Name: Julian Sears

Nickname/Barn Name: Julian/Jules

Age: 23

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Bi (I would say internally homophobic, except it's less specific to his bisexual identity and just a. generalised dislike for himself that makes any type of relationship tricky)

Pronouns: He/him

Team Affiliation: SL

Team Role: Senior Rider

Riding Experience Level: Advanced/Upper-level

Primary Discipline(s): Showjumping

Secondary Discipline(s): Eventing, on occasion

Reputation at Silverwood: Generally well-liked, if also seen as a slight wild card due to his semi-regular party spirals. Regardless of how he spends his free time, though, he is hardworking to a fault, which even his rivals have to respect.

Thoughts on Opposing Team: Julian is deeply competitive, but will not show it in how he interacts with others. He's as warm and charming as they come, but isn't above resorting to underhanded mind games when it comes down to it.

Appearance: Julian cuts a striking figure, something he simultaneously leans into and denies. Everything about him conveys an open, natural character, almost inherently worthy of trust. Courtesy of his Greek mother, he has olive skin and deep brown, vaguely wavy hair, though this is rarely grown long enough to show off any curls. His deep brown eyes are fenced in by a rather sturdy jawline and a strong straight nose. It doesn't take long for stubble to collect, but generally this is a sign that Julian is not his usual self - he shaves regularly to avoid anything more that a dusting below his nose.

In style, Julian has three distinct personalities: riding Jules, professional Jules, and frat boy Jules. The first two tend to blur into one another, sporting classy neutrals with a distinct air of old money. He takes pride in dressing well - knitwear and cotton are a regular feature - and can be slightly blind to the privilege he has. Frat boy Jules, however, is a different beast: this is saved exclusively for late nights out with the team or otherwise, never seen anywhere where sponsors could catch a whiff of it. This is where you'll find colourful floral shirts left mostly unbuttoned, shorts, and an array of jewelry he would never otherwise display. The one constant, though, is a thin chain he wears regardless of the situation.

Personality: Julian is an interesting character, to say the least. An Enneagram Three, he tends to chameleon into whatever best fits those around him. On the surface, he's charming, charismatic - the type of guy everyone wants to be friends with. He is very image-focused in every regard: professional and skilled to sponsors or anyone in power, a carelessly hot fuckboy to many of his fellow riders, or the tersely shut-down version he presents to his father. The odds are that whoever he comes across as is a lie. This isn't to say he's manipulative - his intentions aren't to hurt, nor are his various forms wholly false. Julian's greatest need is to be in control, and for him, that takes many forms: pushing to be a few kilograms leaner at the gym, morphing into something new with every interaction, or even in how he evades any serious relationship. His second greatest need is to be needed, and arguably, this falls under the first one as well. Relationships often become an escape, where he can feel like he's doing something where others can benefit, and where the discomfort or lack of genuine desire from himself only serves as another form of self-punishment. Jules is the epitome of rich boy problems: vaguely body dysmorphic, sex idol who despises sex, and a desire for anything that allows him to escape. Who cares if he lands up in rehab by 30 if he wins Olympic gold?

Strengths & Weaknesses:

Hardworking to a fault. He's willing to go to any length to be successful, for better or worse. His yes is his yes - if he agreed to do something, you can bet your life that he will rock up, even if slightly hungover and barely functional. In general, he's enjoyable to be around, and can ease tension with his easygoing mask.

His high-functioning issues are a strength in how he continues despite them, but certainly a weakness in how he ignores them until they inevitably implode. He's reliable, hardworking, and charming about 90% of the time, but that other 10% is a ticking bomb. In his words, though: at least he's a happy drunk.

Events/Championships They're Working Towards: Spring Combined Test, Mid-Season Assessment Week, Silverwood Inter-Team Championship

Preferred Training Style: Independent for the most part, but appreciates semi-regular instruction

Backstory/Riding History: Julian grew up in a wealthy new-money household, right on the outskirts of equestrian royalty. He was pushed into riding from a young age but took to it with a flourish. His father, in an effort to establish himself as part of the modern-day quote-unquote 'aristocracy', invested quickly into a nearby stud farm, where Julian would spend most of his time. His work ethic is mostly owed to his German trainer who drilled him classically before touching a pole, while his charm comes from years of gala events with the upper echelon of the German equestrian community. Joining Silverwood was partly motivated by the incredible opportunities it would present, and partly motivated by a burning desire to move away from his father's grasp, literally and figuratively.

Affiliations:

Julian is very much a no-strings-attached guy, for a plethora of reasons. For that reason, he is as unattached as they come, both in the crush and s/o area.

(PM me if you want to scheme something up! I wouldn't be opposed to a) slowburn friends to lovers or b) it starts out as nothing with someone as equally detached but craving more, but both fall harder than they'd like or c) whatever you come up with)

Other Information:

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Horse Application Form

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Registered Name/Show Name: Callaho Admiral

Barn Name: Mira

Age: 8

Gender: Mare

Breed/Type: Hanoverian

Assigned Barn & Stall Number: Barn 2 Stall 1

Experience Level: Comfortably schooling in the 1.20s, but is still quite green when it comes to technical courses and competition mileage.

Primary Discipline(s): Showjumping

Secondary Disciplines: Eventing

Appearance: Mira is a stately dark bay, standing around 16.3hh. She sports a wide blaze that widens to cover her nostrils, much to Julian's chagrin every time summer rolls around. With three white socks and an open, curious expression, she looks every bit as enthusiastic and green as she is. After hogging her mane not too long ago as an attempt to reset the lack of growth, it's still too short for Julian's liking, but at least it now hangs as straight as her neatly groomed tail.

Personality/Temperament: Mira has a heart the size of an ocean and the temper to match it. Few horses will try as hard as her to figure out what you need, but she requires an equally sensitive and responsive rider to avoid explosions in the ring. Hot-headed in the saddle but a lady on the ground, she expects her rider to do their job perfectly for her to reciprocate.

Strengths & Challenges:

Mira is as fearless as they come, and will jump from virtually any stride. Onlookers watch this and assume she's a point-and-shoot ride, until they watch her demolish a combination by cutting out a stride. To jump from any stride often means that she will ignore the comfortable line, or any adjustments from her rider. She's bold and scopey, as many younger sport horses tend to come, but needs a lot of help in balancing and holding herself together. She has a tendency to run through the bit once she gets annoyed, especially if the rider is too harsh on her mouth, which can prove disastrous in the showjumping arena. Originally bred as an eventer, Julian hasn't completely ruled out that option, but for now, her headstrong jumping is better suited to collapsable jumps.

Health Notes/Maintenance Needs: n/a

Turnout Type: Group, though she can sometimes instigate drama - best suited with a calm companion who won't respond to her teasing.

Relationship With Rider: If she could crawl inside of Jule's skin, she would. Very close, although not without their hijinks in the saddle. Hailing from the stud farm he is affiliated with, Julian has been involved with Mira's schooling since practically day one. Though he has the ride for now, she's owned by a syndicate, adding a subtle pressure to Jule's need to succeed.

Other Affiliations: n/a for now

Other Information: n/a for now

Henry Beaumont

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Full Name: Henry James Beaumont
Nickname/Barn Name: Henry
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Heterosexual, closeted bisexual [Henry struggles internally with his sexuality]
Pronouns: He/Him

Team Affiliation: Crimson Spurs
Team Role: Senior Rider

Riding Experience Level: Upper-Level (BE Advanced/FEI 4*)
Primary Discipline: Eventing
Secondary Discipline: Showjumping. Was previously cross country, until Henry and Fig’s accident two seasons ago.

Reputation at Silverwood:

Henry is, on first impressions, often considered blunt. Typical English wit [read: deadpan sarcasm], he learned, does not always translate well across the pond. In his capacity as an occasional trainer (being a senior rider), he isn't for the faint of heart, but he can always recognise a willingness to learn. Whilst he's not intentionally hard on his peers, his lack of sugarcoating can make him hard to like — despite his best intentions.

Thoughts on Opposing Team:

When asked, Henry never fails to roll his eyes over the manufactured rivalry between the two teams. His main argument is that the competition can serve as a distraction — your motivation to be better should be yourself. He'll play along for the inter-team competitions, but is civil with the Silver Lances outside of the ring, unless given reason not to be.

Appearance:

Standing at 6'1, Henry's frame borders on the lanky side of athletic. When he's not in the saddle, he can often be found in the gym, maintaining that if his horse is expected to be an athlete, then he needs to put the work in too. Fair skinned (he blames the miserable English weather he experienced for the first 20-odd years of his life), his hair is an ashy brunette matching his cool-toned features. Henry's features are sharp and angular, with high cheekbones and a straight nose. His eyes are a flat grey-blue, often seen narrowed into a discerning squint while striding out a course or remembering the next movement in his test. Clean-shaven jaw, though he likely wouldn't grow much by way of facial hair anyway, Henry can't stand the feeling of stubble and meticulously shaves each morning.

Henry's wardrobe is, in a word, plain. Muted shades of grey, tan and navy dominate the hangers, with the occasional begrudging splash of red (it wouldn't be his first choice, but team colours are team colours, after all). Despite his usual avoidance of brand logos, his clothing is unmistakably expensive — tailored breeches, crisp show shirts and sweaters that definitely weren't designed to be worn around horses. When he's not riding, his outfits are stereotypically English, often sporting rugby shorts and a school alumni sweater on the way to the gym. He keeps a sharp black tuxedo in his wardrobe, carefully hung in a suit bag, waiting for his mother to click her fingers and summon him to another of her events.

For inter-team events, he'll wear dark crimson XC silks, but his individual competition attire is usually very understated — a navy show jacket, or a white baselayer with sponsors' names down the sleeves for cross country.

Personality:

In the saddle, Henry's a true professional — focused, driven, and always looking for ways to improve on his last performance. A perfectionist, for better or worse, he can obsess over the most minute of details (if he's learning a dressage test, give the man a wide berth), and can occasionally need reminding to look at the bigger picture. His life has revolved around the sport for longer than he cares to remember, and he can often find it hard to 'switch off', even in the off-season. Henry is pleasant enough to everyone he meets, but can find it hard to truly make friends when so much of his time is dedicated to his horses and the sport. He can have a sharp tongue if caught on a bad day, though this can often be put down to stress more so than any ill-intent.

Preferring to keep to himself, Henry stays out of the throes of the rivalry between his team and their competitors where possible. While he wouldn't consider himself an introvert, he's certainly not a party animal — owing in part to his strict upbringing. As the heir to his family estate, the Beaumont's only son, he feels an enormous amount of pressure to be everything everyone wants, all at once. A professional eventer, an English arisocrat, the perfect son. With the weight of his family and his sponsors' expectations on his shoulders, it's no wonder Henry has compartmentalised and pushed away any of... those feelings for as long as he can remember.

His excuse for not dating is, infallibly, his sport. He 'just doesn't have time', arguing that his responsibilities to his sponsors (let alone his parents) don't allow for a restructuring of his priorities. In Henry's rationale, if he doesn't date anyone, then he doesn't have to face the questions he's repressed for so long.

Strengths & Weaknesses:

Perfectionism, Henry would argue, is objectively a strength. He is acutely aware of every mistake he makes, and committed to not making it again. While this level of scrutiny towards his pursuits does pay off in the form of ever-improving dressage test marks (his least favourite discipline), it can give him 'tunnel vision' when it comes to assessing his weaker points.

Regarding weaknesses, Henry has always been fairly self-assured, as picky as he might be about his own performances. He's worked hard, even if the family estate did pay for well-bred horses and the best tuition. The pinnacle of his career so far, the 4*L at Bramham, ended in disaster when Figaro, his established eventer, went rotational at a hanging log half-way around the course. The pair were retired, limping home to lick their respective wounds. Lucky to walk away with only soft tissue injuries (and a bruised ego), Henry then spent the following 18 months rehabbing both himself and Figaro back to fitness. Whilst they are back progressing up the levels, Henry can find himself getting in his head about gappy fences, and he can often be seen wincing and rolling his neck to release some of that lingering stiffness that still troubles him. He attends regular physiotherapy, but if you catch him when he thinks no one's looking, his limp is more pronounced than he'd like to let on.

Out of the saddle, his blunt, to-the-point nature can often read as rudeness. Communication can be a weak point of Henry's, with his lack of tact sometimes landing him in more trouble than he was in in the first place.

Events/Championships They're Working Towards:

Figaro: First Selection Trial & Silverwood May Classic

Vivaldi: Silverwood Spring Opener & Inter-Team Schooling Championship

Preferred Training Style: With Figaro, Henry mostly rides independently, however he will make use of a fresh set of eyes on the flat every so often. He makes more use of lesson time with Vivaldi, getting the younger stallion more used to schooling around other horses and benefitting from different training styles.

Backstory/Riding History:

Henry grew up on his family's estate in Hampshire, well aware of the silver spoon firmly in his mouth from birth. His mother, Elizabeth, evented to national level, but gave up her competitive career when she fell pregnant with him. They always had horses at home, from Henry's first Pony Club leadrein pony to the string of 14.2 powerhouses he campaigned as a young teenager.

From ages 11-18, Henry attended a boarding school at the other end of the country, designed more as a networking venture for the parents than an educational facility. There, with a handful of his competition ponies, he campaigned up to national and European championships. Whilst his peers moved onto larger horses sooner, Elizabeth insisted that they should maximise Henry's time on ponies for the best return investment when they were sold on. Figaro is the first horse Henry has been able to keep for more than a season or two, at least in part due to his decision to take him and Valdi abroad to Silverwood

His mother now breeds event horses, viewing the equines at the property much like the artwork that lines the walls: financial investments. Valdi was one such purchase, but when yet another groom threatened to quit if she had to handle the boisterous young stallion, Henry's mother relented and agreed Valdi needed more than his life as a stud horse.

Affiliations: TBD

Other Information:

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Figaro van het Hof (VHH)

Barn Name: Figaro | Fig
Age: 16
Gender: Gelding
Breed/Type: KWPN
Assigned Barn & Stall Number: Barn 1, Stall #2

Experience Level: Extensive eventing CV, having competed up to 4*L with Henry.
Primary Discipline: Eventing
Secondary Disciplines: Showjumping - his damline consists of a good pedigree of showjumpers, so Henry often campaigned him as a pure showjumper in the winter season.

Appearance: Figaro is a tall dark bay gelding, standing at 17hh on the dot. With one white sock on his left hind, the rest of him is a deep, dappled mahogany. His mane and tail are kept neat, pulled short for plaiting up during the season. He’s lean and well muscled, though his withers are becoming a touch more prominent with age.

Personality/Temperament: Fig is a total gentleman, a schoolmaster through and through. Purchased from Europe as an 10 year old, he has been Henry’s mount for the last 5 years, giving him the extra horsepower he needed to progress to 4* level. While he isn’t a push button ride (what high-level competition horse is?), he’s forgiving even when his rider gets the wrong shot to a fence, and truly enjoys his job.

Strengths & Challenges:

Fig thrives out cross-country, his long stride eating up even the most challenging of courses. He’s a bold jumper, and as such can get a little heavy in the hand on the course. Dressage is his least favourite of the disciplines, finding work in the school uninteresting, which is unsurprising given his early education on the continent. Henry chooses to work Fig out on the conditioning tracks or school on the grass of the cross country course when available in an attempt to keep the gelding from going school sour. For the newer or less experienced riders, Fig is an excellent schoolmaster, and Henry would be happy to hand the reins over for the right person to get a feel for the higher level movements or larger courses.

Health Notes/Maintenance Needs: Rehabbed from a SDFT injury two seasons ago. Figaro has an extensive leg maintenance routine, particularly after jumping or fitness work, and Henry will often choose not to run him on hard ground

Turnout Type: Happy to be turned out alone or in a group, often used as a level-headed companion to the younger horses.

Relationship With Rider: Henry and Fig are a well-established combination, deeply in-tune with each other.

Other Affiliations: TBD

Other Information:

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Vivaldi TSF

Barn Name: Vivaldi | Valdi

Age: 6

Gender: Stallion

Breed/Type: Trakehner

Assigned Barn & Stall Number: Barn 1, Stall #6

Experience Level: Valdi has a handful of BE90 and 100 runs under his belt, but avoided the age classes (much to Henry’s parents’ disappointment) to focus on his career longevity.

Primary Discipline: Eventing

Secondary Disciplines: Dressage (for now, age-related)

Appearance: Valdi is a dark, steely grey, beginning to fade to white around his face as he greys out. Tall for a Trakehner, he stands at 17.1hh, lighter in bone than Figaro. His crest is pronounced, given his status as a stallion.

Personality/Temperament: Much sharper than Henry’s other ride, Valdi is a typical young, highly-bred stallion. He’s a more complex ride, but the raw talent the stallion possesses makes him worth the effort. Vivaldi can be cold-backed to ride, particularly in the colder weather, but he settles well if his brain is kept engaged. On the ground, he can be a handful, usually led in a stud chain.

Strengths & Challenges: A product of years of careful breeding, Valdi’s paces and natural jump are exceptional, awarding him his status as a graded stallion with the Trakehner studbook. He excels on the flat, particularly given the time Henry has spent focusing on dressage with him. Despite his innate ability, he’s not a bold jumper, taking his confidence from his rider to perform.

Health Notes/Maintenance Needs: No specific maintenance requirements, but he receives preventative leg care after hard work as standard, and receives regular physio as a growing young horse.

Turnout Type: Individual

Relationship With Rider: As a newer partnership, having only been together for around 18 months, the pair are still learning where each other’s buttons are. Henry makes a point to spend time on the ground with Valdi as much as possible, conscious that his partnership with Fig is as good as it is because of their relationship out of the ring.

Other Affiliations: TBD

Other Information: N/A

Camille drove like her father: hands at two and ten on the wheel, and gaze straight ahead on the open road. Except, that is, for the talking. Jaques Vincent barely tolerated noise as he drove, let alone created it himself. While this was usually yet another way that Camille resembled him, this time, she hadn’t even let her road rage distract her from the tirade she’d embarked upon, save for a momentary pause to mutter French expletives at someone who pulled out in front of them.

Julian cursed the stars that had led to such a switch-up. (He wondered, vaguely, how she’d react if he asked her to shut up, and then decided that whatever her response was, it certainly wouldn’t help his pounding headache.)

“Look, okay,” he started, sitting upright, “I’m sorry for making you late. I overslept, which makes me the Antichrist, apparently, but can we just drop this?”

“You know,” she said, biting every word before spitting them out with a vaguely disgusted cool, “I’m only saying this because I care about you.”
Julian stayed motionless, gaze back on the horizon as he leaned against the window. Whatever Camille was about to say, he thought, was probably something she’d said before. For better or worse, she was his guard dog, and right now, it felt considerably worse. She’d been on the same rant since he stumbled into her car half an hour late, bag in one hand, two coffees in the other, and the evidence of the night before still marking his face. An unimpressed Camille was something best avoided, and Julian had been sitting in a car with her for the previous thirty-five minutes as she explained all the ways that his idea of fun reflected poorly on his character.

God forbid a man let loose every once in a while.

He glanced at her hands, tense around the steering wheel, and then returned to the rolling hills in the distance. Maybe if he closed his eyes, she’d stop. He tried it out; she kept going for a few moments, and then stopped sharply. “Are you even listening to me?” to which he opened his eyes, straightened a little, and shrugged. “You tell me.”

She rolled her eyes, and Julian almost wanted to make a snarky comment about keeping her eyes on the road instead. “Okay, wow. I know you’re fucked up right now, but you need to get your shit together because I am done holding it for you. The whole Sophie thing sucked, whatever, but she’s on the opposite side of the world now so you need to move the fuck on-”

He bristled. “I couldn’t care less about Sophie.”

“Then what is it, Julian?” She swivelled in her seat. Though now he could genuinely tell her to look at the road, something about the steel in her gaze stilled him.“You’ve spent half the summer fucking and the other half fucking off to who knows where, so forgive me if I think you’re a little heartbroken. Arriving at Silverwood hungover? That’s low, Sears, even for you.”

If she wanted a fight, he would give her one, but preferably when his head didn’t pound in time with the potholes in the road. He settled into a stone-faced expression. “Can you just - the turn-off’s there, yeah, the one you almost missed - can you just drop me off? I’ll call my father if I want a lecture, thanks.”

She laughed, a short, ugly thing, easing off the gas as they turned onto a gravel road. “Right, something else to unpack. When’s the last time Sears Senior actually heard from you? Last I heard you were still hiding from him.”

(The unfortunate thing about telling Camille absolutely anything is that she knew exactly where to dig her claws in and twist.) He steeled his jaw, counted to five, and tried not to choke on her words and spit them right back in her face. “Fuck you.”

The silence stretched between them, right up until she pulled into the parking area. Only a few other cars dotted the gravel - vaguely, Jules remembered an email describing private parking for the residents, but had skimmed over anything not directly relevant to him. Wordlessly, he climbed out.

Camille dropped the window. “I just don’t want you ruining this for yourself, yeah? Lock the fuck in, Sears.”

He dismissed her with a nod. “Yeah, whatever, I’ll see you. Drive safe.”

That cocksure grin might’ve been a bit weaker around the edges, but no one would know him well enough to notice. As soon as Camille’s car disappeared down the road, he straightened, chin up and shoulders carefully, carelessly back. He shrugged his backpack onto his shoulder. He wasn’t a light traveler by rule, but this time, he could easily condense his life into a single bag. Besides, most of his belongings and tack had been shipped down with the horses, and the rest required a trip to the family home to fetch it, which he was decidedly not doing.

The ripe old age of twenty-three, and he was closer to home than he’d been since he was sixteen. (He dismissed the thought almost immediately, shaking his head slightly.)

Back to business, then. The official move-in deadline was only at the end of the week, but already he could see a trickle of activity: a woman struggling to unload her gray to his left, and tell-tale movements from the main house as he drew nearer. If he could find that damned email, he’d know what room to put his stuff in - but for now, his phone refused to work, so he settled for dropping it at the stairwell. Some other newcomers must have had the same idea, creating a small pile of luggage, so he couldn’t feel too bad.

The hallway was mostly empty, save for a man hunched on a folding camping chair towards the door. He couldn’t have been more than twenty - working student-cum-receptionist, Jules guessed, with the laptop perched on his legs and how thoroughly bored he looked. Julian flashed him an easy grin, ignoring the way his skin felt too tight for his skull. “Julian Sears. I’ll-” he gestured to the bag he’d just unceremoniously dumped “-be back."

Nothing an Advil or two can’t fix, he decided, knocking back the pill he’d been fiddling with in his pocket ever since Cam fetched him. (Taking a painkiller in front of her would have been akin to admitting defeat, something which he was wholly unaccustomed to.) Between that and the horses, he’d be just fine.