What stereotype do you break in the "hunter princess" mold?
People see me without my helmet or maybe out of my show clothes and assume that I am a hunter princess. Tall, long blonde hair. I must be the princess type (ahem...never assume). My friends do call me Barbie, but they only do it because it pisses me off.
Why am I not Barbie Hunter Princess (aside from not looking like Barbie)? To start with I do the jumpers. I do all my own care. No grooms holding my horses or tacking them up or washing them off or cleaning the stalls. I am lucky to go into the show ring not covered in horse slime or dirt. This may not sound like much but at the rated shows grooms are the norm. I am usually the only English speaking person at the wash rack. I am there at the show from sun up to sun down because I am doing my own care. Also not the norm. And here's the kicker. If it is an A rated show in town I don't get a stall. I tie my horse to the trailer (gasp!!! ). Yes, I am the lonely truck and trailer parked way out in that field marked "day parking." And yes my pretty little grey WB mare is tied to my trailer eating from her hay net.
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| Poppy sleeping after competing. |
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| My chunky marshmellow puff |
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| I think she looks like a hunter princess here |
We have an annual show series in town called Winter Series that goes anywhere from 3 to 5 weeks during January. It is an AA rated show with an International Hunter Derby. It also used to also have an FEI jumper class. The series attracted/attracts riders such as Jennifer Alfano, Kelley Farmer, Richard Spooner, Georgina Bloomberg, Ian Millar, etc. It was big (In the past 2 years it has gotten a tad smaller since they stopped doing the FEI). And there I was, trailering my horse in and tying her (or him, Tank trailer ties too) to my trailer like a western pony. Stalls are $225 per week excluding shavings so yeah, I prefer to save the money. Not to mention my horse gets to go home and be turned out instead of staying in a little 10x10 stall.
Yes I do ride a pretty WB. Yes I do ride my golf cart around the show (it sucks to be stabled or parked a mile from my ring and having to check on the ring). Yes I do have a cute chihuahua. However I think the horse snot stains on my breeches and my horse tied to my trailer excludes me from Hunter (or jumper) Princess title.
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| 2 of my pups |
I do all my work too, though some days wouldn't mind a groom. Haha. If there were shows that close to me I would probably trailer in for the day too ! Totally save the money.
ReplyDeleteMy limit is 2 hrs away that I will trailer in (if its just for the day).
DeleteTrailer in! That is breaking the mold, but if stalls were that expensive I'd be doing the exact same thing.
ReplyDeleteI think stall prices are insane!!!
DeleteFirst off, your horse is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteAnd second, I love jumpers. I haven't done much of it yet, but will be getting into it more next year!