A wonderful day in Kansas full of horses and more.
Because of my job working with apartments, some things don’t happen naturally in my world. I don’t see many kids (apartments aren’t where most people choose to raise kids), flower pots on balconies are the closest brush I’ve had with gardening in years, and animals I encounter are usually limited to cats and dogs. I don’t mind any of this, but once in a while I get an itch to range further afield for an experience. That’s why, as random as it sounds, on my list of goals for 2018 I put “go to an equestrian event.”
When I was eleven or twelve, when I still lived with my family waaaaay up in the Tennessee mountains, I remember my mom taking me to Equifest in Tennessee. I was hitting the height of my horse phase and as breed after breed paraded through the indoor ring, I could not have been more thrilled. My mom even enjoyed the show, despite not really being a fan of horses. For us both, the highlight of the show was three Friesians, bare of bridles and saddles, galloping together around the ring. From where we sat close to the ring, the giant black horses with flowing manes seemed to make the ground shake.
Not even a week ago, when I sat down to look for events near me, I happened to see that Equifest of Kansas was, um… this weekend. What?! Yes, I’d make the hour-long drive to Topeka! Heck yes! I was ecstatic. It was meant to be.
The show featured plenty of vendors, selling a fantastic range of merchandise that I can’t use personally but would be exciting to equestrians and horse owners.
A country-western theme ran through the event, calling back to mind Plains Indians and the western states.
The breed showings were my favorite!
Topeka isn’t very far west into Kansas. Still, as I was driving back to Kansas City, I looked over the yellow plains and farm fields – and with a little shock, I realized one of the fields was dotted with American Bison. How fantastic! I’d never seen one before. Seeing them on a Kansas field, I could easily imagine the countryside before settlement.
It’s funny – I set out that day just wanting to see more horses. I came back to Kansas City having seen more horses, but now also wanting to see more bison. It’s funny how the list of things you want to experience can expand in the experiencing. The world sometimes seems like a chain reaction of wonder… and there is no end in sight for me.
~ The Dauntless Princess ~
