[preppy paws]

Coat: Golden Palomino Overo Semi-Leopard Pintaloosa

Please do NOT post a form unless you own this Ranger.
Read the front page of the Onion Wagon Race before entering.

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Remember, this is an 'impress me' c:
[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Height:[/b]


[grapejuice]

Username:
Grapejuice (I was The Unfair Maiden)
Show Name:
Golden Girl
Nickname:
Rose
Behind the name:
"Golden Girls" was a show produced in 1945, consisting of four elderly women sharing a home in Miami, Florida. The character "Rose" was played by none other than Betty White, one of the most well-known actresses out there. Seeing as Betty White is still so fiery in her later age, I feel this mare deserves to be the same.
Gender:
Mare
Age:
Nine
Height:
16.2 hh

*****

Pick-Up Day

Well, today is the day. The day I get to go and pick up my horse for the Annual Onion Wagon Race. Today is unusually warm for the fall season, but I grab a light jacket just in case before heading out the door. My father has the trailer hitched to the back of the pick-up, and I'd already triple checked to make sure the horses I already have have plenty of food and water. So I jump in the passenger seat of the truck, and off we go.



The drive takes hours. From out in the middle of nowhere through several bustling city areas, and far out into the country. Again, landing in the middle of nowhere. But it's well worth it. By the time we get there, I feel my excitement rising. I see several fenced in fields, all filled with the large draft-horses known as Pintaloosa Rangers. And each one is absolutely breath-taking. The second my dad parks the vehicle, I'm off, like a kid in a candy store. I start off at the pasture fence, examining the lovely creatures from afar, before heading into the barn where my father and another man are conversing. It seems they don't notice me, and I clear my throat to let them know of my presence. They're startled to say the least, but I can tell by the smile on their faces, they've already made a decision. Now I know what you're thinking, why not choose my own horse? Well to put in short, I'm a terrible decision maker. I can't just choose one horse. It's too difficult of a decision. So I told my father beforehand to talk to the ranch-owner about selecting me a wagon-racing horse. That way it'd be a surprise without any regrets.

"She's in here." The ranch owner finally speaks, gesturing to the stall to the left of him. My heart skips a beat, and I slowly walk over, breath caught in my throat. What I see in the stall absolutely stuns me. A large golden-palomino overo mare, with deep brown eyes and long cream-colored mane and tail. It's love at first sight. She looks to me curiously before stepping forward and jutting her muzzle outward, sniffing me to determine whether or not I'm a threat. Either that, or if I have any treats for her. And of course, I do. I pull a sugarcube from my jacket pocket and present it to her with a flat palm. Almost immediately does she snatch it from my hand and savor the succulent treat, while I gently scratch her forehead. "She's perfect." I murmur, watching as she turns to go back to her feeding, her muscles rippling under that shiny pelt of hers. I then glance down to the name plaque on her stall door, which simply reads "Goldy". I frown at the name, almost finding it hard to believe anyone could give such a lovely girl such a plain name. I don't make any remarks, though, instead I turn to my father and smile. "Can I load her up?" And with a laugh, he heads out to open the trailer.

Now let me tell you, I thought this mare seemed like a sweetheart at first glance, but she isn't, nor do I think she ever will be. I had to fight with her to get the lead rope over her head, and bribe her with more sugar cubes to even get her out of her cozy stall. Someone was obviously used to getting whatever she wanted like a spoiled princess, but I would have none of that. Well, when it came time for racing, at least. For now, I just wanted to load her up and get her home and settled in, perhaps acquaint her with my current Rangers.

Yes, others. Pintaloosas are very popular in this region, and I have several at home whom I've adopted over time. This is the first I've bought and actually plan to use in competitions of any sort.

And let me tell you, getting this girl prepped for racing may be an even bigger challenge than I ever would have imagined. But hey, we got her loaded up in a little over half an hour, and now she's resting comfortably in her new stall. Well, mostly comfortably. She was neighing and protesting for a good hour, but I think she wore herself out and finally decided to sleep. I'll check on her soon.

Keep posted! I'm plenty sure I'll have more stories to tell you as time goes on!

[grapejuice]

Week #1

Rose

Let me be the first to tell you that Rose is perhaps the most spoiled brat I have ever met. EVER. Remember how I thought she'd finally tuckered herself out and gone to sleep? Well I was wrong. I went in to check on her, and she'd managed to break the lock on her stall door. Thank goodness I close the barn doors, or she could have run right out and I never would have seen her again. Now we have a padlock on her door. She doesn't like it, and I don't either, but frankly, she can't be trusted.

Since she's been so unruly, I decided to put one of the other Rangers inside with her. Normally, they're outside in their fifty-acre pasture, running about as they please. Unlike Rose, they're all wild, and have very limited human interaction. So I put in my most docile girl, Momo, to try and calm the restless Rose, but that didn't work. In fact, I'm pretty sure it made her worse. She was kicking the walls of her stall, neighing loudly in protest, and overall was not happy. So I removed Momo, and tried Rocket, who, thankfully, was able to calm her nerves.

Rocket and Rose actually get along quite well. No longer does Rose try and break from her stall, and no longer do I have to keep a padlock on her door. At least that's one problem solved.

Week #2

Training

Rose has finally settled in. She hasn't had any outbursts in the past week, and has calmed down quite a bit. So I decided it was time to start on training, and well, things didn't go as planned.

The race starts in less than a month, and I really needed to get Rose prepped for lugging the wagon from here to the next town over. I put on her halter and lead rope, and proceed to lead her out of the stall. Probably the simplest thing to be done, and I couldn't do that. Why, you ask? Because the second she steps out, Rocket begins neighing loudly in protest, and she stops right in her tracks. Turns out they're more attached than I'd imagined. She refused to move any further away, and he was chest-bumping his stall door repeatedly, as if demanding I let him out.

And I did. Now Rocket, of all my "wild" Rangers, is probably the most loyal. I don't need to put a lead and halter on him, he'll just follow me on command. Once I opened his door, he sidled up right next to Rose, and the two were both quiet and calm once more. I tied up Rose, groomed her, and got a majority of the tack hooked up to her (without having to hook her up to the wagon, yet). Once she was prepped, I lead her out to the already set up wagon, and proceeded to attach her to that. Still, no problems. It was when I tried to get her to pull the wagon, that things started to go bad.

Rose seemed to only realize then that she had an object attached to her, and proceeded to lurch forward, stop, rear, and basically do everything she wasn't supposed to do. I'm lucky she didn't hurt herself or break the wagon! Thankfully Rocket came hustling over, and was able to calm her within seconds. For the rest of the training exercises, he stayed beside her. She pulled the cart with ease, over little obstacles (such as ramps, rocks, puddles) that I'd set up throughout the arena. She had one more outburst when I tried to get her to walk through mud, and neither myself nor Rocket could get her to relax. Turns out she dislikes mud.

We went through those training exercises everyday thise week, each one longer than the last. I think next week I'll have to start taking her out on actual trails to get her comfortable. And try to ease her dependency on Rocket.

Week #3

Lions and Tigers and... Rocket?

Trail rides were the key to preparing for the Onion Wagon Race. And Rose has been doing great on my makeshift obstacles, so I thought it was about time to get her out on a real trail. Only there was one tiny problem. That problem's name, is Rocket.

I'd had Rose all set and ready to go. It was early, very early, and the troublesome mare was still very groggy. She hadn't fought with me over being lead out without her friend, perhaps because she was becoming more used to me, or she was really too tired. No matter, I had her ready, and I was able to leave the property without any issues. I took her through the woods on a trail I liked to call "The Loop of Trust". It was a large trail that went in a circle, starting and finishing near my home. This trail, though, was meant for experienced riders and their loyal steeds. It was jam-packed with all sorts of surprises. Rugged terrain, rivers, sudden-drops, slopes, and tons of wildlife.

Maybe it wasn't the best idea, but with the race fast approaching, I needed to get things going. Rose was fine for the most part as we started the trail. She went over rocky areas with caution, stepping carefully so she wouldn't slip and bring the cart down with her. Puddles, she took oversized steps to cross them, causing the cart to suddenly jerk when she began to pull again. It was uncomfortable for me, but hey, she was doing fine. There was a river that cut through the trail, and the only way to get over it was by using a rickety bridge which sat only a few feet above the rushing water. And while it made her nervous, I gave her a few encouraging words and some rein to work with, and she was able to cross it without any slip-ups.

Perfect. Everything had been going absolutely perfect. Small squirrels had run across her path and she didn't even flinch. Somewhere in the distance a wolf cried, most likely trying to locate its' pack. She'd stopped for a moment, trying to figure out just what the sound was or where it was coming from, but went back to the task at hand when I said her name.

At last, I'd thought, Rose was ready to the race. And then we heard loud footsteps and rustling trees. She froze and pinned her ears, and began to back up. I tried talking to her, but she wouldn't listen. The footsteps were getting louder, their creator getting closer. My heart beat was beginning to speed up as I heard heavy breathing, and noticed the trees to our left shaking rather violently. Rose was frozen in place, and I was gripping the reins so tight I swore they were going to cut into my hands. And then out came the beast. It was huge! And... horse-like?

Rose had reared up in fright when it emerged and I cringed, but noticed... And the creature made its way to Rose, nickering happily. Dang-it. Rocket had gotten out. Rose calmed down as soon as she realized it was her barn-mate, and I had to contain myself from yelling. He'd ruined what had been a perfectly good training session, and probably broken his stall lock and the lock to the front gate.

The rest of the ride was pretty calm. Rocket stayed close to Rose, who kept nipping him everytime he nuzzled her. I guess she was beginning to get annoyed with his constant doting. She listened to my every command and finished the trail without any more hiccups.

The rest of the week consisted of practicing different trails, and having to put Rocket back out into the pasture. He was becoming a nuisance rather than being of any help.

Week #4

Meeting the Enemy

It's been three weeks of nonstop work, and I think it's time for a break. Rose is finally comfortable with me and pulling the wagon, so we're going to give the intense training a rest. I decided it was time for her to meet my entire herd of wild Rangers, which consists of Momo, Rocket, Sebastian, Lexington, and the tiny but mighty lead mare, Soldier.

Rocket, of course, was the first to greet her. Then Momo, Lexington, and Sebastian. Soldier, on the other hand, stood back, ears pinned as she looked over Rose. The two mares were the same age, but Rose was a lot larger than Soul. And when Rose turned to see the smaller mare glaring at her, everything seemed to come to a standstill.

Then it happened.

Rocket went to pull Rose back, and the little lead mare rushed forward to give him a harsh nip. In order to protect her friend, Rose began to to shove her back, and well, it was an ugly fight. I yelled for them to stop, while the other four Rangers stood idly by, completely dumbfounded by what was going on. Soul was small but fast and was taking shots at Rose's legs, while the taller mare was throwing her weight around and trying to push her away. I couldn't jump in there and separate them without risking injury, so I did the only thing I could do. I grabbed the hose which had been filling the water trough, and turned it up full blast.

Both mares stopped their fighting, trying to flee the harsh spray. Rose ran to Rocket, while Soul gathered up the other wild Rangers and lead them to the far end of the pasture.

Thankfully everyone is okay. Rose has a few knicks on her side, and Soul has a few herself. They're both fine. But now I know I can't have Rose and Soldier anywhere near each other, not without running the risk of serious injuries. Since then, Rose hasn't interacted with the wild Rangers, not even Rocket.

Maybe it's for the best.

Week #5

Soon

Well, the race starts next week, and I think we're just about ready. Rose hasn't seen Rocket since last weeks' incident, and has been doing just fine. Her small injuries are pretty much gone now, and we've been able to get a few more rigorous trail rides done without any problems.

Rocket's been staying close to his herd, probably because he's afraid of Soldier going off on him like she did to Rose. I'm more than certain he misses his golden friend, but we all need time to settle. Maybe things will cool down between everyone, and the two will be reunited soon enough.

I'm actually pretty nervous for the race. I've been focusing my journals on Rose so much that I've left out a few key facts. So I live on a fairly large property, in case you haven't figured that out. Here on the farm, we have several fields designated for growing onions, and when I'm not working with Rose, I'm tending to the fields. Let me tell you, that's a lot of work for one teenage girl to do on her own. Yes the family lends a hand when they can, but most of the time, it's just me.

And now that the onions are ripe for pulling and selling, it's still just me. I have to pick as many as I can, load up the wagon with the product and all of the supplies I'll need, and be ready to head out before dawn come racing day. Wish me luck.

[grapejuice]

On The Trail

Racing

First day of racing; we left just before the crack of dawn, and the sun is just now rising. The wagon is filled with barrels of onions, and all of our supplies. We've got a few gallons of water, food for myself, food for Rose, blankets, and some changes of clothes. All in all, the cart is loaded with as much as it can carry, with just enough space that I can climb in to grab whatever I need (without having to move anything around.)



The early start seemed like a good idea, but I've already seen several other hoof-prints and wheel tracks in the dirt. Something tells me we're not the only ones who figured it was best to start early. No matter, we haven't seen any campsites or heard anyone behind us, so I think we're going at a decent pace. The first checkpoint is still a few miles off, and I really need to focus on steering.

************

Three days into racing; we're just now leaving the third checkpoint. Things have been going pretty well, except for this sudden weather change. It was nice and sunny one second, and bam! It begins to pour out of nowhere. So now it's pouring and the wagon-top isn't resisting water too well. There's a leak in the fabric, and I had to take my tent tarp and set it over the supplies to keep them from getting soaked. As if that's not bad enough, it's freezing right now. I'm cold and wet, and poor Rose is freaking out. The roads are all muddy and slippery, and she doesn't want to trudge on any further. Her hooves are cached in the mud, and her pretty golden coat is soaked. Entirely soaked. All I smell is wet horse. Hopefully this storm will go away soon. For now, we're going to turn around and get back to the last checkpoint.

*************

Day four; the storm cleared up, and we're pretty far behind. By "cleared up" I mean it's no longer raining and the road isn't so muddy. It's more clay-like now, so Rose is willing to travel again. Of course, she wouldn't do so until I cleaned her legs and groomed her. Now we need to make up for lost time, so we're really hustling. The wagon is bouncing quite a bit and I'm pretty sure a few onions have fallen out. But hey, at this pace we should be able to catch up to the other racers no problem!

************

Day who knows what. It's been a while, and I'm pretty tired. I don't really get to sleep at night, the wagon isn't comfy, and neither is the ground I have to set up the tent on. So I'm running on whatever sleep I've actually managed to get... including the few times I've dozed off while steering. Yeah, it's pretty bad. Rose keeps having to stop and suddenly jerk forward to wake me up, which believe me, is not fun. I've fallen out twice because of it, and now I'm forcing myself to stay away because I'm afraid to get thrown out of the wagon anymore. At least the final checkpoint is coming up soon. Hopefully we can pull off this win!
*************

There it is. In the distance. I see it. The town. We're almost there! I feel myself tear up, though I'm certain it's because of the onions, and give Rose an encouraging, "Keep it up!" And she does. She moves at an easy trot as we approach the town. Good thing too, the sun's just setting, and we haven't seen any other racers for miles. Perhaps we're the first? Or maybe the last? At this point, I'm just glad this journey is almost over, I'm starting to reek of onions.

[grapejuice]

ＭＥＥＴ ＴＨＩＳ ＲＡＮＧＥＲ!

Show Name;;
Golden Girl
Barn Name;;
Rose
Gender;;
Mare
Age;;
Nine
Height;;
16.2 hh
Color;;
Golden Palomino Overo Semi-Leopard Pintaloosa
Eye Color;;
Brown

*********************

Personality;;
As I'm sure you all can now see, Rose is quite the... pain in the butt, to put it lightly. She's picky and a bit prissy, she's definitely the type of girl who makes you work for her trust and affection. But seeing how far we got together, I can tell you all now that the time and effort is well worth it. After having worked alongside her for so long, I've come to realize that she really is a good mare. While she has a rough exterior, just below that is a kind, determined mare with a heart of gold. Prove yourself to her, and she will reward to tenfold.
Rose is honestly a very sweet and gentle girl. She can be a bit stubborn when it comes to doing things her way, but you've just got to compromise with her. Give her a little lead, and she'll do what you ask. Rose doesn't like when someone has full control over her, that's not how she rolls. She's a creature with a mind of her own and would like to be treated that way, with respect. And sometimes, we all need to realize that. We need to stop taking advantage of these lovely creatures, and let them do what they feel the need to. I mean, Rose tends to know what's safe and what isn't. What looks safe to me, might seem entirely different from her perspective. She's taught me that you need to listen to your partner in order to work with them. Another set of eyes will see differently from what you do.
She's a smart mare, and while she does tend to get a little cocky, she always means well. Just don't bring her near mud. Really. She won't listen to a word you have to say. If there's mud involved, she'll call in sick or tell you to find someone else. She's just a diva like that.
{{You can learn more about her by reading her opinions of her new herd-mates just below.}}

Opinions of the Herd & Relationships;;
Momo - "A little too quiet and skittish for my liking, but definitely someone I could see myself being friends with. Ya know, if she ever decides to talk." {{Potential friend}}
Rocket - "Oh he's so handsome, and such a sweetheart! He gets a little too clingy for my liking, but definitely my best friend in this new place. Perhaps even a love interest, though, I don't think his lead mare will be too open to that idea." *laughs* {{Best friend, potential mate}}
Sebastian - "We never really got a chance to talk. He greeted me, and then proceeded to mosey on back to his herd. He seems like a nice guy." {{Stranger, potential friend}}
Lexington - "He's quite the looker himself. Another kind stallion, he gave me a very warm welcome when I went to the pasture. He's a true gentlemen, and I'd love to get to know him better." {{Stranger, potential crush}}
Soldier - "Okay seriously, what is this girl's problem? She's barely tall enough to be classified as a horse, yet she's got this crazy 'I can kick your butt' attitude going for her. She can do some damage for a little thing, I can tell you that much." {{Enemy}}

*********************

Likes;;
- To please
- Rocket
- Respect
- Sugar cubes, she's a sucker for them!
- Being groomed

Dislikes;;
- Mud
- Bossy people/animals... /like Soldier/

Fears;;
- Drowning in mud
- Losing her friends

Weaknesses;;
- Sugar cubes; when I said she's a sucker for them, I meant it.
- Rocket; as irritating as he can be, she loves him, and would hate to see him upset.

Secrets;;
"I may or may not act up so I can get sugar cubes and extra time with Rocket... don't tell Grape!"

*********************

Theme Song;;
Desire - Escape The Fate

She's got the gun to my head
Well, pull the trigger already, baby
Bang bang

She turned my heart blood shot red
But you can't leave me for dead
I'm already dying
And I'm waiting

You cannot kill my desire! Desire!
Set my love on fire and let it burn
Desire! Desire!
Set my love on fire and let it burn
...

*********************

Racing Wagon;;
The Speedster ;D
Owner/Racer;;
Grapejuice
Art;;
Headshot - by me
Stuffy - by me
Rose + Rocket - by me

Thank-you for reading, I had a lot of fun doing this and bonding with Rose <3 Best of luck to all the racers!