'The Amazing Race' eliminates "Cowboys" Jet McCoy and Cord McCoy

The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business eliminated returning sixteenth-season Racers Jet McCoy and his brother Cord McCoy during Sunday night's broadcast of the CBS reality competition's all-stars edition.


The "Cowboys" team became the sixth team eliminated from the around-the-world competition after they arrived last at the Race's ninth Pit Stop in Zermatt, Switzerland.

"I know they hit the nail on the head when they call this race amazing. I get to go with my brother, my best friend. It's memories that I'll never forget," Cord said following his team's ouster.

"We went to some new places this time and got to see it with my brother -- nobody else I'd rather be traveling around the country with -- [well] maybe my wife," Jet added.

"I don't blame you," Cord said.


The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business' ninth episode began where the eighth episode had left off -- with the competition's six remaining teams leaving the Race's eighth Pit Stop at Villa Trapp in Salzburg, Austria.

Since they had been the team to finish in first place at the Pit Stop in Salzburg, fourteenth-season "Friends" Zev Glassenberg and Justin Kanew were the first team to depart from Villa Trapp at 3:14AM.

They were then followed by fifteenth-season "Harlem Globetrotters" Nathaniel "The Big Easy" Lofton and Herbert "Flight Time" Lang at 3:25AM, twelfth-season "Dating Goths" Vyxsin Fiala and Kent Kaliber (who was known as Kynt Cothron during his initial Race edition) at 3:39AM, fourteenth-season "Sisters" Jennifer Hoffman and LaKisha Hoffman at 3:49AM, Jet and Cord at 3:50AM, and seventeenth-season "Father and Daughter" team of Gary Ervin and Mallory Ervin at 4:36AM.

Upon opening their departure clues, the teams were instructed to travel by train to Feldkirch, Austria, and then cross the border into the country of Liechtenstein at Schaanwald. Once the teams crossed the border into the small country, which is one-fifth the size of New York City, they would find their next clue.

The teams also learned they would encounter a Double U-Turn at some point throughout the Race's ninth leg, so they knew they had to race quickly, intelligently and efficiently. In addition, Gary and Mallory knew a Speed Bump task was also awaiting them in the near future because they had arrived at the Race's eighth Pit Stop in last place, incurring the penalty as a result of the non-elimination leg. 


Cord said he had a feeling that all the other teams found him and his brother a huge threat, and as a result, the "Cowboys" team felt very alienated and targeted.

"I don't know if we're outcasts, but there sure hasn't been anybody wanting to just buddy up with us," Jet said.

Meanwhile, Kisha and Jen admitted they had grown very close with Flight Time and Big Easy and the two teams had become great friends.

Jet and Cord, proving maybe they really were the team to beat, were the first ones to get off the train and hop into their taxi in order to cross the border. They were followed by Gary and Mallory, Flight Time and Big Easy, Kisha and Jen, Zev and Justin, and Kent and Vyxsin.

However, Zev and Justin were able to move ahead of everyone into first place because they had a very aggressive and persistent taxi driver. Gary and Mallory were dealt a bad hand as they were faced with the exact opposite situation.


They soon realized everyone had passed them because their driver took his time to input the directions into his GPS system rather than just drive towards the border. While their driver was seemingly slow and overly tentative, Gary and Mallory began to worry about the Speed Bump that loomed over their heads, as it would force the team to fall even further behind the other teams later on in the leg.

"We're going to lose 10 minutes and we still got our Speed Bump," Gary noted.

As a result of getting lucky with a determined driver, Zev and Justin arrived at the clue first in Liechtenstein at Schaanwald, and were followed by Flight Time and Big Easy, Kisha and Jen, Jet and Cord, Kent and Vyxsin, and finally Gary and Mallory.

The teams opened their clue and learned they needed to complete a Roadblock task, which required one member from each team to use a motorized bicycle -- also known as a Solex -- a map for guidance, and an odometer to measure the entire length of Liechtenstein. The country has a total area of less than 62 square miles, making it one of the smallest countries in the world.

Once the teams finished their 22-kilometer ride, they had to present their guess of Liechtenstein's distance to six-time Olympic ski racer Marco Buchel. If the teams calculated the correct answer of 22 kilometers, Marco would direct them to their next destination, Gutenberg Castle. However, if they answered incorrectly, the teams would have to ride back to the starting point and measure the country all over again.


In addition, upon their arrival at the border of Liechtenstein, Gary and Mallory were instructed to complete their Speed Bump task -- which required them to perform an extra task before being able to join the other teams and attempting to complete the Roadblock task.

Gary and Mallory learned they must put their mathematical skills to the test by creating the proper mixture of gas and oil to power a Solex. Using only the provided tools, they would be required to figure out that they needed to pump two liters of gasoline to achieve the ratio of 25-parts gas to one-part oil. If the mechanic approved their mixture, one of them would then use that Solex to complete the Roadblock with the hope of catching up to the other teams.

Justin, Jen, Jet, Vyxsin, and Flight Time opted to do the task for their teams.

Gary and Mallory struggled a bit in the beginning with the math, as they were disagreeing over the correct equation, but the team quickly thereafter came up with the mixture they needed to continue on with the leg. Gary then chose to participate in the Roadblock task for his team.

Most of the teams came across some difficulty when trying to find their way to Marco, but several pairs teamed up and worked together in order to successfully complete the task.


Gary pedaled hard to try and make up for lost time and ran into Jet at the 10-kilometer mark. Jet, however, was confused because he had to backtrack from the previous town after taking a wrong turn along his way. His odometer read 17-kilometers, and the two men tried to help each other and began riding again side by side.

Justin stopped because he was having trouble deciphering his map and Jen pulled up next to him. Jen helped him read the map but asked in return if she could borrow it since she had lost her copy. The two then joined forces and discovered they had to take one more right turn to reach Marco.

Justin was the first team member to offer his 22-kilometer guess to Marco and was the first to get it right and advance to Gutenberg Castle. Jen also guessed correctly and followed Justin to the castle where both racers reunited with their teammates.

Upon arriving at the castle, the two teams then opened their next clue and learned they must take a bus and train to the ski resort town of Zermatt, Switzerland, located at the base of the famous Matterhorn. Once they arrived at the location, the teams then would have to search the train station for their next clue.

Meanwhile, Gary got slowed down behind a bus and Jet continued on by himself until he finally reached Marco. However, he guessed 35 kilometers, which was the wrong answer thanks to his wrong turns and subtle mistakes. Jet was then instructed to return to the starting line.

On his way back, Jet ran into Flight Time who thought he had also made a wrong turn somewhere. Luckily, Flight Time passed by the bench where Kisha and Jen and Zev and Justin were sitting while awaiting their bus to the train station. He confessed his worry over being lost and eventually guessing the total distance wrong, and as a result, pleaded with the teams to help him out.


"I don't want to have to go back though. Come on. Don't make me go back," Flight Time said.

Justin and Jen decided to offer up the answer and correct Flight Time's 22-kilometer estimation.

"We felt like we were ahead of enough teams at that point that we didn't think that it would really hurt us," Justin explained afterward.

Once Kisha and Jen and Zev and Justin boarded the bus, Jen admitted she would not have told anyone else the answer besides Flight Time. Flight Time then continued on his path and saw Gary, telling him the answer as well.

Flight Time was then the next team member to complete the Roadblock and was followed by Gary, Vyxsin -- who also previously thought she was going the wrong way and didn't understand the map for quite some time -- and finally Jet, who got it right his second time around.

Gary and Mallory, however, arrived at the Gutenberg Castle and opened their next clue before Flight Time and Big Easy. They were then followed by Kent and Vyxsin, and Jet and Cord.


Flight Time and Big Easy, Gary and Mallory, and Kent and Vyxsin all ended up on an equal level playing field as they all got on the second train to Zermatt, while Jet later reunited with Cord and were forced to take the third train alone to Zermatt.

Zev and Justin were the first team to arrive at Zermatt and were followed by Kisha and Jen, Gary and Mallory, Flight Time and Big Easy, Kent and Vyxsin, and Jet and Cord. 

After retrieving their next clues, the teams learned it was time for them to complete one of the leg's two Detour tasks: "Cheese" or "Wheeze."

"Cheese" required the teams to make their way to a restaurant where would share a heaping pot of cheese fondue. Once they finished all their cheese, the teams would then be handed an empty pot with their next clue printed inside.

"Wheeze" required the teams to travel on foot all throughout Zermatt while delivering a total of 20 pieces of luggage from the train station to at least five different hotels, collecting a tag for each delivery along the way. When the teams were able to bring their 20 correct tags to the train station, the head porter would then hand them their next clue.

Zev and Justin and Kisha and Jen opted to do the "Cheese" task, while Gary and Mallory, Kent and Vyxsin, Flight Time and Big Easy, and Jet and Cord selected "Wheeze."


Zev and Justin and Kisha and Jen had failed their eating challenge in the previous leg's Detour task, but still wanted to attempt the "Cheese" option. However, both teams ended up finding it was a poor decision, as they both struggled immensely to finish the entire pot of cheese fondue.

Zev and Justin considered quitting and switching to the "Wheeze" task, but Zev told Justin to calm down and insisted they should keep at it and defeat it. Meanwhile, Kisha and Jen instantly knew they were in way over their heads and walked out to begin delivering luggage instead. Zev and Justin chose to stick it out, but Kisha and Jen figured it was best to not find out the hard way that they couldn't eat all the cheese.

Justin ended up puking from all the cheese he had to eat, but Zev stayed strong and ate more than his half of the cheese pot. Eventually, the team conquered the task and were given their next clue.

The clue instructed the teams to make their way to the Double U-Turn at the fountain by Inderbinen Brunnen. 

The other teams were still attempting to complete their Detour tasks. Kent and Vyxsin bickered over Kent's complaining about carrying the luggage, while Flight Time and Big Easy discovered they had actually lost two of their tickets once they were convinced they had finished the task.

Kisha and Jen proved they had made the correct decision to switch tasks, as they finished just behind Zev and Justin. Following Kisha and Jen were Kent and Vyxsin, Gary and Mallory, Flight Time and Big Easy -- who had to go back and return two more bags in order to get their entire 20-ticket count -- and Jet and Cord.


Zev and Justin were the first team to arrive at the fountain and were followed by Kisha and Jen, Kent and Vyxsin, Gary and Mallory, and Flight Time and Big Easy. None of the teams chose to U-Turn any of the teams behind them except for Flight Time and Big Easy who opted to U-Turn Jet and Cord.

"We don't want to do it, but it's either us or them," Flight Time noted.

Flight Time and Big Easy knew they were neck and neck with the "Cowboys" and that Jet and Cord were the only team behind them, so as a result, Jet and Cord were U-Turned and had to go to the restaurant to attempt the "Cheese" task.

"You two suckers. It doesn't say a lot about them, but maybe they thought they was U-Turning their strongest competition," Jet said with frustration.

Upon arriving at the fountain by Inderbinen Brunnen, the teams received the next clue which instructed them to travel by electric taxi to the Pit Stop at Moos Restaurant at the base of the Alps.

Zev and Justin rushed to the Moos Restaurant and were the first team to make it to the Pit Stop mat, as they were greeted by The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan. As a reward for finishing first, Zev and Justin won a trip for two to Curacao in the Caribbean. Phil told the team it was their fourth first-place finish in the Race so far and they were thrilled. 


Kisha and Jen were the next team to arrive, securing second place.

Kent and Vyxsin subsequently arrived at the Pit Stop ahead of Gary and Mallory in third place, as Gary and Mallory finished in fourth place.

Flight Time and Big Easy had slipped behind the other teams because they had to deliver an extra two pieces of luggage as a result of their mistake, but they arrived on the Pit Stop mat well before Jet and Cord and captured fifth place.

Jet and Cord finished their "Cheese" task and then met Phil at the Pit Stop in sixth and last place, expecting their fate.

"Jet and Cord, I'm sorry to tell you you are the last team to arrive," Phil told the "Cowboys."

"Yeah, we figured," Jet said.


"And you are out of this Race," Phil added.

"We figured that too," Jet noted.

"Seen that coming," Cord said.

"So what happened?" Phil asked them.

"Totally my fault really," Jet admitted.

"You see it that way?" Phil asked Cord.


"We're a team. I took off the first stick with him and I'm standing on the last mat with him. I'm his teammate and I'll stick with him until the end," Cord replied.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski