What a show; what a trip! After all that rain in Texas we had some mud and flooding to contend with in order to leave. Would we be able to get out of the showgrounds?!?
Thanks to 4-wheel drive and Julie’s expert driving skills, we got the empty horse trailer onto the road. We packed out our supplies and made our big escape–some of us on horseback! (Note: I strongly believe in wearing a riding helmet, but in this case my helmet was already stowed away and carrying the bale of shavings sans horse would’ve been a lot of effort–it was a calculated risk).
Travel Itinerary:
Day 1: Magnolia, TX > Lubbock, TX
Day 2: Lubbock, TX > (via New Mexico and Arizona) > Hurricane, UT
Day 3: Hurricane, UT > Nampa, ID
Day 4: Nampa, ID > Ridgefield, WA > Tenino, WA
Getting to see so much of our big, beautiful country from the backseat of Julie’s truck was a true pleasure. There were many spectacular sights, such as this moonset out one window of the truck with a sunrise out the other…
Our accommodations on the trip varied from night to night, with the horses staying in “horse motels” or at fairgrounds. Julie, Morgan, and I usually split a hotel room or in a few cases were put up for the night by generous horse folks. Pip was a trooper, even when his hotel neighbor was a goat…
Never know what you’re going to find at a truck stop in Utah…
Or in a hotel in Utah for that matter…
This was by far the longest trip Pip has taken in all his years of showing and performing. He and the rest of the crew seemed pretty content as long as their haynets stayed full…
The picturesque landscapes of Oregon were a welcome sight on our last day of travel…
We made it home! Pip’s first order of business was to roll in some familiar Washington mud (and to show off his winning smile!)…
Much appreciation to everyone who helped us have a safe, fun, and successful trip, and thank you to those of you who followed along with our adventure! I’m so grateful that Pip got to show how cool he is at a national competition–this was the trip of a lifetime for a small Haflinger from WA. We had so much fun representing “Team Pacific Northwest,” and we made awesome new friends on our journey. Special thanks to Julie and Morgan for allowing Pip and I to travel with them–truly, you both were more than we ever could have hoped for in travel companions!
You can stay tuned here to my blog for whatever comes next for Pip and I. You can follow Working Equitation, Washington on Facebook for the latest info about working equitation shows, clinics, and playdays around the Northwest–the sport is open to anyone.
* Photos above by Chesna Klimek, Caitlin Day Huntress, and Julie Alonzo.