Shows, Snacks & Similarities
I guess we should start off by introducing who the heck I am. Hi! I’m Louisa, of Western Twist Media , my “Beginner’s Guide to Cutting” has been featured on the CR RanchWear blog before, and I’ve been honoured to be invited back as a regular contributor. So how did I get this gig? Well, uhm… I’m not *exactly* sure… but I’m thinking that a serious addiction to CR RanchWear helped.. I mean, that Italian Cotton though… BUT, i’m also a huge supporter of the western performance horse industry and I compete in cutting myself. I’m not some #BigTimeNonPro, after a long stint as a loper, I finally decided to try my hand at showing myself, so here I am, still just figuring it out in the 2,000 Limit Rider. There’s been lots of ups, and even more downs, but through it all I’ve always enjoyed bringing humour, with a big dash of #RealTalk, to my experiences in the show pen. So, that’s why we’ve found ourselves here! I wanted my first blog to communicate something anyone in the show pen, from lopers, to riders, to owners, could relate too, and through it, I found a much deeper blog post than I originally imagined. So, as they say, sit deep in that saddle, watch that cow, and hopefully… enjoy!
I don’t care if you’ve been hauling down the road for a world title, or you are a weekend warrior that just shows up when your budget allows.. if you’ve entered that show pen, you know about concession food. Any #ProLoper or #CraftyCompetitor is keenly aware that not all concession food is created equal. They know what to pick to eat on those days your show nerves are resulting in acid reflux. They know what’s easiest to eat on-the-go, whether that’s into the warm up pen, or out to the barn to complete chores. Concession food is an art. Who knew?!
The other day while sitting in the stands watching a go-round of the 5,000 Novice Horse Non Pro over a particularly bland concession dish, I nudged a good friend and loping compadre and asked, “hey, if you could only eat one concession food for the rest of your life, what would it be?” As we giggled over the idea and debated the very important debate of breakfast vs. lunch/dinner items, a blog post was born.
So, I reached out to Facebook and queried the same question and the results were overwhelming, Taco-In-A-Bag was the clear choice, with Breakfast Buns coming in as a strong second. Now, let’s dissect these items and why they are fan favourites, and before you get to keyboard warrior-in’, yes, I am VERY aware that some of you are at a total loss of what Taco-In-A-Bag is, and we’ll get there.
Let’s start with our silver medalist, the Breakfast Bun.
Every horse show enthusiast knows about “hurry up and wait” and that’s perhaps why the almighty breakfast bun was one of the clear winners in the race. Let’s dissect a great breakfast bun. Generally, a bun made of delicious bread, then add an egg, some cheese, either sausage or bacon, and if you’re really fancy, perhaps some salsa in there.
When you arrive at the show, you are probably in the “wait” phase, you have time to down a cup of coffee, or seven, and eat a delicious breakfast bun. What a satisfying combo! When you are in the thick of the “hurry” phase, you don’t have time for lunch, you definitely don’t have time for dinner, and your stomach is still decently settled because you started the day off with a Breakfast Bun. Makes total sense why this is what so many people would choose to survive off of.
That brings us to the clear winner, Taco-In-A-Bag. I’m going to start off by explaining something to ya’ll, I’m actually a Canadian, so I used that ya’ll when I really have no business doing so and I know a lot about cold temperatures, moose, maple syrup and concession foods you may have never heard of. It turns out that many of my American counterparts ARE familiar with Taco-In-A-Bag. Some of you refer to it as Frito Bowl. But, many of you don’t have the faintest clue what i’m on about.
Let me break it down for ya. You start with a bag of Doritos, or Fritos chips. You bust those chips up into small pieces - think about that terrible cow that ran you over with five seconds left when you do bust those chips - and then cut into the long side of the bag. You add some delicious ground beef, sour cream, salsa, maybe guacamole if you’re fancy, definitely tomatoes, lettuce - fresh is always better and cheese. As one of my Facebook contributors informed me, “Frito pie is a small bag of fruit chips with ground beef of the taco seasoned variety and whatever topping you want. Usually just cheese and maybe a little lettuce though, cause us southerns like our heart attacks strong hahaha.”
So why is this the go to concession meal? Well it’s pretty much the closest you are going to get to a salad at a concession, and if you’ve been surviving off burgers and hot dogs, sometimes lettuce is a well-received gift. It covers all the bases, it checks off all the flavour profiles, and if you had to live off one food for the rest of your life, it’s a pretty solid and safe pick. Kind of like that cow that’s driving up and away from the herd, go with it.
So where are we getting deep? Well, at first I was surprised that many of you had never heard of Taco-In-A-Bag, “are they crazy?!” I thought to myself, “have they never lived?!” I questioned. BUT, concessions are kind of like competitors… they are all from different places, they may do things a little different but in a weird and wonderful way they are all connected by a love for the same thing, our horses. So next time you are at a horse show, I dare you to make a new friend, bonus points if they seem a little uncomfortable and like the venue is new to them. Even if they don’t know what Taco-In-A-Bag is, they may be pretty cool, but better yet, they may appreciate your friendliness more than you can know.
& before I let you go, I double-dog-dare ya to post a photo of you in your favourite CR RanchWear shirt eating your favourite concession food item. (***CR is known for spontaneous giveaways, hint, hint***)
I want to know, if you had to live off one concession food for the rest of your life - what would it be?!
See you on down the road! <3
——————————————————————————————————
Western Twist Media (WTM) is the creative outlet of professional writer and influencer, Louisa Murch-White. Murch-White is a published journalist, with work appearing in Western Horse Review, Quarter Horse News and features in Cowgirl Magazine and Cutting Horse Central. Personally, she is an avid and enthusiastic member of the performance horse world, and loves nothing more than showing cutting horses. WTM is driven by a passion for the performance horse industry. WTM specializes in assisting brands and companies tell their own stories through impactful marketing and advertising, social media management and freelance writing services. Our popular site also features unique and collaborative advertising opportunities.
We'd love to help you share your story: WesternTwistMedia@gmail.com
Nothing will be posted on your behalf.
