"The Southern": Jackson, Mississippi (In Photos)

I honestly can't even think enough to formulate an intelligent blog post to talk about my first big show as a loper, so instead, you get photos first - words later.

So, without further udo...

The Southern in Jackson, Mississippi

Goose, my poster child for the show. Goose made it into the 4 year old open finals, 4 year old non-pro finals and 4 year old amateur finals. He's a big deal, and i'm quite fond of him.

***

We woke up for 4 am, worked all the horses that my Boss was going to show and then headed out for Mississippi around noon. Bankie (the blanket myself and two of my best friends also have) had to come along for a ride. This is Bankie looking solemn in front of a random shanty in Mexico. Just kidding, that's my apartment. :) 

We pulled three rigs, my Boss with his Coach motorhome pulling a 4 horse, his wife pulling an 8 horse and the lopers (us) pulled a 6 horse. Yep, 18 horses, and 4 other client horses met us there.

Favourite American thing of the day: That you guys call borders "lines", as in "Just heading across the Louisiana line now".

Sunset in Louisiana... still had a long way to haul.

THE Mississippi River!

Can people from Mississippi write their state name without singing the song in their head? Because I certainly can not "Miss-i-ss-i-pp-i".

One blurry photo of the Mississippi line...

This was my view for about 6, if not more, hours a day.

Circles, Circles, make your horse sweat until it wants to die, Circles, Cirles.

My generally philosophy as a loper is lope them until my body is literally screaming, then lope ten more minutes. Then walk, let them catch their air, then do it all over again. Everyone kept talking about how they had "feel" for when their horses were ready - I call bullshit.

Outdoor arena where we exercised horses that weren't being ridden that day.

Fordice Equestrian Centre, where the cutting was held.

So. Many. Trailers.

One tired loper, our first few days were 18 hour days. My feet were KILLING me.

"Get me outta here"

"I dont waaaaannnaaaaaa be in Mississippi anymore"

One of the many stall barns, this was taken from the top of our trailer as I was chucking bales down. Glamorous, that's me.

One day I actually got to put on tennis shoes for a couple hours... the simple things in life.

& of course, what do you do when you ride ridiculously expensive show horses...

Use them as pack horses for all your shit. Of course.

What do you do when you work for a trainer who works his horses before the shows, and then at shows?

Do 30 lbs of laundry. Of Course...

Show Laundry... the worst.

This is like 3 days worth of polos and boots... kill me.

We had to put them into the back of the truck because the bags were too heavy with all the damp laundry.

Back to my pack horses...

This mare has won over $350,000... and yet I turned her into a pack mule. No rest or dignity for these show ponies.

& then what do you do after you do all that laundry, hang it up to dry... 

It covered three stalls worth.... brutal.

My most favourite Goose again, looking at me before we headed to the arena for his last show today.

"I don't want to do this either you crazy lady, let's run away together"

Casual, my first cockroach sighting IN MY LIFE.

In my bathroom stall.

Kill me now.

Just do it.

Oh, and let's not forget about show shirts...

all the show shirts.

how many starched show shirts have you ever worn in one week?

bet I can beat it.

Cows!

Because we're at a cutting!

The amount of cows hauled in and out everyday was insane

and you can bet all the Texans were (smugly) always saying "those cows were from Texas", about the good bunches.

My trainer and his wife bought their daughter this mini aussie for her 8 year old birthday, it arrived on the Thursday and hoooooooowled in it's stall that they would leave it in while they were showing all day long.

"Please let me outta here!"

But we weren't the only ones doing that, about 5 other people did the same with their puppies so our barn was a howling, yelping place the whole week.

Everything is bigger in... America? Yup. 

Went to Red Lobster and ordered a margarita, got this massive fishbowl for only $9.

My facial expression is due to one of my coworkers saying she was going to send this photo to our boss.

More "glamarous life" shots, living out of suitcases and clothes piles at the closest Best Western.

Sunrise on our last morning in Jackson

Bankie was ready to leave Jackson about as much as I was...

(ready, very ready)

The last show shirt of the show!

All of our stalls empty and cleaned out!

Pulling out of Jackson!

Casual decrepit building that was in the fairgrounds...

Jackson wasn't exactly "picturesque"

& that was that... I'll update more with words when I feel a little more alive!