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!.
1. Under some flapping plastic bags 2. Pop a cross pole 3. Walk over a bridge 4. Cross a shallow river of water 5. Walk through a narrow opening with pool noodles sticking out 6. Take a tray of drinks (plastic cups with water in) 7. Deliver the tray to someone waving a flag 8. Open and close the gate to finish
Jonathan was nervous. He hadn't competed much at all since he started riding. Running the clothing store and keeping up a healthy relationship with Alana was busy enough, let alone getting himself and Sunny into competition shape.
He had heard he was riding the course first, heading towards the show barn to get the paint mare ready. Jonathan got the mare ready - the mare acting like it was just another ride. "Alright, Missy let's go compete." He finished off with cleaning out her hooves and organizing his brushes again. Jonathan put the saddle pad, half pad and saddle on the mare's back before doing up the girth. It wasn't too much longer before the two headed up to the warmup ring.
It was busier than he expected, but his coaches had gone through the proper etiquette. He checked the girth before rolling down his stirrups and getting on. After a thorough warmup, their number was called and they headed over to the show ring. They walked in and headed towards the flapping plastic bags, going under them with ease despite the rustling coming from above them. Sunny picked up the canter as they headed towards the cross pole, popping up an over the jump. Shortly after, Jonathan brought the mare back to the walk just before the bridge.
The rest of the course went by with ease, Jonathan letting out a sigh of relief after he closed the gate. He reached down and gave the mare a good scratch with his knuckles as they headed out to the warmup ring to cool down.
Cara wasn't sure how Fae would handle the handy pony class, as she didn't tend to do as much desensitising work with the sports horses as she did with the ponies, which she should probably change, but she had entered the mare in the class as it would be good experience for her first show.
She kept Fae thinking as she rode her outside the arena, waiting for their turn, and watching the man riding before her. When their number was called, she rode the young mare forward, talking softly to the small horse as they rode into the arena and waited for the cue to start.
The plan was to keep the mare moving forward, give her the chance to look at the obstacles, but not enough time to overthink anything, and she kept talking to the mare the whole time, explaining that the flapping bags weren't going to hurt her, that they jumped over poles all the time. The bridge was something new, but after a quick sniff, Fae happily stepped up onto the bridge and then walked over as though she had been doing so all her life. The pool noodles weren't much of an issue, other than the mare wanting to see if she could eat them and then throwing a tantrum when she was told she couldn't.
She halted the mare by the table with the tray, pushing Fae forward before she could help herself to one of the cups, and carefully picked it up, squeezing the mare forward, they rode toward the person with the flag, which Fae thought was edible, and handed the tray off. Trotting the mare forward, she halted her by the gate, heels to hinges. While she didn't compete in dressage with the mare, she was still trained in dressage, so the side pass and yielding of the hind and forequarters came naturally and with no trouble the gate was closed and they rode through the flags to finish the course. Rubbing the mare's neck, they exited the arena.
While their last show had not gone as planned, Ronan Slade was feeling pretty confindent about this one. He had really put Max through his passes since signing up again, training and reintroducing Max to the obstacles that had given him grief previously, only this time in a bigger arena and outside the comfort of the lunging pen. While Ronan was fairly certain it had just been a bad ride that day, it made him realize that perhaps he had been taking Max's bombproof attitude for granted, and realized that training a horse was never truly done.
As Cara from Blue Arces finished their round now, Ronan and Max centered the arena. Blue grey eyes surveyed the arena as did Max's liquid amber ones. His ears forward, his head perked up, but in a good way. The chestnut brumby seemed to be oozing with confidence this timea round, and Ronan was feeling great as well. Nudging him forward, they started their round. No flappy bags disturbed them, and this time, Max got over the small jump with ease before approaching the bridge. He surged forward, the echo of his hooves not bothering him as they went over and straight into the water now. The pair lumbered through and back up the small hill to be greeted by a pool noodle display. Yet they didn't seem to mind it, walking through and onto the next obstacle. Ronan always kept his leg firm, and his connection between himself and Max in check.
It wasn't long before they had finished, closing the gate behind him. Once the cheers and claps escaped the crowd, only then did Ronan realize he hadn't been breathing quite right that whole time. Nonetheless, he grinned, leaning over to give Max all the love that he deserved, his brumby thoughtfully chewing the bit.
People ought to quit worrying so much about whispering to their horses and just start listening to them.
1st Place -JONATHAN BRYAN TOEWS riding Slaphot for Seven Oaks Stables! Joint 2nd Place -CARA-JEAN KITCHI riding Small Favours for Blue Acre Stables! Joint 2nd Place -RONAN DAIRE SLADE riding Just Max for Seven Oaks Stables!
Congratulations to all horses and riders who took place, the standard was excellent!
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