Hall said the impact of that visit cannot be overstated.
“There’s really no overstating how deeply that experience impacted the Cavaliers from that date forward,” he said.
From $100 checks to $3 million: Charitable giving takes root
Decades later, the Cavaliers Charitable Foundation was officially founded by Fred Middleton, who seeded it with $1,000 of his own money. The early days of giving were humble.
“The first few years, our contributions to children’s charities were literally $100 checks, which were small and somewhat embarrassing,” Hall said. “But over the years, it started to catch on.”
It has more than caught on.
“This Fiesta will finally break the $3 million mark and give more than $3 million to children’s charities in San Antonio,” Hall said.
River Parade roots: Poles, paddles, real roses
A good chunk of that charitable fundraising comes from the Texas Cavaliers’ annual River Parade, a beloved San Antonio tradition that dates to 1941.
“This was the first one in San Antonio, because the WPA had just created the River Walk only a few years earlier,” Hall said.
With only about six months to prepare, organizers and volunteers worked together to pull off something no one had ever attempted on the San Antonio River.
“They all worked together for a week or more building these launches and learning how to guide them down the river,” Hall said.
There were no motors back then — just muscle and creativity.
“They propelled them with poles and paddles,” Hall said. “They didn’t have motors in those days.”
Even the decorating was a family affair.
“A lot of the Cavalier wives helped decorate these launches with real roses and flowers,” he said.
Getting the floats in and out of the water was no small feat, either — much like how barges are handled today.
“I don’t know how far they went along the river, but that had to be really hard work,” Hall said.
That first parade drew 50,000 spectators. Today, more than 250,000 people turn out each year, helping fuel the Cavaliers’ mission to serve the children of San Antonio.
Wendall said while the River Parade is the organizations most recognized endeavor, he hopes over the next 100 years, The Cavaliers are most recognized for their contribution to children’s charities of San Antonio.
The coffee book is still awaiting final testimony, numbers and photos from Fiesta 2026. Production will be complete and the book will be available for purchase post-Fiesta.