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!.
John watched as his wife worked her charm with the interrupting Ace, who respectfully backed up as soon as Marie jiggled the lead rope. Although the retreat didn't last for long, the horse at least realized that perhaps his humans wanted some uninterrupted smooches and appeared content with resting his chin on Marie's shoulder. Ace's displeasure was heard though via a huffy sigh that simply caused John to roll his blue eyes, "I swear, it never ceases to amaze me how dramatic horses can be. And people say they have no personalities and are nothing but fancy lawn ornaments." Next time he heard that line, he was going to stick them in a stall with Ace here and see what they think on that front.
As Marie laughed, the man could not help but to smile. It was a sound that he would never get sick of hearing. Light hearted and full of life, it was one of the few clues he had when they first met that maybe they could get over the hump of being groom rivals. It wasn't long before Marie started her tale, "I think I was being chased, I woke up as dream me tripped and landed with a thud. I wasn't scared, just startled awake." John could not help but to arch an eyebrow at his wife, mild concern flickering across his features, "You're not hurt, are you?" She didn't look it, but winter gear made it hard to find bruises in such situations. He knew Marie was tough and a thund out of bed would hardly phase her, but as her husband, it was in his nature to worry and be protective - even if the thing doing the damage had simply been a roll off of a bed.
"It's not so much that I knew you had run out," she said with a grin. "It's that I knew you wouldn't have brought a spare." Now it was his turn to let loose of snort of laughter. He put a hand on his chest, feigning insult, "Marie, you wound me. And yet, you're right." He took a sip on the coffee, delight coming to his face now as he let her mull over the his many requests. John knew not to interupt her as she pursed her lips in thought, "I have a couple of maiden mares that I need to check up on, as one has a dam who was notorious for slipping foals, and I'm hoping the mare doesn't follow suit. I have a couple of mares that are in need of a good ride, if you don't mind riding one of my girls." He nodded, looks like they both had their share of astronomical work. All in a day's work. Typical, "Nah, I don't mind at all. Walking pace is perfect, gives me more time to admire you," he joked now, "How about we split up, you see to your mares and I'll take care of the ruffians outside of the breeding barn and we meet up prompty in an hour? I'll ride whoever you need me to."
He didn't think his grin could grow any bigger, but it did the second Marie replied with one word: Husband. The smile on her face, the way she said it, god, he was a lucky man. He didn't get how he had been able to get her to say yes to marrying him those many years ago, but John wasn't complaining on that notion. The teasing wrinkle of her nose didn't escape him as he went in for the kiss, however it wouldn't get in the way of his smooch. John would have let the kiss linger if it hadn't been for some whiskers soon tickling his cheek and as he pulled back, blue eyes caught sight of an invading horse muzzle, "Excuse you, Ace!" He mock exclaimed to the horse, before he gently grabbed the horse's halter to keep him still to earn his Ryan Grade Kiss also, "Now, please leave me to Marie." Never a dull moment with horses.
His attention was quick to return to the woman besides him, listening to her talk, "You didn't wake me, a strange dream did that, and being here, with you, seemed more entertaining than going back to sleep. I brought coffee." He couldn't help but to arch an eye brow. Strange dream? John figured he wouldn't worry about any sleep issues just yet, it's not like it was uncommon to have weird dreams - he just hoped they wouldn't become the norm and take away from the quality of sleep, "Strange dreams huh? We're they strange because I wasn't in them?" he asked her jokingly. Good thing the kids weren't around or surely there would be some loud, audible groaning, "And thank you for the coffee. How did you know I ran out?" He happily accepted the new travel mug, considering he left his other one in the gator the second he saw Marie.
"Everyone's fed, and the water heaters outside are up and running again. Figured I'd take let them out to pasture before looking over bills. Do you mind helping me with all of the above?" He took a sip of the coffee before adding on, "I don't know what you have on your plate today, but I also was hoping for a good ole couples ride later today."
The problem with owning a business and specifically a horse business, sleeping in was never an option. Which is why John Ryan found himself down at the Ryan Stables on an early Saturday morning - doing his best to not disturb his wife - with his thermos in hand, ready to get to work. Naturally, he ignored the office work for the time being and went out to greet the horses in their stalls - the quiet morning filled with soft whickers of greeting, some of the more feisty horses let out a shrill whinny - demanding their breakfast. So he took to scooping out and prioritizing buckets, making his way down each stall to bequeath breakfast. While they ate, he drove to the troughs to break the top layer of ice and turned on the water heaters once more, getting them ready to serve the horses.
The large fields were closed off, allowing the grass to recover from a spring, summer, and fall of horses happily eating away. Between sips of coffee, he stuffed hay flakes into the sheltered hay keeps for the horses to munch on throughout the day. Anything to make up for the lack of grass and the fact that some of them were going to be worked later today. Right when he was finished was right when he had managed to run out of coffee. Sighing, John hopped back onto the gator and drove back to the barn now. The horses had probably sat still enough after eating, meaning it would soon be time to take them out to the pasture and let them loose. Unfortunately, that meant that he would also have to start looking over paperwork and bills. At least it meant that he could make himself another pot of coffee.
As he approached with the barn, he also saw a familiar SVU parked next to his. Well, it looks like he might have failed in his plan for not disturbing his wife from her slumber. Parking the gator and grabbing his thermos, John headed in the barn to see none other than his beautiful wife herself - Marie I. Ryan - standing in the aisles with one of the horses. He knew that head of cascading brunette hair from anywhere, even a million miles away, "Wife!" he called out, heading over to her now - unable to hide the grin from his face from simply laying his eyes on her, "Sorry if I woke you. I tried so hard to let you sleep in," he leaned in to offer her a kiss now before the horse stole her attention away, "Although, believe me, I am not complaining to see you here."
full name • john eoin ryan nicknames • Nothing he's aware of, probably some pet name Marie come up with age • fourty three birthday • august 26 occupation • Professional Equestrian; Owner of Ryan Sport Horses LLC gender • Male sexuality • Hetero
the appearance
face claim• Chris Pine
identifying features• John is roughly 6 ft tall with a firm muscular frame. His blue eyes and strong jawline gave him the classic, Hollywood looks that made him an equestrian heart throb in his youth and has been carrying him into the silver fox category since age started to catch up with him. John typically keeps his hair cropped short and doesn't allow it to grow very often, however that cannot be said for his facial hair. He can been seen sporting clean shaven, stubble, and even a full on but properly trimmed beard depending on his laziness and Marie's preference at the time.
the personality
likes Marie - the love of his life and his wife; all three of his children (whether they believe it or not); Sport Horses & Warm Bloods; Eventing; The smell of fresh hay and manure on a crisp morning; Watching his children compete in arena; Helping Marie with training; Taking on new grooms; Talking to the barn horses; Great Potential; His Horses reaching retirement after a successful career; Both Coffee & Tea (Yes, He Went There); Family Values dislikes • Conflict within his family - either with his wife or his children, or between them; Squabbling; Mistreatment of Horses; People who put winning above the value of the horse and it's health; Rain & Thunderstorms; People who throw away their potential and opportunities; Reunions; Certain Rivals strengths • Setting Personal and Professional Boundaries; Raising Horses; Feeling Out a Horse's Personality; Loyal & Unwavering; Fair Parenting Style (his personal opinion); Managing Finances weaknesses • Strict Parenting Style; A Little TOO Noble; Quick to Anger - Hot Headed(at Humans, not Horses); Project Horses (even though he's not old, he's no spring chicken any more so it likely worries Marie); Any form of dessert, especially fresh and baked in their personal kitchen - cake, pie, cookies, turkish delight (its all dangerous and easily to use as bribery or distraction) dreams • To John, he truly is living the dream with his family, his horses, his career - but recent 'skeletons' may have put him on edge with his children even though he thought he was protecting them. If one were to ask him, just that his children continue to love him and keep him in their lives and careers; while he hopes every single fur child goes on to successful careers and happy retirements fears • Any one of his children - whether Ben, Jake, or Riley, cutting him out of their lives; Pissing off Marie - for she is kind, she is also mighty and to be feared; Old Rivalries from the hay day affecting his kids showing careers - causing unnecessary drama overall personality • John is very rooted in family values and came from a humble background. He tried to carry those values when he entered fatherhood, first with Ben, then followed by Jake and Riley; to where he was fair and let his children have their fun, but discipline and strict when it came to daily routines; school work; and whether or not they wanted to become professional equestrians. He knew their potential, could see their drive, and knew how to unlock it. Despite this, he is caring and wants what's best for his children, and will always put their needs above his. He's confident and tends to have this glowing aura around him, and knows how to use his smile to his full advantage, whether its in an interview, working at his barn, or with his wife. He does his best to keep himself calm and collected when it comes to either his kids or his horses - people outside of the family often joke he doesn't see the difference between them. Unfortunately, John can have a bit of the flare for a temper, and can be easily goaded into a fight whether its via his children or a rival; with Marie having the one to keep him in check. He's never one to swing fists though, since he sees himself as a gentleman, but if someone does something to a horse or anyone in his family, the gloves come off rather quickly. When not with his family, John spends a lot of time at his barn, either with the horses or the grooms. He can often be found on quiet mornings humming and talking to the horses; favoring the time spend with them.
the history
father • Connor Ryan, 83, Retired Sheep Farmer mother • Ionna Ryan, 81, Retired Sheep Farmer and now hobby gardener siblings • Connor Ryan; 40; Sheep Farmer - took over the family business Jack Ryan, 37, Mi6 though Family thinks he's foreign service (it was too hilarious to not to) important people • Marie Ryan; 42; Spouse - Horse Trainer BENJAMIN CHARLIE RYAN - adopted son; raised as his own JAKE MICHEAL RYAN - natural born son RILEY JAMES RYAN - natural born daughter hometown • Hickstead, UK overall history • Most of the Horse World seemed to forget that John Ryan came from a humble background, growing up in a little cottage just outside of Hickstead where his father and mother raised sheep and worked hard for a living. John would help them but he always found his head stuck in the clouds in the sky verses the walking puffs of clouds that he should be taken care of. But his parents kept him working hard, despite his tendencies to day dream. One day, when walking home from a market where he had been selling wool and meat for his parents, John found himself an escape artist - a horse. It was large, sleek, proud, and flighty, but he calmed it down nonetheless, although he found himself concerned by some lashed markings on its flanks.
Instead of finding it out where it lived, he took the horse home with him and hid it in the barn. Naturally, his parents got quite the surprise the next morning when they walked into the barn to find a horse amongst the sheep. Naturally, they told him to take the horse back, but he didn't know where it lived, so naturally, he said he had to keep it. His parents bent, but set strict guides for him and it was his horse alone to take care of. There would be no help from them. John agreed to their terms and then named the horse King. Whenever he was not busy with farm work, or school work, or a side job at grocery store, he was with King. He loved that horse, and it loved him, they would race through the wild country side and jump everything in sight - knowing no fear.
As they both grew older, John began to practice horse riding seriously and enroll as a groom with a prominent rider in the area who allowed King to stay at his stables. It was there that he met Marie. Apparently she also went to his high school, which had floored John, because somehow he had never noticed her before. He didn't know why, she was beautiful, feisty, fierce, caring, and on top of it all, an amazing horse woman. They always fought for their mentor's attention, and constantly fought for the chance to work the top horse, but at the end of the day, when they left the barn, they were side by side laughing and enjoying each other's company, as if an earlier argument hadn't had happened. John knew he was in love and at fifteen, knew Marie would be the only one for him.
John soon found himself putting school on the backburner, much to his parent's dismay, and started putting more time and effort into his horse apprenticeship, King, and competing. He studied videos, he studied courses and rings and jumps. His mentor said he had talent, a lot of it, but it was wild and untamed, and if he wanted to make it big, he needed to rein it in. Be more disciplined, no distractions, not even Marie. So much so, that the mentor began putting them on separate shifts but they still found time to hang out. King was adapting well to being a sporting horse also, he flourished in the attention and the high demand of the shows, always ready to go. Once it became clear to John's parents as to how serious he was about being an equestrian, they finally let him go, only to make sure he promised to continue his studies to at least graduate from homeschooling if nothing else.
Their shows started off small, little circuits, before moving to B-Circuits, and then A-Circuits to get to the Nationally Ranked shows. The prize money began stacking up, and people started to pay attention to John Ryan and King - both a boy and horse with no pedigree. England was enamored with him, the rags to riches story and how he loved to wow both the crowd and interviewees, not to mention, that heartbreaker smile. His biggest move may have been proposing to a fellow competitive rider, Marie, after barely inching past her in points to make it to the United Kingdom Olympic Team - making him one of the youngest riders on the team in a while. Thankfully, despite the upset, she still said yes - for despite their competitiveness with each other, she too, like John, knew that she was going to be with him forever.
They had a beautiful wedding out in the country side - their friends, family, teammates, mentor, and yes, even the horses, had attended. They enjoyed their honeymoon and went right back to work. They bought a huge mansion with a five star barn and land for their horses. After a year of enjoying their young marriage, they decided to try for a child. Although, nothing was happening. So they decided to adopt a young child, whom they named Ben. They loved him dearly and threw him in the saddle the second he could sit up, bought him a pony. Two years later, John was surprised to learn Marie was pregnant and nine months later, welcomed Jake into their life, and another year later, their one and only daughter came also, Riley. Having three kids, all barely one to two years apart, was a rather wild time for John and Marie. They kept Ben's adoption hidden as well, deciding it would do more harm than good if he were to ever know.
They raised their children the way they were raised, disciplined with structure, but fair and kind. They would also joke that they had their children in saddles and riding before they could walk and talk. As each child decided they wanted to get into horses and the competitive scene, John took over their training and coaching. He put them through their paces, he knew he could unlock all of the potential within them, and all what they needed was a little push. He taught them like how his mentor taught them - studying, practice, videos, time spent with the horse to get to know them, everything. Marie helped as well, but she also had her own growing business in her hands with their breeding and training of Sport Horses and Warm Bloods. By the time Riley had become thirteen, the Ryan Family was considered an Equestrian Dynasty both in production of riders and horses.
As the years went by, and the children grew, needing to be free of their parents, John and Marie took a step back, allowing their children to choose their own paths nows and forge how they wanted to take their competitive lives. While John still competed but at a lesser degree, Marie retired and took over the horse business completely. John also dubbed himself the official carrot mascot at the barn. Everything had settled, everything was peaceful until it was not. Then, shit hit the fan, and it was one thing after another. Ben had cancer. Jake became a father. Riley ended up in the hospital due to problems with an eating disorder that he wasn't aware of. And then Ben found out he was adopted. All of it make John step back from competing as well, confused as to how all of this had happened to his kids and if it had anything to do with him. One by one, each child moved out, but any fractures in their relationships had been repaired, for now. John finds himself uncertain if he wants to go back to competing after all of the drama that had taken over his life for the past eight years. He found he only wanted peace at the barn, in Marie's arms, or in the kitchen eating a nice warm cookie.
the role player
alias • Forever age • oldddd other characters • lots
