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Description

EXTRA #1 for Winter Blues 2021

Featuring:
Margret Bell , Noah Bell and Walentyn Lagow

Guests featured:

(art feature only) Winston Griffith belongs to NameOfAMoon

(art and story) Linda Carver belongs to ANIMALGIRL1869

(art and story) Renee Dube belongs to ANIMALGIRL1869

Thank you guys, for lending me your amazing characters

Full Event Line Up:

Rider: Margret Bell
Age: 28
Stable: Oakwood Creek Stable
Country: Austria

Rider: Noah Bell

Age: 53

Stable: Oakwood Creek Stable

Country: Austria

Horse: OWC Salzburger Nockerl
Age: 7
Class: Obertaurer Halter

Horse: OWC Fox’s Austria
Age: 11
Class: Obertaurer Halter

10:05 AM

It had been quite the journey to get to Quadrivium Stables. Thankfully, due to the Canadian Donstrupper Auction at Mercury Stables , they were already in Canada and had some time to recover from the Jetlag. Margret was glad that Walentyn was a lot more talkative after the auction. He seemed to be infatuated with his potential new showing partner, Milady, the Canadian Donstrupper Mare. He went on and on about her graceful trot and all the training he planned on doing with her. So much so that even Margret, who was always open to chatting about training plans, was a little bored.

The car radio was playing a very experimental Cover of a 90's Song as they passed the Sign that read Welcome to Quadrivium Stables. The last couple of miles went by quicker somehow. Walentyn let out a small „Woah“ as Margret turned the car towards the parking lot. That’s right, Wal wasn’t used to seeing these big trucks covered with stable logos and all these people running around carrying all kinds of tack and other equipment. Some groups had formed and Equestrians were excitedly greeting each other, some of them clutching a brightly colored thermo-can.
Margret managed to park the car without freaking out about hitting something or maneuvering herself into a pile of snow which was… an accomplishment she would have usually enjoyed, if she weren’t so ridiculously anxious currently.
Even if she was not going to actively compete in a class as a rider, this was still her first time being back on an official Equestrian Event, having a registration number and all. The incident from the last time she participated in a Show had been part of the reason why she quitted her career and moved over seas.
She fumbled with the car keys and anxiously looked around only to notice that Wal had already opened the trunk and took their luggage. She got out herself, instantly hit by a wall of fresh, icy air and proceeded to cover her eyes from the sunshine reflecting off of the snow.
 „Here“ Walentyn threw something in her direction.

Margret almost lost balance trying to catch the peculiar pair of lime-green sunglasses. They surely weren’t her style but whatever, she was here to have fun, not to impress anybody. Well not with her looks anyway. She did want to get the word out there about Oakwood Creek’s new training programs though. Wondering how she could approach that for approximately the thirty-fourth time since her departure for the event, she absentmindedly followed Walentyn across the parking lot over to the Guest and Staff House.
„Did you know this was previously a Bed and Breakfast?“ Walentyn explained, „the layout lends itself to a Guest House, I can’t wait to see the rooms. Oh and I just got a Text from Mr. Bell, he is waiting for us in the Lobby.“

Stepping into the Lobby, Margret was engulfed in a cozy warmth and the smell of freshly cut wood. The Room was buzzing with laughter and people were mumbling apologies in all kinds of languages while bumping into each other with their suit cases and travel bags.

„Hey, nice sunglasses“ she heard a familiar voice say. Her father gave her a quick hug before reaching over her shoulder to shake Wals’ Hand. „Nice to meet you Walentyn. I hope you had a good stay at Oakwood Creek so far.“
„Thanks Mr. Bell I -.“  

„Oh please call me Noah, no need for the formalities.“ He said, clapping his hands together.

„I already registered us. Here are your keys.“ He fished vintage looking golden keys out of his coat pocket. They had little white cards attached that read 34 and 39. "I got room 38, so we ware all on the same floor. Let’s get this stuff up there so I can show you two around.“

 Her father had traveled here a little earlier together with Fish and Mozartkugel while she had visited Mercury Stables for the Auction, so he had the chance to familiarize himself with his surroundings. She wondered how the two Obertaurer Stallions were keeping up. When she had gotten them from Fox Estate, their previous Owner had worked hard together with Margret to earn their trust as the Breed was known for a one person kind of attitude. Thankfully the Stallions seemed to prefer a female partner, so that helped with bonding. Margret was definitely confident in her bond with Fish. He is a very social, calm and caring Stallion to begin with and very eager to please too. Margret would trust him blindly at this point. But Fox was having a harder time with adjusting.
He has gotten accustomed to Margret being around is one way to put it. He doesn’t misbehave, but he is not particular interested in anything really. Margret knew there was something hiding behind his casual disinterest, but she would have to strengthen the bond between the two of them to find out. She was curious to see if her request for the both of them getting stalls next to each other had gotten through… Fox could use a familiar face right now.

16:00 PM

After checking on the horses, Noah had shown them around the property and they had already met a couple familiar faces from Margrets’ showing days. Uncomfortable was an understatement when describing these situations. Margret felt like she had lied over a hundred times telling their acquaintances some made up stories about having to take a big break in competing because of complicated injuries. Seeing the pity in their faces made her feel nauseous. She hated it, all of it. But she was equally passionate about not letting her past ruin her future, so she tried to ban the negative thoughts out of her mind, but that was much easier said than done.
Lying was not something she had considered an option in the past, no matter how desperate the situation might be, but that was before she got into this situation herself. And it was… difficult for her to act against her own principles.
Margret knew though, that she herself was responsible for being in this place at this time and she did not plan on backing out now.

At least she was not alone. Having Walentyn by her side and seeing his excitement for parts of the event that she herself had gotten numb to over the years was refreshing.

They had ended their big tour in her room and Margret had begun to fill her Dresser with sweaters and scarfs. Walentyn told her about a Bonfire Night gathering that was planned for the evening and she had no choice but to promise him that they would go there together.

„I’m going to take the Car and get some Marshmallows for us!“ He said, reaching to grab the keys from the dresser.

„Wal, they already have those there! Margret snorted.

"Wait, what? Are you serious?? Man they really thought of everything didn’t they? I have to phone Nikolai and Katinka to show them my fancy room. They will be so jealous that they didn’t come with us.“

He was out through the door before Margret could say something, leaving her with enough time to unpack and grab something to eat before attending the Bonfire Night.

20:30 PM

Fashionably late, Walentyn showed up at her door with Noah in tow.

The Trio made their way down the stairs and out through the lobby door. The commotion in the parking lots had died down and the starlit sky gave the Stable Ground a vintage postcard kind of look. Lanterns were giving off a warm glow and they could hear some faint laughter coming from a field to the east.
Heading into that direction, they soon reached a little clearing where multiple Bonfires were lighting up the faces of those huddled around them. The smell of burnt sugar and pinewood filled the area. Walentyn headed off to a small table filled with marshmallows and thermo cans.

„Should I grab us something warm to drink?“ Noah nudged Margrets arm.

„Sure, I’d love to get some hot Cider please.“ She headed off to find a spot near one of the bonfires. Feeling a lot more relaxed, she let out a deep breath and asked a young woman with blonde, long hair if she could join them by the fire.

„Oh hey, sure!“ The woman returned, her hair falling over her shoulder as she turned towards Margret, revealing colorful strands of blue, green, black and purple.

„I’m Renee, and this is Linda.“ She pointed to the friendly looking woman next to her that gave Margret a wide smile.

„Nice to meet you two, I’m Margret. Your hair looks amazing Renee!“  
„Hahah, thank you, so, are you here to compete in any classes?“ The blonde asked.

„Actually, only in the Obertaurer Halter Class. How about you two?“ Margret answered, rubbing her hands and holding them closer to the crackling fire.

„Oh, Linda is entering the Obertaurer Halter too! As well as the Canadian Donstrupper Halter. We have to show off our wonderful kids, you know?“ Renee grinned.

„My Boy Zoltan and me have been training hard for this. His conformation is very close to the Obertaurer ideal, so I am really hoping we can be successful and have fun of course!“ Linda added.

Linda’s excitement was radiant and infectious, so Margret couldn’t help but geek out about the Breed for a little.
She asked her about her experience in training Zoltan and explained her own situation with Salzburger Nockerl and Mozartkugel.

„You know, I am just concerned wether the bond between them and me will ever be as strong and special as they were with their first time Owners. I didn’t get them as a foal, so I am worried..“ Margret rambled.

„Oh honey, I am sure you will find your way with them. You put your heart in it, as I can tell, so with some time, the Stallions will surely bond with you. With Zoltan, I am sometimes surprised how sensitive he actually is towards my feelings. He can sometimes sense when I am upset or tense before I even realize it myself. I am sure your horses know more about you and your intentions than you think!“

Talking to Linda and Renee calmed Margret down quite a bit, as this was her first time talking to an Obertaurer Owner apart from the previous Owner of her boys. It also helped that the both of them were extremely kind and open to her. Margret had not expected to have such a good time on her first day of the Winter Blues Event, but here she was, possibly making friends!

After chit-chatting a bit more with her new friends and exchanging numbers, she noticed Walentyn and Noah off to the side at another Bonfire and excused herself to join them.

Walentyn seemed to be passionately discussing the do’s and don'ts of good playlists for long car rides with Noah, avidly trying to convince him that no-one can resist a good pure house mix. All the while not noticing that he was basically setting his marshmallow on fire.
„Hey, Wal, I think this marshmallow is very much done now.“

She said, pointing at the brown and blackish squishy mass that was barely hanging on to the stick.

Noah broke into laughter when he spotted it and Walentyn looked absolutely heartbroken by the waste of food. Laughing too hard, Margret tried to hold back the tears. Once she had calmed down, Noah, still clenching his stomach from laughter, passed her a Mug with warm Cider. The smell made her feel comfortable and fuzzy and she held it tight with both hands, enjoying the peaceful moment.

References:

Unsplash for various night sky and fireplace photography

This wonderful fire tutorial (seriously, check it out and give the artist a like, it's so helpful! )

I take my own pose reference pictures for the humans!

Font used: American Typewriter

Description

EXTRA #1 for Winter Blues 2021

Featuring:
Margret Bell , Noah Bell and Walentyn Lagow

Guests featured:

(art feature only) Winston Griffith belongs to NameOfAMoon

(art and story) Linda Carver belongs to ANIMALGIRL1869

(art and story) Renee Dube belongs to ANIMALGIRL1869

Thank you guys, for lending me your amazing characters

Full Event Line Up:

Rider: Margret Bell
Age: 28
Stable: Oakwood Creek Stable
Country: Austria

Rider: Noah Bell

Age: 53

Stable: Oakwood Creek Stable

Country: Austria

Horse: OWC Salzburger Nockerl
Age: 7
Class: Obertaurer Halter

Horse: OWC Fox’s Austria
Age: 11
Class: Obertaurer Halter

10:05 AM

It had been quite the journey to get to Quadrivium Stables. Thankfully, due to the Canadian Donstrupper Auction at Mercury Stables , they were already in Canada and had some time to recover from the Jetlag. Margret was glad that Walentyn was a lot more talkative after the auction. He seemed to be infatuated with his potential new showing partner, Milady, the Canadian Donstrupper Mare. He went on and on about her graceful trot and all the training he planned on doing with her. So much so that even Margret, who was always open to chatting about training plans, was a little bored.

The car radio was playing a very experimental Cover of a 90's Song as they passed the Sign that read Welcome to Quadrivium Stables. The last couple of miles went by quicker somehow. Walentyn let out a small „Woah“ as Margret turned the car towards the parking lot. That’s right, Wal wasn’t used to seeing these big trucks covered with stable logos and all these people running around carrying all kinds of tack and other equipment. Some groups had formed and Equestrians were excitedly greeting each other, some of them clutching a brightly colored thermo-can.
Margret managed to park the car without freaking out about hitting something or maneuvering herself into a pile of snow which was… an accomplishment she would have usually enjoyed, if she weren’t so ridiculously anxious currently.
Even if she was not going to actively compete in a class as a rider, this was still her first time being back on an official Equestrian Event, having a registration number and all. The incident from the last time she participated in a Show had been part of the reason why she quitted her career and moved over seas.
She fumbled with the car keys and anxiously looked around only to notice that Wal had already opened the trunk and took their luggage. She got out herself, instantly hit by a wall of fresh, icy air and proceeded to cover her eyes from the sunshine reflecting off of the snow.
 „Here“ Walentyn threw something in her direction.

Margret almost lost balance trying to catch the peculiar pair of lime-green sunglasses. They surely weren’t her style but whatever, she was here to have fun, not to impress anybody. Well not with her looks anyway. She did want to get the word out there about Oakwood Creek’s new training programs though. Wondering how she could approach that for approximately the thirty-fourth time since her departure for the event, she absentmindedly followed Walentyn across the parking lot over to the Guest and Staff House.
„Did you know this was previously a Bed and Breakfast?“ Walentyn explained, „the layout lends itself to a Guest House, I can’t wait to see the rooms. Oh and I just got a Text from Mr. Bell, he is waiting for us in the Lobby.“

Stepping into the Lobby, Margret was engulfed in a cozy warmth and the smell of freshly cut wood. The Room was buzzing with laughter and people were mumbling apologies in all kinds of languages while bumping into each other with their suit cases and travel bags.

„Hey, nice sunglasses“ she heard a familiar voice say. Her father gave her a quick hug before reaching over her shoulder to shake Wals’ Hand. „Nice to meet you Walentyn. I hope you had a good stay at Oakwood Creek so far.“
„Thanks Mr. Bell I -.“  

„Oh please call me Noah, no need for the formalities.“ He said, clapping his hands together.

„I already registered us. Here are your keys.“ He fished vintage looking golden keys out of his coat pocket. They had little white cards attached that read 34 and 39. "I got room 38, so we ware all on the same floor. Let’s get this stuff up there so I can show you two around.“

 Her father had traveled here a little earlier together with Fish and Mozartkugel while she had visited Mercury Stables for the Auction, so he had the chance to familiarize himself with his surroundings. She wondered how the two Obertaurer Stallions were keeping up. When she had gotten them from Fox Estate, their previous Owner had worked hard together with Margret to earn their trust as the Breed was known for a one person kind of attitude. Thankfully the Stallions seemed to prefer a female partner, so that helped with bonding. Margret was definitely confident in her bond with Fish. He is a very social, calm and caring Stallion to begin with and very eager to please too. Margret would trust him blindly at this point. But Fox was having a harder time with adjusting.
He has gotten accustomed to Margret being around is one way to put it. He doesn’t misbehave, but he is not particular interested in anything really. Margret knew there was something hiding behind his casual disinterest, but she would have to strengthen the bond between the two of them to find out. She was curious to see if her request for the both of them getting stalls next to each other had gotten through… Fox could use a familiar face right now.

16:00 PM

After checking on the horses, Noah had shown them around the property and they had already met a couple familiar faces from Margrets’ showing days. Uncomfortable was an understatement when describing these situations. Margret felt like she had lied over a hundred times telling their acquaintances some made up stories about having to take a big break in competing because of complicated injuries. Seeing the pity in their faces made her feel nauseous. She hated it, all of it. But she was equally passionate about not letting her past ruin her future, so she tried to ban the negative thoughts out of her mind, but that was much easier said than done.
Lying was not something she had considered an option in the past, no matter how desperate the situation might be, but that was before she got into this situation herself. And it was… difficult for her to act against her own principles.
Margret knew though, that she herself was responsible for being in this place at this time and she did not plan on backing out now.

At least she was not alone. Having Walentyn by her side and seeing his excitement for parts of the event that she herself had gotten numb to over the years was refreshing.

They had ended their big tour in her room and Margret had begun to fill her Dresser with sweaters and scarfs. Walentyn told her about a Bonfire Night gathering that was planned for the evening and she had no choice but to promise him that they would go there together.

„I’m going to take the Car and get some Marshmallows for us!“ He said, reaching to grab the keys from the dresser.

„Wal, they already have those there! Margret snorted.

"Wait, what? Are you serious?? Man they really thought of everything didn’t they? I have to phone Nikolai and Katinka to show them my fancy room. They will be so jealous that they didn’t come with us.“

He was out through the door before Margret could say something, leaving her with enough time to unpack and grab something to eat before attending the Bonfire Night.

20:30 PM

Fashionably late, Walentyn showed up at her door with Noah in tow.

The Trio made their way down the stairs and out through the lobby door. The commotion in the parking lots had died down and the starlit sky gave the Stable Ground a vintage postcard kind of look. Lanterns were giving off a warm glow and they could hear some faint laughter coming from a field to the east.
Heading into that direction, they soon reached a little clearing where multiple Bonfires were lighting up the faces of those huddled around them. The smell of burnt sugar and pinewood filled the area. Walentyn headed off to a small table filled with marshmallows and thermo cans.

„Should I grab us something warm to drink?“ Noah nudged Margrets arm.

„Sure, I’d love to get some hot Cider please.“ She headed off to find a spot near one of the bonfires. Feeling a lot more relaxed, she let out a deep breath and asked a young woman with blonde, long hair if she could join them by the fire.

„Oh hey, sure!“ The woman returned, her hair falling over her shoulder as she turned towards Margret, revealing colorful strands of blue, green, black and purple.

„I’m Renee, and this is Linda.“ She pointed to the friendly looking woman next to her that gave Margret a wide smile.

„Nice to meet you two, I’m Margret. Your hair looks amazing Renee!“  
„Hahah, thank you, so, are you here to compete in any classes?“ The blonde asked.

„Actually, only in the Obertaurer Halter Class. How about you two?“ Margret answered, rubbing her hands and holding them closer to the crackling fire.

„Oh, Linda is entering the Obertaurer Halter too! As well as the Canadian Donstrupper Halter. We have to show off our wonderful kids, you know?“ Renee grinned.

„My Boy Zoltan and me have been training hard for this. His conformation is very close to the Obertaurer ideal, so I am really hoping we can be successful and have fun of course!“ Linda added.

Linda’s excitement was radiant and infectious, so Margret couldn’t help but geek out about the Breed for a little.
She asked her about her experience in training Zoltan and explained her own situation with Salzburger Nockerl and Mozartkugel.

„You know, I am just concerned wether the bond between them and me will ever be as strong and special as they were with their first time Owners. I didn’t get them as a foal, so I am worried..“ Margret rambled.

„Oh honey, I am sure you will find your way with them. You put your heart in it, as I can tell, so with some time, the Stallions will surely bond with you. With Zoltan, I am sometimes surprised how sensitive he actually is towards my feelings. He can sometimes sense when I am upset or tense before I even realize it myself. I am sure your horses know more about you and your intentions than you think!“

Talking to Linda and Renee calmed Margret down quite a bit, as this was her first time talking to an Obertaurer Owner apart from the previous Owner of her boys. It also helped that the both of them were extremely kind and open to her. Margret had not expected to have such a good time on her first day of the Winter Blues Event, but here she was, possibly making friends!

After chit-chatting a bit more with her new friends and exchanging numbers, she noticed Walentyn and Noah off to the side at another Bonfire and excused herself to join them.

Walentyn seemed to be passionately discussing the do’s and don'ts of good playlists for long car rides with Noah, avidly trying to convince him that no-one can resist a good pure house mix. All the while not noticing that he was basically setting his marshmallow on fire.
„Hey, Wal, I think this marshmallow is very much done now.“

She said, pointing at the brown and blackish squishy mass that was barely hanging on to the stick.

Noah broke into laughter when he spotted it and Walentyn looked absolutely heartbroken by the waste of food. Laughing too hard, Margret tried to hold back the tears. Once she had calmed down, Noah, still clenching his stomach from laughter, passed her a Mug with warm Cider. The smell made her feel comfortable and fuzzy and she held it tight with both hands, enjoying the peaceful moment.

References:

Unsplash for various night sky and fireplace photography

This wonderful fire tutorial (seriously, check it out and give the artist a like, it's so helpful! )

I take my own pose reference pictures for the humans!

Font used: American Typewriter