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!.
"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."
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.
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.
full name • Dominik Eskil Underwood nicknames • Nik age • Twenty-Two birthday • November 1st occupation • TBD gender • Male sexuality • Questioning
the appearance
face claim• Jakub Gierszał
identifying features• Blonde hair, grey eye.
the personality
likes • His pets - Khan [cat] & Cash [OTTB], Being with friends, Being normal, Riding, Good food, Relaxing dislikes • silence, not being able to have fun/go out, unpredictability, violence and bugs. strengths • Resilient and has a strong work-ethic. weaknesses • Critical planning and poor social cues. dreams • To reach Olympic levels in Riding - Jumping & Dressage fears • Failing, Falling Again overall personality • Dominik is a hard worker, striving for the best he can do and then some. He doesn't take failing well, and the slightest error sets him to work even harder - even at the sacrifice of his health. He has a strong love for animals, and if he could, he would take in every animal he could to give them a home. He's a little bit conscious of his appearance and tries his very best to avoid pulling attention onto himself. He's also just socially blind, for the want of words - people flirting or even just trying to be friends with Dominik will be greeted with a blank look as he fails to understand what is going on.
the history
father • Unknown - Adopted by Hayden Underwood, Accountant, 53 mother • Unknown - Adopted by Lisa Underwood, Lawyer, 48 siblings • Adopted sister - Penny, 24 | Adopted Brother - Wesley, 25 important people • Khan and Cash [pets] hometown • Hickstead overall history •
Dominik was abandoned in a hospital waiting room days after he was born. Attempts to find his parents failed, and thus was put into the cycle of adoption. He was a sick and unfortunate child from the get go, both physically disabled without a fully formed right leg and insulin dependent, he had many challenges to face as he grew up.
Held back due to being sick, it was also unsurprising that he was not a child that was taken into consideration by those seeking to adopt. That was until the Underwood's decided to expand their family and bring Dominik home. It was a challenge to adapt, and the first year proved to be very tedious with a six year old who had only ever known his carer. But in time Dominik fell into place with his new family. His ventures into horse riding came from Penny after her went with his parents to pick her up from her riding lesson. There on, Dominik always went to pick up his sister and eventually asked his parents if he was allowed to ride too.
At first his parents hesitated at the idea, but decided it would get him out of the house, so they agreed. His parents assumed that, like Wesley, the hobby would lose its appeal but it never did. However, he did have his first fall from horse back at the age of nine, as his prosthetic failed him over a jump, causing an emergency room visit for a broken wrist. It frightened him, and even when his cast was off, it took him months to go back to the stables where he restarted from the very basics. Ever since then, he's been afraid to fall off another horse and always double checks his leg to make sure its never loose.
He kept good enough grades into highschool and upon leaving, his parents offered him a choice - they would buy him a car or a horse, the only catch was that he had to get a job. It was a no-brainer for Dominik, choosing to pick a car over a horse outright - and getting a job, well, he had planned on that anyway. He continued on with lessons outside of work, throwing all he had at it.
Now he has finally bought his first horse, a six year old black off the track thoroughbred called Cash. He was told by the seller that the gelding had extensive ground training and was a blank canvas ready to go onto the next big thing.
the role player
alias • BlackJack, Jac age • Mid 20s other characters • Too Many
