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!.
A line of six fences stand down the centre of the ring. The beginning fence is 85cm, with each fence following this raised by 5cm. The final fence stands the largest, at 1m10 to begin with. The fences will raise 10cm at a time, with the max height is capped at 2m10 should anyone get that far.
One a horse knocks or refuses a fence, they are out of the game. If we get to the maximum height of 2m10, and the fence is still cleared, the remaining contestants will draw.
Cora felt rusty - she wasn't sure this was her best idea, to enter a high stakes showjumping class when she wasn't long recovered from her hospital trip. She'd been back riding a few weeks, and the horses were feeling good - better than ever really. She felt like she owed it to them to get out and about with them, especially as she hadn't checked out the show scene since moving here. She'd been a little worried about her name getting out, but considering she wasn't exactly hiding out here, she threw caution to the wind and entered.
Her nerves were dancing havoc in her stomach as she entered the ring - first up and the pressure was definitely felt. She patted Cap's neck to settle them both as he picked up on her nerves, and then she clucked him forward into a canter. The bell rang, but Cora took her time to approach the first - too many people rushed once the bell went, panicking about missing the timer, but there was long enough to take a circle, take a breath, and set the horse up nicely for the line of six. It was important to get this right, or the gelding would have no chance. She sat soft in the saddle and allowed the horse to find his stride a little, holding him in check as they popped the first, then onto the next five. She was careful to keep him steady so he didn't start rushing the line, and they landed clear over the final to the cheers of the crowd.
Harlow Alenko was ready to rumble. She and Alpha had done well in the warm up arena with John - the gelding bending to her will like heat to metal. It only took a minute or two before they were in sync with each other. They waited outside of the arena, one of John's grooms holding Alpha's reins as Cora Astley and her horse walked into the arena now. Truth be told, the young woman was surprised by the other Heiress being there - given her accident and all, but she kept her comments to herself. Harlow turned over a new leaf, or at least, was attempting to and keeping her trash talk to herself. Brown eyes watched the round from her perch before they called her name - they were ready to enter the arena.
She remembered the game plan. Canter the arena before turning towards the center lane. Squeeze into the turn heavily, encourage Alpha to go, and the rest would follow. Confirm one stride before the jump, and three strides only inbetween each jump. Anything else was unacceptable, Alpha would likely knock down a bar and they would be disqualified, "Let's go, Alpha," Harlow informed her gelding now, squeezing him forward as they opened the gate for the two of them, the groom letting go of his reins. They turned right, and Harlow gave her inside rein, and the halflinger warmblood cross shuffled quickly into the canter. They did the whole arena, Harlow's brown gaze laying on the first jump. Don't turn yet. Don't turn. Don't turn. As the center of the jump came into view, pulled Alpha to the inside, and gave him a good squeeze with her spurs.
The gelding's ears perked forward, and he launched himself with impulsion, barrelling down the center lane and the middle of the jumps - lined up perfectly. Gathering her reins, she held him back just slightly, before confirming her jump. Alpha launched forward, and landed on the other side with ease. Three strides. Next Jump. Again and again before the final jump. Just like that, it was over, and a clear round. Harlow felt herself smirk as they slowed down, rounding towards the exit of the arena as she leaned forward, giving Alpha much love as they trotted out of the arena and dropped to walk. John was here to greet her, giving her congratulations as he lead her and Alpha to the waiting area.
Leo gave Phoenix a reassuring pat as they entered the ring, letting him pop into a canter. Phoenix snorted and tossed his head, surging forward a little too quickly. He steadied the animal, circling him wide just as the announcer introduced them and then the bell rang. Phoenix gave an excited buck and Leo murmured quietly to him to settle. They had a job to do and he needed the gelding to focus. He made sure to keep his approach straight, giving the horse plenty of time to see the line of six fences that progressively got taller.
He sat quietly, keeping his hands still and steady even as he felt Phoenix try to rush, making sure not to grab at him in response as they got to the first. It was a complicated line, with not much room for error - if you hit the first one wrong then you were in trouble. Luckily, they got the stride perfect and Phoenix took off, easily clearing the line of fences. He was feeling great at the moment, fit and healthy and strong, and Leo knew he was enjoying himself as the horse trying to get faster as they went on over the fourth, and then fifth. He checked him slightly for the last, hearing the slight rattle of the sixth pole but not hearing the thump of it falling. Phoenix let out a succession of bucks as they landed and Leo sat up tall, treating the bucks like jumps until the chestnut settled and dropped back to a trot. "Easy bud, we've got a long way to go yet." It was only round one after all.
jake rubbed his hand into shades neck as they waited for their turn in the ring. they'd finished their warm up and while jake wanted to be confident they'd have a good run, he wasn't sure. shade had been distracted while taking the warm up jumps, knocking a few poles he should have been able to take easily and he didn't know how that would play out in the ring. while he wanted to win, he knew that it wasn't the most important thing, right now. right now was just about getting back into the swing of showing, getting ready to hopefully jump back into the circuit a little more now his kids were a little older and he and carly weren't battling babies and toddlers at the same time. they were still battling, but it felt slightly easier now most of their children were little people, not spawns of the devil causing terror and strife wherever they went.
he heard the announcer come across the ring, letting them know that leo had gone clear and he clapped his hands a little half hearted. he and leo were friends but in the ring, there was no harm in hoping for a knocked pole or two. he walked shade towards the show ring and once signaled, he circled shade around the course at a canter before he started the course with him. from the moment they started, he knew it wasn't going to be their day. while shade didn't refuse a jump, jake could tell that his heart wasn't in it today. he had to encourage him toward the fences instead of steadying him and holding him back, because the horse he rode was nothing if not a rocket hidden inside a chestnut horse.
there was still hope that they'd make the round clear as they cleared the fourth jump, however as they pushed towards the fifth jump jake felt shade hesitate a little despite his encouragement and then as they let the ground and flew over it, there was the tell-tale thump as shades hooves knocked the pole on top of the jump. it clattered to the ground as they landed and jake knew that it was over since they had to have a clear run or they were disqualified but he wasn't going to not jump the last jump. that would be giving up and that just wasn't in jakes nature. they took the last jump but the same thing happened, shades hooves knocked it and that was that. the poles fell to the ground and once horse and rider had landed, jake slowed shade up and patted his neck gently. "not our day huh mate." he said softly as he slowed to a walk and left the ring.
TWENTY FOUR | CROSS COUNTRY INSTRUCTOR | CARLY HANNAH WELLS MADDISON RYAN | 7 TRACE RYAN | 4 BENJAMIN RYAN | 4 XAVIER RYAN | 4 ASHER RYAN | 1 AARON RYAN | 1
Mik hummed a Gaelic tune as he rode Fire around, weaving in and out of trailers. Keeping his horse warm while doing his best to stay out the way of everyone else while he was waiting for his next class, and then rode into the warm up area to pop over a couple of the smallest fences.
When their number was called, he gave Fire a pat and rode him into the arena. Since they were simple uprights, he didn't bother with letting Fire have a look, but he had a good look at them as they circled the arena and looped in to start the line. While puissance was more his thing, this was totally Fire's thing, and with the fact that the jumps were in a line, the large horse didn't have the time to think about anything else other than the next jump.
As they approached the first fence, he sat back a little, asking the gelding to get his hocks under him, and then rose into two-point as he handed the reins over to the horse, letting him do his job as they cleared one jump after the other and then rode out of the arena with a big grin, rubbing his horse's neck, thoughts already on the next round as they sowed down to a walk and kept moving around.
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