Welcome to Hickstead, home to both Seven Oak Stables, and Blue Acre - two rival stables. Both offer opportunities for their clients to reach the highest level of excellence. Each stable differs from the other, so choose wisely and never forget, loyalty is everything... Meanwhile as the stables battle it out, there's trouble brewing at the university. Be careful, if you don't pick a side you may get caught in the cross-fire...
This is an chilled out rpg with a super friendly and relaxed atmosphere! Remember to sign up with your characters full name in all caps and don't forget to do your claims! Thank you and Welcome, we've been established since 10th March 2009 but unfortunately have had to close guest view of our boards due to multiple sites ripping off our hard work, such a shame! Come chat to us in Discord before joining if you like!.
So it was done, the autumn show season was over. Hazel eyes stared over the arenas as she sat on the fencing, gazing out as if the place was her domain. As Wynter Moriarty processed her feelings on this revelations, she could not help but to feel sad. Mainly because sometimes, riding felt like it was her life. But she knew school was important too, and now that she had moved in with Harley, everything seemed to be going better. Still, the end of the season felt bitter sweet, simply because of all of the sweat and dirt that went into it, working with the school horses, and individually showing outside of the team, it had been a learning experience. After all, the young woman knew that she could not rely on the team forever, she had to start forging her own path and her own riding videos if she were to start apprenticing under a top rate horseman or horsewoman.
The other thing that felt nice, as she sat perched on the fence, was how quiet it was at the show ring. There was no chaos, no trucks or trailers, no panicked people or horses. There was nothing but her and the arena, and perhaps the people who were cleaning up in the administrative office. Maybe one or two other people like her thinking that they were at their own kingdom at the end of the season. Wynter couldn't help but to notice that even at dusk, she could still catch figures peeping out at the window at her, no doubt wondering why she was even there and they probably had no desires to leave before she did. Sighing, Wynter figured that might be her sign before they came out here to shoo her away or decide that maybe they needed to call the police on her because she overstayed her welcome. Hopping down now, Wynter cast one more look over the arenas, "Next Spring, I will be back here," she vowed. The young woman had started to head on her way out when she caught sight of someone, "And here I thought I was the only werido mourning the end of the show season," she joked now. She didn't know his name, but Wynter was positive she had seen him at the shows before.
The end of the show season was welcome, mostly because his leg was hurting and yet here he was getting ready to ride anyway. Just some light work with Cash was all he was after, maybe try to get the thoroughbred to respond better to his hand cues. Either way, he was still working.
"And here I thought I was the only werido mourning the end of the show season," she joked now.
Dominik froze for a moment before ducking his head to look at the speaker from under Cash's neck. His expression was nothing shy of confused as he tried to process the words.
"Uhmm..."
He scratched his head slowly, "I'm kinda glad its over...?"
He wasn't even sure how to react to that. He unlatched the gate and let his horse through before he took the stunned silence to do the only thing he could do - mount up and avoid direct eye contact. He moved onto Cash's right side and had to help himself put his foot in the stirrup. It wasn't a graceful mount as he clung to the saddle and got himself up there, but he was up and that was all that mattered to him.
She had never seen anybody freeze so still. The stranger stopped so abruptly that she thought he might have had a heart attack had he not remained standing up and managed peer from underneath his horse's neck. Wait a second -she knew him! It was Dominik Underwood. Yes, she was a creeper and remembered the names of the riders she saw at the show arenas - especially the ones who got the best of her once or twice - not that they would remember given how little they talked. The young man failed to recognize her, and while it wasn't surprising, Wynnie still couldn't help but to feel a little butt hurt over it. Wasn't she a good enough rider now that people should be remembering how she slayed? Maybe not, since she had yet to own a horse of her own, and relied on the University and it's team to keep her dreams afloat for now.
"Uhmmm....I'm kinda glad it's over," he muttered to her now, scratching his head while he stared at her like she was some sort of weird enigma. Hazel eyes stared back at Dominik as the young woman became convinced that he himself was the enigma, "Why?" she asked. It might be a stupid question though since she heard the stories. Equestrians would make great second rate private eyes since they almost always seemed to pull up exact background details on people they might be competing against or just the person with the flashy horse whom they envied. It had something to do wit his leg most likely, but Wynnie kept her mouth shut. Dominik appeared nothing short of shy, especially when he decided to proceed to ignore her and mount up on his horse.
Hah! Like he could escape her by being shy, "I don't know if you know me, but I'm Wynnie. I ride for Hicksead University." She was probably giving herself too much credit, but hey, might as well live up to the American standard and stereotype, "You're Dominick Underwood, right? That's Cash? I've heard you two are on track for greatness. I think I even heard murmurs of 'olympic rider' many years from now."
Once again, he couldn't help the surprise on his face. How could she not be glad that show season was over? It was a lot of time and effort and after a while he knew he got tired, and he was certain that Cash got sick of being ridden. They needed a break.
"Because it's nice to have a break," he said dumbly, as if it were a universal feeling around competition time, "Cash is sick of the same routine, and I am over the monkey-suit we have to wear all because its 'traditional'."
"I don't know if you know me, but I'm Wynnie. I ride for Hicksead University."
He had to genuinely think for a moment before nodding, "Yeah, pretty sure I've heard your name being announced a good few times."
He felt bad for not knowing more than that - he just had a bad habit of not giving a shit about the other riders and what they were doing. He had no need for that knowledge when all he was trying to do was his best.
"You're Dominick Underwood, right? That's Cash? I've heard you two are on track for greatness. I think I even heard murmurs of 'olympic rider' many years from now."
He fiddled slightly, getting his feet into the stirrups after a moment and sat a little straighter upon her comment. It was like a static shock, nothing bad - but unpleasant.
"Yeah, got it in one I guess," he said, looking anywhere but directly at her, "Gotta have a dream even if its too big to achieve."
He felt stupid that people knew about that, what he was striving for. He wanted to go big or go home at least knowing he tried.
She could not help but to think that the young man had just shot her a look of utter shock - like Wynnie was a fucking crazy person for remotely being sad that show season was over. His blunt answer, delivered as if she were one of the dumbest people ever, furthered delivered his shock: "Because it's nice to have a break. Cash is sick of the same routine, and I am over the monkey-suit we have to wear all because its 'traditional'." Okay, so that got to her. Laughter actually escaped her, "Well, you got me there with the monkey suits. Show gear certainly is stuffy. I guess I don't see the bored horse aspect too much since I am stuck with the university's horses." Her savings though suggested that may end soon.
At her name drop, it seemed like it took Dominik Underwood a good solid thirty seconds to recognize the name. Something that was a little disappointing to her, but she was still moving her way up in the show world. Maybe it would be different when she wasn't associated with Hickstead University anymore after the next year and a half, "Ah, but you have heard of me. So I will consider it a win." She replied cheekily now, putting a positive spin on it even if it was mainly for her benefit verses his own. It didn't go unnoticed to Wynnie that the young man was looking a little awkward in conversation, shy even, and sadly for him, she wasn't the sort of person to really respect that boundary. Yes, it was something she needed to work on, not everyone wanted to be her friend, but it was hard to fathom so he was stuck with her.
Hazel eyes noticed how the mention of 'Olympic Rider' gave the young man a little bit of a jolt - like he sat up straighter or something. It nearly caused her to roll her eyes, she didn't know why, "Yeah, got it in one I guess," he said, looking anywhere but directly at her, "Gotta have a dream even if its too big to achieve." Was it just her or was he avoiding eye contact with her? In fact, it looked he was looking anywhere but her. How utterly weird, "Nothing wrong with that. I have the same dream. So maybe I gotta start paying more attention to when you ride and watch, so I know how to crush you." Wynnie commented now, her tone joking but there was some truth to the statement. She wanted to win, and if he was in the way, then she had to get over him, "If people are giving you shit about that though, you should just ignore them. Sometimes I feel like people just don't understand equestrian life. They think we just sit there and the horse does all the work." And it was mighty fucking annoying.
Her gaze moved to the chestnut horse now - proud and regal looking, like any fancy show horse, "How long have you and Cash been a team now anyways?"
"Well, you got me there with the monkey suits. Show gear certainly is stuffy. I guess I don't see the bored horse aspect too much since I am stuck with the university's horses."
He nodded a little stiffly, trying to find a moment where he could just slip away from the conversation but it didn't feel like it was going to arrive any time soon.
"I see."
"Ah, but you have heard of me. So I will consider it a win."
He turned his attention to fiddle with the reins even though they were held correctly between his fingers, "Guess that's a good way to look at it."
"Nothing wrong with that. I have the same dream. So maybe I gotta start paying more attention to when you ride and watch, so I know how to crush you."
At that Dominik wince and made a slight face, "I don't think you and I will ever compete in the same league."
He wasn't trying to boast or brag or upstage her, he just knew that in due time he would have to eventually be honest with the class stewards. He despised the 'disabled' class - he barely considered himself worthy of being amongst the those remarkable people, but he qualified for it all the same.
"If people are giving you shit about that though, you should just ignore them. Sometimes I feel like people just don't understand equestrian life. They think we just sit there and the horse does all the work."
"No one gives me any shit, I just hold myself to a higher standard," he remarked, playing with a lock of Cash's mane, "I tend to believe that the horse does at least seventy percent of the work."
Her gaze moved to the chestnut horse now - proud and regal looking, like any fancy show horse, "How long have you and Cash been a team now anyways?"
He shrugged and glanced at her, "About a year. Give or take. He's a former race horse, so we're still working things out."
Was it just her or did he look look like he was trying to escape her? Wynnie couldn't see why. It's not like she was terrifying. A little loud maybe, a little bit of a strong personality on top of it, but terrifying? She thought not. It didn't really occur to her that Dominik just overall might be uncomfortable with talking with just about anyone, and a not a slight against her. Still, the young woman didn't feel like dropping conversation with him quite yet. She was colored utterly fucking curious about this guy just because of how people talk about Dominik Underwood like he was the greatest thing to the equestrian world since sliced bread, and quite frankly, those were Wynnie's life goals.
When he commented how her outlook was a good way to look at it, she simply snorted, "Good way? I feel like it's the best way." She replied, hazel gaze eyeing him. Now don't get cocky, Wynnie. This stuff is what gets you into trouble with Theia AND Griffin. But would she listen to that logical part of her brain? No, especially since the next words that left the young man's mouth nearly made her gape, "I don't think you and I will ever compete in the same league." The fucking nerve. Who did he thing he was? The young woman could feel heat already starting to fly to her face, and it wasn't for blushing, she was getting heated in an angry sense, "What do you mean by that?" She stubbornly asked, crossing her arms for good measure as she stared up at him now on his fancy ass black horse.
Maybe there was a perfectly logical explanation to that response, something a little nicer than the conclusion that Wynnie was coming to. So she should give him a chance. At his admission that he merely holds himself to a higher standard, she felt her features soften a little bit, "Oh...so you're hard on yourself then?" There could be a healthy dose in doing that sure, but it was a slippery slope that could eat people up as well, especially in the Equestrian World it seemed. As for the work of the horse, "Seventy? Really, here I feel like it's 50/50 on the work difference between rider and horse, but maybe that's just me." Wynnie was certain that someone could easily work that into an insult also, so she'd be curious to see what he'd say to that.
At least horses were safe to talk about. Her hazel gaze looked to Cash again, and now she could probably see the ex race horse in him, "That's cool, giving him a second career. He must be powerful. May I pet him or is he finicky about that?" After all, she wasn't going to just pet some rando's horse without their permission, "I'm still using the University's horses, but I think I finally have enough money to go to the local sale yard and hopefully find my dream horse for competition."
