HOME | DD

Description
Show: CCEC's Paddy's Day Bash 2023
Horse: 1715 SDE Blinded By The Sun
Rider: Faye Barlow

Loshenka XP Breakdown
Art: 9 (fullbody) + 4 (full background) + 2 (full shading) + 2 (rider) + 3 (effort show entry) = 20xp
Lit: 9 (base xp) + 1 (handler) = 10 xp
Total XP: 20 + 10 =30xp

Word Count: 935

~~~

“If you get a single drop of taco seasoning on that white pad I will personally come for you.” Niamh threatened as Faye reached for the brown paper bag.

Faye quickly removed her hand, Ele laughing as she swiftly reached across the aisle way for a towel. In one smooth movement she splayed out the covering over the pad that was set in the bench.

“Voila,” She grinned as she set down the bag.

Niamh smiled approvingly, “Okay we have 30 minutes until we need to start getting you and him ready.” She glanced at the bag of fresh tacos, “But for now, we eat.”

~

“Shiny, shiny, shiiiiny boy.” Faye sing-songed as she ran the brush down Helios’s broad snip.

The stallion’s eyes were closed in bliss, his ears floppy and his lip droopy, the perfect picture of a sleepy boy.

“You better wake up a bit before we go in the ring Mister. I’m gonna need some impulsion.” Faye murmured.

“Are you done pampering him? Can I start actually being your groom?” Ele said, exasperated.

Faye smiled sheepishly, “Sorry. How long do I have before I’m on?”

Ele glanced down at her watch, “Uh 20 minutes. It’s 9:40. Your test is at 10:18am.”

“Whoops, okay, I’ll leave you to take him up and I’ll go get my gear on.”

“Don’t forget your headband and necklace!” Ele called after her.

This event, CCEC's Second Saint Paddy's Day Bash, or just the Paddy’s Day Bash, was a Saint Patrick’s themed show that had a ‘dress code’ of sorts. Upon arrival, Faye had been assigned a headband, a small little green hat that was attached to her helmet, and a green beaded necklace worn over her coat.

As Ele, her trusted friend and groom prepped Helios, Fate was off to prepare herself.

~~

“He looks like an alien,” Was all Faye could say as she greeted her now ready steed.

“Well, yes. But when you look closely you can tell they’re shamrocks… right?” Ele prodded.

“Sure. We’ll say that.”

Helios had been assigned his own headband, a set of clovers on the ends of two bobble sticks that hovered behind his own ears. They provided a sort of comical, alien-esque appearance, aided greatly by his spotty coat and green eyes.

“It took some convincing but he finally accepted the bobbles. He didn’t like how they bounced but I bribed him with some carrots and he succumbed.” Ele laughed, affectionately giving him a scratch.

“Please don’t spook at them mid test, bud. This is our first dressage show. Please don’t have a meltdown.” Faye sighed, giving him a pat.

“You’ll be fine! Don’t think about it, and he won’t either.”

“They’ll be bouncing around in my eye line. How will I not think about them?”

“You’ll figure it out, but we need to get you up there, you’re on in 17 minutes and I want to school his left circle at X once more.” Niamh called, quickly emerging from the tack room. “Go, go, go,”

Ele grasped Helios’s reins, Faye easily stepping out of the way as the large stallion marched out of his stall.

“Leg up?” Ele asked as they finally came to a stop outside the aisle.

“Eh, I'll use a bucket. I’d rather have you holding him.” Faye muttered. The golden stallion’s crested neck was on full display as he looked around the stables, his head held high and alert.

“Do you have that same sort of sense of doom sitting in your lungs like I do?” Ele grumbled as Faye got one foot in the stirrup.

Faye rolled her eyes, bouncing a few times before beginning to swing her leg over the lanky Loshenka, “Don’t jinx it-“ Just as the words left her mouth, Helios took a bouncing leap forward across the yard, excitement and anxiety boiling through his veins.

Faye quickly grabbed for her reins, “WOAH!” She yelped as Helios skidded to a stop.

“Is he done?” Niamh called as she started wandering over with Ele tagging behind her.

Helios let out one final snort. He had a tendency to have at least one minor meltdown per show, whether due to excitement, a spook, anything, so no one was terribly surprised.

“Yep. I think so.” Faye responded tentatively. She reached down to give Helios a light stroke on the neck, subtlety checking how tense his neck was. “He’s still pretty tense so I wouldn't be surprised if we have a moment in the warm up, but I think he’s done for now.”

“Y’know, when I posed the idea of you doing his first dressage-only show I did not expect you to almost fall off within the first 30 seconds.” Ele chortled as they wandered over.

Faye huffed, “I didn't 'almost fall off’.”

Niamh laughed.

Faye glared.

“Let’s get you warmed up.”

~~~

“Leg, leg, leg, leg,” Was the echoing chant throughout the warm up. Who was saying it quickly became indistinguishable as each and every trainer in the ring repeated it.

After Niamh joined the repetition Faye groaned, “I don’t have any more leg left to give! You’re looking at it all right now.”

“Find more!”

~~~

“Next in the ring is Faye Barlow on SDE Blinded By The Sun.” The announcer called over the intercom.

Faye took a deep breath and pushed Helios up into a trot. They circled once as Helios collected onto the bit.

Focus. Faye thought. She took one last deep breath and looked down the arena in between the two bouncy shamrocks behind her horses ears. Let's do this. She affirmed and turned down the centerline into the arena.

Description
Show: CCEC's Paddy's Day Bash 2023
Horse: 1715 SDE Blinded By The Sun
Rider: Faye Barlow

Loshenka XP Breakdown
Art: 9 (fullbody) + 4 (full background) + 2 (full shading) + 2 (rider) + 3 (effort show entry) = 20xp
Lit: 9 (base xp) + 1 (handler) = 10 xp
Total XP: 20 + 10 =30xp

Word Count: 935

~~~

“If you get a single drop of taco seasoning on that white pad I will personally come for you.” Niamh threatened as Faye reached for the brown paper bag.

Faye quickly removed her hand, Ele laughing as she swiftly reached across the aisle way for a towel. In one smooth movement she splayed out the covering over the pad that was set in the bench.

“Voila,” She grinned as she set down the bag.

Niamh smiled approvingly, “Okay we have 30 minutes until we need to start getting you and him ready.” She glanced at the bag of fresh tacos, “But for now, we eat.”

~

“Shiny, shiny, shiiiiny boy.” Faye sing-songed as she ran the brush down Helios’s broad snip.

The stallion’s eyes were closed in bliss, his ears floppy and his lip droopy, the perfect picture of a sleepy boy.

“You better wake up a bit before we go in the ring Mister. I’m gonna need some impulsion.” Faye murmured.

“Are you done pampering him? Can I start actually being your groom?” Ele said, exasperated.

Faye smiled sheepishly, “Sorry. How long do I have before I’m on?”

Ele glanced down at her watch, “Uh 20 minutes. It’s 9:40. Your test is at 10:18am.”

“Whoops, okay, I’ll leave you to take him up and I’ll go get my gear on.”

“Don’t forget your headband and necklace!” Ele called after her.

This event, CCEC's Second Saint Paddy's Day Bash, or just the Paddy’s Day Bash, was a Saint Patrick’s themed show that had a ‘dress code’ of sorts. Upon arrival, Faye had been assigned a headband, a small little green hat that was attached to her helmet, and a green beaded necklace worn over her coat.

As Ele, her trusted friend and groom prepped Helios, Fate was off to prepare herself.

~~

“He looks like an alien,” Was all Faye could say as she greeted her now ready steed.

“Well, yes. But when you look closely you can tell they’re shamrocks… right?” Ele prodded.

“Sure. We’ll say that.”

Helios had been assigned his own headband, a set of clovers on the ends of two bobble sticks that hovered behind his own ears. They provided a sort of comical, alien-esque appearance, aided greatly by his spotty coat and green eyes.

“It took some convincing but he finally accepted the bobbles. He didn’t like how they bounced but I bribed him with some carrots and he succumbed.” Ele laughed, affectionately giving him a scratch.

“Please don’t spook at them mid test, bud. This is our first dressage show. Please don’t have a meltdown.” Faye sighed, giving him a pat.

“You’ll be fine! Don’t think about it, and he won’t either.”

“They’ll be bouncing around in my eye line. How will I not think about them?”

“You’ll figure it out, but we need to get you up there, you’re on in 17 minutes and I want to school his left circle at X once more.” Niamh called, quickly emerging from the tack room. “Go, go, go,”

Ele grasped Helios’s reins, Faye easily stepping out of the way as the large stallion marched out of his stall.

“Leg up?” Ele asked as they finally came to a stop outside the aisle.

“Eh, I'll use a bucket. I’d rather have you holding him.” Faye muttered. The golden stallion’s crested neck was on full display as he looked around the stables, his head held high and alert.

“Do you have that same sort of sense of doom sitting in your lungs like I do?” Ele grumbled as Faye got one foot in the stirrup.

Faye rolled her eyes, bouncing a few times before beginning to swing her leg over the lanky Loshenka, “Don’t jinx it-“ Just as the words left her mouth, Helios took a bouncing leap forward across the yard, excitement and anxiety boiling through his veins.

Faye quickly grabbed for her reins, “WOAH!” She yelped as Helios skidded to a stop.

“Is he done?” Niamh called as she started wandering over with Ele tagging behind her.

Helios let out one final snort. He had a tendency to have at least one minor meltdown per show, whether due to excitement, a spook, anything, so no one was terribly surprised.

“Yep. I think so.” Faye responded tentatively. She reached down to give Helios a light stroke on the neck, subtlety checking how tense his neck was. “He’s still pretty tense so I wouldn't be surprised if we have a moment in the warm up, but I think he’s done for now.”

“Y’know, when I posed the idea of you doing his first dressage-only show I did not expect you to almost fall off within the first 30 seconds.” Ele chortled as they wandered over.

Faye huffed, “I didn't 'almost fall off’.”

Niamh laughed.

Faye glared.

“Let’s get you warmed up.”

~~~

“Leg, leg, leg, leg,” Was the echoing chant throughout the warm up. Who was saying it quickly became indistinguishable as each and every trainer in the ring repeated it.

After Niamh joined the repetition Faye groaned, “I don’t have any more leg left to give! You’re looking at it all right now.”

“Find more!”

~~~

“Next in the ring is Faye Barlow on SDE Blinded By The Sun.” The announcer called over the intercom.

Faye took a deep breath and pushed Helios up into a trot. They circled once as Helios collected onto the bit.

Focus. Faye thought. She took one last deep breath and looked down the arena in between the two bouncy shamrocks behind her horses ears. Let's do this. She affirmed and turned down the centerline into the arena.