I’m on my way to Quarter Horse Congress despite my personal ban. I refuse to go to Congress normally because of the blatant and unapologetic price gouging. I go to lots of events at the fairgrounds. Parking is $4-5. For Congress it is $25! Pissed me off good and proper the first time I went and I’ve been avoiding it ever since.

If that isn’t enough watching Quarter Horses show is the closest thing to paint drying. I can entertain myself with playing the “point out all the lame horses” game but it gets depressing.

There is lots of shopping that appeals to western riders and people whose ideas of decor involves the liberal use of cow hides. I am neither.

I am the Scrooge of Congress. I give a great Bah Humbug to it all. But my mother has a 4-H team competing tomorrow so she has a coaches’ meeting tonight. I’m accompanying her so she doesn’t get lost. Maybe it has gotten better over
the last ten years.

Later:

Nope. I walked through the trade show and am now in rhinestone overload. The theme is sequins and rhinestones on everything that stands still long enough to be bedazzled. If you can get both on the same item, so much the better.

Other things I would never have dreamed there is a market for: a bit with the shanks (sides) shaped like guns, gun Christmas tree ornaments, or tear away pants. Actually I understand the pants for strippers but not in a horse show context.

I also hate people who wearing western wear in a nonhorse manner. Seriously I couldn’t hear myself think for the clanging of spurs. If you are shopping you don’t need to be wearing spurs. I don’t actually think there is ever a need for spurs so big and jangly that I can hear you coming two aisles away.

I’m too much of a snob to go to Congress. That’s ironic siince these people are paying WAY more for their tacky clothes than I am. I keep thinking of Dolly Parton who says that it takes a lot of money to look so cheap.