Texas vs. Arizona

Texas:

"Lope every single horse"

all day... everyday...

VS.

Arizona:

"They've had a big week - how about you just take them out into the desert to stretch them out"

Guess where i'm happier?

Loper Life: Personal Grooming

Me at a Horse Show:

Poultice covered hands, dirt stained jeans, shavings overflowing from the bottom of my hems, boots covered in that will-not-go-away Arizona dirt & overgrown sparkly nails.

My Theme Song:

(Seriously, it magically comes on wherever I go... harharhar...)

She's a lady - woah woah woah - she's a laaaaaadyyyyy

Sing it Tommy J!

The Constant Struggle

Those girls that just seem to look perfect at all times while at shows:

"Who doesn't travel with a bikini? I have a full length gown hanging in my trailer." 

- Darcy la Pier, barrel racer, from the A&E show "Rodeo Girls"

Me:

...while literally covered in horse shit, poultice, horse goobers, shavings, miscellaneous pieces of hay & sucking back a Red Bull wondering, "is this my life?"

Overheard in the Loping Pen:

A disgruntled loper talking to another loper about her boss...

"So he didn't listen to you?"
"Of course not... what do I know? I'm just the loper."

& I was just behind them like...

In-Crowd Clothing:

After my first aged event show as a loper, I quickly tuned in on a couple clothing choices that make you one of the "cool kids". & yes, if you must know, the circuitous cutter was NOT one of the cool kids at that show.

During Winter the clearest beacon of "cool" is the Vests you wear. Oh yes, you heard me, the vests.

An example: Center Ranch's Stallion, Woody Be Tuff

There are the "Stud Vests"

These are vests with stallion names that are given away as promotion pieces for the particular stud. However, the vests came with some stipulations:

1. If you have a current & "hot" stud vest on = you are cool. It generally means that your friends with the right people, lope for a big trainer, lope at the biggest shows, are riding the best horses etc. If you have a lesser stud, you are still doing okay, but your not doing as good.

Finally, to make matters even more complicated what is current and "hot" is subjective. Sometimes, the studs you see more or actually due to amazingly talented marketing teams. Never forget that these vests, jackets, and hats are promotional pieces.

I saw this particular Stud's name EVERYWHERE this year

2. You better make sure said vest and the horse you are warming up have "cat" in their name. Aka, they are the offspring of THE High Brow Cat, and bonus points if you are riding/wearing an own son or daughter.

3. Also, BIG points if you have a vintage "High Brow Cat" jacket on... those are golden, the biggest of all and vintage? You must be pretty "cool".

Now... if you are not wearing a stud vest, you still have a chance because your second best bet is a "Finalist Jacket".

These are jackets/vests given away to anyone that makes the finals at shows. Lopers who truly were finalists can smile smugly to themselves where as the rest of the lopers just got horses warmed up that made it into the finals. However, these jackets still show you've been around the block - bonus points if the finals were at one of the "big" shows aka the cutting trip crown, or in the weekend world, the big money mercuria shows, the world show, etc.

CR Ranchwear has some very nice, very trendy, and of course... pretty expensive show shirts, that are very "in" right now.

Finally, if all else fails have a Nice Shirt on... bonus points if you are ballin out with a finalist jacket, stud vest AND a nice shirt that matches the following criteria: it must walk the fine line between sparkly, boring, old fashioned and new age. Trust me - this was achieved by quite a few girls and I drooled every time they loped by.

My First Time...

... Showing.

Basically, I want you guys to get in the mindset that I had when I was heading into the pen, so listen to this little tune & accompanying video...

Most importantly the verse...

"His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy

There's vomit on his sweater already, Mom's Spaghetti."

Okay... so I didn't really enter the ring like I was living in detroit, repped do-rags, rapped at night and sold drugs by day, but Myself and Rabbit (Eminem's character in 8 mile) do have something in common.

We happened to do a big 'ol choke.

So what happened?

Well... First things first... I walked into the herd with a fresh horse. 

Wow... loper of the century over here, can't even lope my own horse.

Then I got into the herd & sort of... blacked out.

Basically I was going for a shape cut and realized as I began driving (way too many) cows up that I didn't exactly know how to shape cut. 

Well, shit.

I got a cow infront of me and that cow took one look at me, turned tail and smashed past me at the wall, right back to the herd. 

Well, shit.

My second cow was alright, and I got something done, but when I went to turn back to the herd my horse hung in the bridle and I grabbed the reins with my second hand.

Well, shit.

My third cow did something very similiar to my first cow.

Well, shit.

& I chipped one off the top for my last cow and got to work a little bit before I heard the buzzer go off.

My score?

A Solid 63.

I left the pen & every part of me was screaming:

But, a client and I were talking after and she said to me,

"The first time I showed, I fell off my horse in the pen. It was terrible. Somebody said to me then, 'Well, your first time showing is over and you'll never have to do it again.'"

& by golly she is right,

never. again.

Funny:

via "The Mad Equine" on Facebook