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IN MEMORIAM
ROMAN ERIC CHAPA June 18, 1971-July 27, 2021
After a courageous months-long fight with injuries he sustained in a fall from a horse, Roman died this past Tuesday, the 27th of July.
Fearless and confident on the back of a horse was the life Roman mostly loved, but it wasn’t a secret that he held the most love for his family: his daughter Samantha and her wife Michelle, and their 3 children: Avery, Gaieg and Remington. His daughters Airicha and Annabell. His brother Gene, his brother Eloy and his wife Shelly. His sister Cynthia and her husband Adam.
His wife Casey. His life partner and the calming gentle spirit his busy soul craved.
Eric, as he was first known, began in Charlotte, Texas, with his parents, Ray and Adela Chapa. While he was still a teenager, his passion and talent for all things equine led him into the life of a horseman and jockey, one that would bring him success all over the country.
He began as an apprentice jockey in 1993 when he was 22, and he quickly began riding at Texas’ 3 tracks: Retama Park, Lone Star Park, and Sam Houston Race Park. Roman would eventually become a perennial leading rider at whichever track he chose to hang
his tack and he rode for some of the leading trainers in horse racing.
Right after winning aboard his favorite horse, Boots On Sunday, Roman told a reporter, “I knew
right there (that) this is me. I’m supposed to ride. I’m not supposed to do anything else but ride. It’s a wicked feeling. An unbelievable high. I’m a rider.” Yes, and quite a rider he was.
In over 10,000 career races Roman won more than 1,700 times, placed 2nd almost 1,500 times, and showed over 1,300 times. He was always considered one of the top jockeys in the sport and his total career earnings are over $25 million.
A defining moment in his career came in
the 2004 Breeders’ Cup at Lone Star Park, when Roman won the award for the top jockey of the meet, proving his talent before the greatest jockeys, trainers and owners in the world.
Roman passionately cared about his family, his friends, his fellow riders, and anyone
he saw who was less fortunate than he was.
He gave his money, his time, and his loving friendship to whoever he could.
Roman lived his life with fervent enjoyment. He knew that when trouble or mistakes happened, they couldn’t define him or slow him down. He knew that the flavor of life tastes best, moving forward, . . . . at the speed of a racehorse.
A visitation was on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, at Hurley Funeral Home, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm with a rosary recited at 7:00 pm. The funeral service was on Wednesday, August 4, 2021, at Cowboy Fellowship, starting at 10:00 am. Services concluded after the service.
The sane and sober of us should rightfully be jealous of the life lived by our late friend Roman Chapa. Hard on the outside and soft on the inside, behind an authentic smile, he met and affected countless lives from one coast to the other.
Roman cared for everyone he met, whether they were a titan of business, a groom, or a child, and his grace and charm easily prevailed over the adversity life threw before him.
DR. ROBERT BETTS
DORIS ROBERTS
Doris Roberts passed away Sept. 8, 2021.
DAVID LIDBERG
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