[Bruja]

Range Trotters are the result of crossbreeding Orlov Trotters, Finnhorses, Welsh Cobs (section C & D) and Hanoverians. Later crosses of Quarter Horses, Paint and Appaloosas to gain color and to give a boost to their hardiness.With a height average of 13-15 hands, they're a hardy breed with characteristics for various disciplines.

Created for use as work, carriage and leisure riding horses originally, they now serve as long-distance range horses, such as work with Park Rangers and mounted officers.

Willing and eager personalities, most are quickly trained to be bombproof and therefore trusted mounts in all lines of work; some are being seen in local show jumping competitions, others are notably used in therapeutic sessions for their calm temperaments. Harness races and endurance trials are common for the breed, as they are able to sustain an extended trot without tire. Cross-Country competitions see some of the taller Trotters, but due to their cob lineage this is still uncommon.

Despite the variety of competitions and work these horses are being seen in, they are still famously skilled as endurance racers. Many competitors have chosen Range Trotters due to their tireless work ethic, as well as the ease in which they can be trained. Many have become champions in endurance trials, and they have quickly become a sought after breed for their natural ability.

Four thousand Range Trotter adopts! How incredible is that? Not even including breedings, auctions and special events, I am over and over again being shown how fortunate I am to be part of such a strong and welcoming community. Four also happens to be my lucky number! So in the interest of winning this dolled-up Trotter, I want you to impress me [on the theme of luck. Tell me a story about a time you were extra lucky, about this Trotter's lucky talisman, make a moodboard about lucky charms, etc. Effort and staying on theme are where the points are!
End Date: 8/13 (You have two whole weeks so please don't miss out!)

Username: Pandora!
Show Name: OHS Luck Be A Lady Tonight
Barn Name: Euphegenia

Gender: Mare
Height: 14.0hh
Eye Color: Storm's comin' (Blue + Silver Heterochromia)
Phenotype: Blue Dun Roan Sabino Foliage Brindle
Genotype: EE/aa/Dd/RnRn/Sbsb/FolFol + Heterochromia + Brindle
Mane and Tail pass at artist's discretion, tack does not pass

Code: Select all

[b]Username:[/b]
    [b]Show Name:[/b]
    [b]Barn Name:[/b]
    [b]Gender:[/b]
    [b]Height:[/b]
    [b]Halter Color:[/b]
    [b]Prompt:[/b]

[heyheygirl101]

Username: heyheygirl101
Show Name: LLE Lady Luck's Superstition
Barn Name: Friday
Gender: Mare
Height: 13.3 hh
Halter Color: Keep
Prompt: Batman - Black Tom Cat & Good Luck Charm
Friday is a bit of an odd duck, where her luck comes not from the traditional lucky rabbit's foot or four leafed clover but rather, her luck seems to come from the things that are deemed the most unlucky by the masses.
It all started when Friday was born, she came on a very cold and stormy 13th day in March, she had to be pulled from her mother as she was coming out booty first, it took them about 3 minutes to get her breathing but once she was, in spite of the traumatic way she entered the world, she was perfectly healthy. The vet had said she was one of the healthiest foals he had ever seen.
The next significant moment of luck in her life came after she crossed paths with the old black tom cat that moused for the barn. She had herd from those that were superstitious that to cross the path of a black cat was to invite bad luck but how harmful could a little old tom cat be. The weekend following her crossing with cat, she won at the local Junior Barrel Racing competition, which allowed her to be entered in the county competition. Now Friday wasn't certain that the cat had anything to do with it but she wasn't going to take chances, so she crossed his path yet again the following month, a day before the show.
She paced eagerly waiting for the winner announcement, her rider fidgeting ever so subtly in anticipation, they had won every stage so far, making it to the national level of Junior Barrel Racing, every day before she was trailered, Friday had crossed that Tom cat's path because at this point she was certain he had some kind of luck she couldn't risk being without. Up until this point they had been easily winning their competitions, consistently a few seconds ahead of their second place competition, this time however it was close. Friday could tell by how tight her riders muscles were a top her, she had never been this anxious before.
Friday looked around for a sign, anything that would easy her own nerves, and then she saw it, her lucky number 13. It was in such a mundane spot if she hadn't been looking for it she would have never truly seen it. But, there written on the wall, in black sharpie, it was Friday nickered, knowing that Lady Luck was on her side once again that night, and hopefully for many more nights like this to come.
Moodboard I made (all images are free use from canva)

[Pandora!]

Username: Pandora!
Show Name: OHS Luck Be A Lady Tonight
Barn Name: Euphegenia
Gender: Mare
Height: 14.0hh
Prompt: Euphegenia is a mare that's maybe a little too obsessed with trying to control her own fate. As a young filly, she absolutely fell in love with barrel racing. Absolutely everything about it seems to draw her in an excite her even more: the roaring crowds, the flashing lights, the colorful matching tack sets, the powerful athletic horses, and most importantly the speed. She would spend hours and hours racing around the paddock as her mother lazily munched on fresh grass. Once Euphegenia was old enough to begin her training under saddle, she worked diligently to be the greatest barrel horse that ever lived. However, in the beginning, Euphegenia did not have the breakout barrel career she had dreamt of as a filly. She'd place well at local rodeos, often scoring third or second, but always just shy of the winning time.

Late last summer as the rodeo season was beginning to wind down, Euphegenia's rider had a new addition to her racing tack, a beautifully painted and detailed sunflower carved from leather with a ruby red ladybug on the petals. She tied it right onto the middle of Euphegenia's breast collar and smiled widely.

"For good luck," her rider had said to her kindly with a soft pat and a wink before hoisting herself up into the saddle. In a blink of an eye, they were down the tunnel and bursting into the area at full speed, heading towards the first barrel like cannonball. They were around the first barrel like a hurricane, turning on a dime and rocketing towards the second, and finally the third! Milliseconds felt like years out there in the arena, but Euphegenia felt as if she was flying. Every hoof-fall sent her sailing forwards effortlessly, her mane and tail streaming out behind her like streamers in the wind. She careened towards the stop line, hardly noticing the crowd beginning to rise to their feet, screaming, jumping, yelling, and all cheering... cheering for... her!

"And they're headed for the wire, an amazing run so far from this team, but can they do it?" The announcers voice seemed miles away, barely registering to Euphegenia as every cell in her body surged on ever faster, closing in on the finish.

"MY GOD THEY DID IT! A NEW ARENA RECORD, I REPEAT A NEW ARENA RECORD HAS BEEN SET HERE TODAY FOLKS!" The arena erupted in pandemonium, popcorn and cowboy hats flying into the air, buzzers went wild, the crowd was nearly deafening but all Euphegenia could hear was the sounds of the wind in her ears, pure bliss. She felt as if she could lift off the ground and gallop all the way up into the sunset smeared sky above her.

That race was the beginning of the end... the end of her second place barrel racing career that is! Since that fateful race, Euphegenia closely guarded her prized good luck sunflower, and was over the moon when she saw the brand new matching sunflower tack set that her prize money had earned her. Now Euphegenia continues to live her dream of dominating at barrel racing competitions, and continues to keep her good luck charm close to her heart.


moodboard made by me using Canva

[Folmes]

Username: Folmes
Show Name: RK Luck of the Irish
Barn Name: Lorcan
Gender: Stallion
Height: 15.2 hh
Prompt: WIP!

[odi]

Username: odi
Show Name: ODI Botanic Rarity
Barn Name: Saffron
Gender: Stallion
Height: 14.0hh
Halter Color: keep
Prompt: saffron loves flowers. any memory of his where there were flowers around is a good one. they seemingly help him out in lots of ways. he loves nature in all its forms, and flowers bring birds and bugs from all around for saffron to watch, and when he races against the other horses, he always goes to the effort to add a few flowers to his mane and tail, as they seem to make him juuust quick enough to surpass all the others.

[Wolframite7SK]

Username: Wolframite7SK
Show Name: Luck Of The Draw
Barn Name: Paisley
Gender: Stallion
Height: 15h
Prompt:

Made by me using Pixlr. Images sourced from Unsplash & Pexels. Credit for rabbit zodiac chart | Credit for barnstar pic | Credit for acorns pic | Credit for jade good fortune pendant pic

[Baobabel]

Username:Baobabel
Show Name: Influencing the Universe
Barn Name: Aztai // Azzy
Gender: Stallion
Height: 14hh
Halter Color: Keep
Prompt:
Aztai is a happy-go-lucky horse and luck seems to follow him wherever he goes. It started upon his birth. It was difficult labor because the foal was in the incorrect position. Both foal and mare were at risk of passing while the vet still hadn’t arrived. It just so happened that the owner’s niece was visiting. She had just finished a semester at vet school being on call for equines and had helped the vets with a few of the more difficult births. They were able to keep the mare calm and get most of the foal's body out by the time the vet arrived. She said they were lucky both horses were going to make it. And this certainly wasn’t the only instance of luck in Aztai’s life. He always seems to find the juiciest and most tender grass. His water never has bugs or fallen hay in it. He's never lost a shoe or had a tangled mane.

But you see, luck doesn’t just happen to Azzy, it happens to everyone around him too. Aztai has never gotten sick and none of the horses who share a pasture with him have ever colicked. For years, his owner hosted game nights with friends but one night, shortly after Azzy’s birth, she hosted it in the barn for fun. It was a running joke that she rarely ever won. But that night in the barn, she won big! She has always hosted in the barn from that point on. If he watches a friend’s race, that friend almost always wins. Whoever cleans out his stall might just find an object they recently lost in the straw.

The barnyard learned something interesting about Azzy’s supposed powers of luck the day a new horse arrived. His owner would occasionally board horses and usually did a good job of vetting both people and animals but this was a last minute deal. Unfortunately, the visiting horse, Jay, was a nightmare. He tried to lunge and bite his owner during unloading, fought being lead anywhere, kicked over his water bucket as soon as it was placed in the stall multiple times, and kept his barn-mates up by kicking the stalls all night. The others, including Azzy, tried to console and comfort Jay, thinking he was homesick. Turns out, Jay felt fine, he just thought he was above some barn in the country. He thought he was going to some rich fancy expensive boarding facility outside the city. He mocked Az and worse, insulted Azzy’s friends. The second night of Jay’s stay, he awoke to his water bucket falling on him after mice chewed through the rope holding it up. Then he got a rock in his hoof that left a small bruise after being removed. Finally, when his owner came to pick Jay up, he excitedly explained he found a permanent boarding house for Jay…at a nice quaint country barn a few counties over.
(made in canva)

[arcadia.]

Username: coyote,
Show Name: close your eyes, clear your heart
Barn Name: remedy
Gender: mare
Height: 13hh
Halter Color: keepkeeepkeeeeeep
Prompt:

luck is finicky, especially with a trotter like Remedy. For starters, as her ‘luck’ would have it, she was too short to participate in the local western competitions. But, she still wears her western tack in hopes that she, a 6 year old mare, will grow another hand (or two!!) and finally get a chance to compete. Remedy has all sorts of encounters with luck, be it bad luck or good luck. for example, she is incredibly prone to getting stuck in fences. But she also is often able to find all sorts of things that no one else would think of looking for, such as the occasional pocket watch. She has lots of pocket watches. One time, she was prancing around her pen and ended up sticking her head through the fence, looking for dandelions. Another time she accidentally ran her head into the side of the barn and knocked herself out cold. Yes, she’s had a lot of bad luck, but also some good luck as well. For example, Remedy has been known to break out in the middle of the night, and end up on the highway at 11 pm. Wait, maybe not so much good luck……

board [c]
her favorite pocket watch [c]

[Bruja]

Username: Pandora!
Show Name: OHS Luck Be A Lady Tonight
Barn Name: Euphegenia
Gender: Mare
Height: 14.0hh
Prompt: Euphegenia is a mare that's maybe a little too obsessed with trying to control her own fate. As a young filly, she absolutely fell in love with barrel racing. Absolutely everything about it seems to draw her in an excite her even more: the roaring crowds, the flashing lights, the colorful matching tack sets, the powerful athletic horses, and most importantly the speed. She would spend hours and hours racing around the paddock as her mother lazily munched on fresh grass. Once Euphegenia was old enough to begin her training under saddle, she worked diligently to be the greatest barrel horse that ever lived. However, in the beginning, Euphegenia did not have the breakout barrel career she had dreamt of as a filly. She'd place well at local rodeos, often scoring third or second, but always just shy of the winning time.

Late last summer as the rodeo season was beginning to wind down, Euphegenia's rider had a new addition to her racing tack, a beautifully painted and detailed sunflower carved from leather with a ruby red ladybug on the petals. She tied it right onto the middle of Euphegenia's breast collar and smiled widely.

"For good luck," her rider had said to her kindly with a soft pat and a wink before hoisting herself up into the saddle. In a blink of an eye, they were down the tunnel and bursting into the area at full speed, heading towards the first barrel like cannonball. They were around the first barrel like a hurricane, turning on a dime and rocketing towards the second, and finally the third! Milliseconds felt like years out there in the arena, but Euphegenia felt as if she was flying. Every hoof-fall sent her sailing forwards effortlessly, her mane and tail streaming out behind her like streamers in the wind. She careened towards the stop line, hardly noticing the crowd beginning to rise to their feet, screaming, jumping, yelling, and all cheering... cheering for... her!

"And they're headed for the wire, an amazing run so far from this team, but can they do it?" The announcers voice seemed miles away, barely registering to Euphegenia as every cell in her body surged on ever faster, closing in on the finish.

"MY GOD THEY DID IT! A NEW ARENA RECORD, I REPEAT A NEW ARENA RECORD HAS BEEN SET HERE TODAY FOLKS!" The arena erupted in pandemonium, popcorn and cowboy hats flying into the air, buzzers went wild, the crowd was nearly deafening but all Euphegenia could hear was the sounds of the wind in her ears, pure bliss. She felt as if she could lift off the ground and gallop all the way up into the sunset smeared sky above her.

That race was the beginning of the end... the end of her second place barrel racing career that is! Since that fateful race, Euphegenia closely guarded her prized good luck sunflower, and was over the moon when she saw the brand new matching sunflower tack set that her prize money had earned her. Now Euphegenia continues to live her dream of dominating at barrel racing competitions, and continues to keep her good luck charm close to her heart.


moodboard made by me using Canva

A hard choice, but ultimately I fell in love with the moxie of this story! Thank you all for your participation (and patience D:)
HMs to Baobabel and heyheygirl101 <3