Dixie Stampede

After a leisurely morning at the condo, today was our day to see Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede.
Our reservation was for the 3:00 performance, but we were advised to be there by 1:45 for a pre-show that was included in our ticket. We'd also heard that we could walk through the stables and see the horses before the show, so we arrived at 1:30 instead.
Sure enough, there were all the beautiful horses in the stables attached to the mansion-like main building. Each scrupulously clean stall bore the name of its occupant, the type of horse it is, and a short description of that horse's job in the show.
You couldn't get very close, due to heavy black chains and signs on each door stating that the horses do bite.

I love horses, always have since I was a child. I went riding at every opportunity. My favorites have always been the huge draft horses (work horses), such a Clydesdales, Percherons, Shires, and this beautifully muscled Belgian, which pulled a covered wagon in the show.

The pre-show was presented in the Carriage House, a non-alcoholic beverage bar with a stage right in the middle of the tables. Our admission incuded this souvenir boot mug and our choice of drink. We all got the strawberry daquiri slush.

Here are Jacob, Sarah, and Dylan in the front row of the balcony, waiting for the pre-show to begin.

The pre-show featured Albert Lucas, a comic/juggler/musician who was pretty entertaining. As an Asian-Latino from a Catholic/Buddhist family, he had some pretty humorous views on life. His juggling was amazing. In this picture, he's juggling knives. Darn big knives.
These 3 final images I found online because they don't allow any photography in the arena where the horses perform and dinner is served. I was a bit miffed when they told me I couldn't even take a picture of my own children while they were sitting there waiting for the show to begin. No show, no food, just my kids in chairs. Was I stealing corporate secrets?
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Anyway, the above picture shows the seating and how the servers bring you food throughout the program. First the all-you-can-drink soda, a cheese biscuit, and cream of vegetable soup. Then a whole rotisserie chicken, half a baked potato, a slice of pork tenderloin, and corn on the (half)cob. Finally, they bring you an apple turnover. And you eat it all with your fingers.

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My dad warned me that the food wasn't great, and he was right. It was okay, just not great. I also found it distracting to have your meal brought to you one segment at a time, while you're trying to watch a horse show.

The program, on the other hand, was quite memorable indeed. Yes, a man standing on the backs of two horses really did leap through a burning hoop just like this!

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There was a magic trick with a girl from the audience stepping into the barrel on the back of a wagon, and then coming out of another barrel on a different wagon. That left us scratching our heads.

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We were mesmerized by a girl dressed as an eagle, soaring alongside an Indian warrior galloping on his horse.

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We also enjoyed trick riders, reenactments of cotillions and battles, pig races, and other cool drama.

When you order your tickets, they ask if you want to sit on the North or the South. The entire program is a competition between the two. I chose the North--in my heart I am a northerner--and we held the lead until the very end, when the South won. (That's okay, we all know who really won the war!)

Then Dolly Parton appeared on the video screen and talked about how we are no longer separate people, but we're all Americans who stand together, and she closed the program by singing a patriotic song. It was great.

Was it as inspiring as "Six"? No. But was it an afternoon well spent? Definitely!