#great equestrian communities

[hancyan]

World Downloads(Added information about rabbithole rug).

Hi everyone!　First of all, I must apologize. Regarding my previous post about "Victorian Sunset Valley", I deleted it because there was a problem with the save file. There is no problem with the empty world.

I'm really sorry to all the simmers who downloaded, liked, reblogged and commented.

It seems that the problem can be solved by separating the save files, so I decided to share it again. There are no changes to the empty world, so if you have it, please try again.

❖Empty World There are just a Public Lots, a Farm District, and Goth Manor.The two hilltop mansions don't exist yet. This is Sunset Valley long before Mortimer Goth was born.If there is a historic town you have in mind, you are free to build it here.

※An empty world requires the store item "Artemis Temple Frieze (Muse Luxury)".

❖Save files You can enjoy the Victorian era right away, but there are no film careers, universities, or diving spots. There are a few empty plots, so feel free to add them.

This time, I did not build any houses. I only built some public lots, but I changed the color of the buildings I shared before and placed them. The Equestrian Center of EA is very conspicuous, so I built a small racetrack. There is a fire station of EA next to it, but it does not blend in with the scenery very well, so I am thinking of rebuilding it someday.

The address of @ri-el's Sherlock Holmes residence is 221B Baker Street. I wanted to place this residence on the main street, so I set the lot size specifically. Then I placed the lot built by @nornities to match the cafe next door and the stairs leading to the harbor across the road. The harbor is a bit of a tourist area, with trade ships, sightseeing ships, and passenger ships arriving and departing. Some Sims may come to see the steamships, so I prioritized placing it here. There are also lots of great builds by other creators included. Thank you.

Every house has some sort of vehicle (either a horse-drawn carriage or a historic bicycle), and the sight of so many carriages going around town is truly impressive!

It looks heavy, but if you can play the EA Store worlds then I don't think it will be an issue.

Basically, it is a town for enjoying historical play such as the Victorian or Edwardian, but I think it can also be enjoyed in normal play.

The decoration is minimal, so feel free to edit it however you like and have fun.

Residential 38　Community 40　Empty ８

Please download the carriage from below.

@barnacleboots

Two-Horse Carriage conversion

The new carriage is here too.(I'll advertise it)

@danjaley

Schoolbus Default and Driveable Wagon

Car Default Replacements

❖World (It remains "Sunset Valley Empty" because it has not been renamed.)

❖Save files

❖CC (Please be sure to download the "patterns" in the folder via the launcher.)

❖Store Content (You probably already have many of these. Use only what you don't have.) ⚠ If the store items you own are not reflected, try this.

※Sorry. To ensure a reliable download, they are separated.

Required

Every hilltop amusement park needs a boardwalk rollercoaster.

All EPs except ITF

Requires Sunlit Tides, Monte Vista, Midnight Hollow, Aurora Skies,Dragon Valley, and Roaring Heights.

You need a rabbithole rug.(Bookstore, Theater, Spa, Diner，Business ,Chemistry)If you don't have the same one, replace it with what you have.

Thanks

Thank you for your kind words and advice, and for downloading and playing the town.@samkat10423

Long test play@ayaka-nonno

@nornities was kind enough to answer my beginner's questions.

And, even though you're busy, @yorithesims checked the final folder.

@blamseastore for converting and providing us with store content

CC Credit notation

Mutske, Around the Sims3, LunaSimsLulamai, mammut, armiel, Lisen801, LilyOfTheValley, MARTA'S SIMSBOOK, omedapixel, Cyclonesue, Awesims, Mspoodle, douglasveiga Thank you for the wonderful CC.

And especially a huge thanks to Sookielee at Custom Sims 3 for making the Sunset Valley CAW files available.

Anyway, some simmers, including @enjoji101, were concerned and encouraged me. And they asked me to share this town. I originally created this world for myself, but if there is even one simmer who is interested in this town and wants to play, I would be very honored and grateful. And I would like to make that wish come true. Thank you very much. I love you all.

※If you have any questions, please send me a message. (I would appreciate it if you could speak simple English. )

Have a smashing time! 

@pis3update @sssvitlanz @kpccfinds

[heavenlymorals]

I don't think we appreciate as a community just how TALENTED the VDL gang members are.

Dutch is a phenomenal gunman, a talented equestrian, a wonderful writer, and actually super impressive with just his charisma in general.

Arthur is a phenomenal gunman, an amazing equestrian, an impressive artist, a great fighter, a phenomenal survivalist- he is just so cool.

John is a phenomenal gunman, an amazing equestrian, an impressive survivalist, and also a great fighter. He's also one hell of a handyman considering we can often see him fixing wagons and the fact that he built a whole ass house with just two other people??? Ate.

Javier is a pretty decent gunman, a great equestrian, a very talented singer, and a very talented guitar player. He's awesome.

There are others as well, but they are actually all so impressive as people.

[annsims3]

Hartell - Download

This former farmland was once owned by the great Hartell family -- and is now dominated by Deveraux, the new horse breeder in town.

A Colonial/Greek revival styled world, based around a large equestrian centre and horse related community lots.

You can find more pics here or watch a video overview here.

Medium sized - 10 residential lots - 22 community lots. CC Free Only requires Pets expansion CAW files included

[skybrushus]

It's been awhile since I've posted any artwork connected to my anthro MLP Sword and Sorcery dreamscape.  So let's do something about this. 

       Al-Conikkrall's war on Equestria has been a traumatic experience for both individuals and their communities.  The great lich/necromancer's attacks have disrupted Equestrian society at all levels. Many a ponies dreams and futures have been crushed under the hooves of the lich's undead armies. Link

       Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were visiting Neighpoles when the war broke out. Unable to return to Ponyville the two mares found themselves struggling to survive in a city that is on the front lines of the war. As a result the the mares have developed several creative ways to survive. Some have been legit. Others have been less so. 

       Using her appearance and the social skills that her older sister taught her. Link  Sweetie Belle has become something of femme-fatale/assassin. Using a wide rank of skills to allure, seduce, and manipulate targets; her and Scootaloo have waged own private war against those who would profit from aiding the enemy. I hope you like what you see. Please help make more art like this possible by supporting me at Patreon

[st-just]

do you have any suggestions for people that do enjoy the "knight" aesthetic/the inaccurate concepts we modernly accept as Knightly (protection, service to others, loyalty, even the aspect of subservience for those who like to explore it via this type of fantasy, etc) but do want to distance their fiction from this whole fallacy? like what's a good substitute/way to handle it so that its more of what people actually have fun representing, without all the baggage/inaccuracies/ties to real history?

I mean tbh the issue is that any groups that were really dedicated to being defenders of the people against oppression or similar are a) incredibly less likely to have all the fancy panoply and pageantry and heraldry which is like half the fun (it's a great aesthetic! Also funded by brutal exploitation of the peasantry occasionally spiced up with wholesale looting and/or pogroms. Plate armor and destriers ain't cheap), and b) probably much less institutional and formalized and closer to ad hoc community self defense/rebellion(/vigilante justice) than a elevated militant fraternity.

Honestly I love complaining and nitpicking but it's not like the whole chivalric fantasy is, like, a problem - equestrian military aristocracies are largely a solved problem these days, and it's not like the modern archtype really has more than an aesthetic relationship to historical knights anyway. You can come up with your own proper nouns and just invent your own terms for a group that leans into all those traits and loose all the baggage pretty easy - it's just the baggage (aesthetic, sense of legacy, whatever) is a part of the appeal anyway, right?

Just, y'know, please don't pretend it has anything to do with knights as they actually existed or try to use them as references for history/realism.

[insipid-drivel]

Read the horse fact post, with all the things that isn't actually true of horses and stuff and.

Yeah the weight limit is a time.

The most horse riding i have done is Sit on the back of a horse in kindergarten while an adult lead the horse around in a big circle pretty much.

However, my older sister used to do horseback riding, and spesifically like that one fancy sport where you have then jump over things and stuff.

But, she isn't that healthy, i Will be fully honest, she is overweight. And she had to stop because she became too heavy. Which sucks! Because i Know she loves horses and would love to do it again.

Unfortunately, a lot of equestrian sports can be limiting to heavier people depending upon what the sport in question is. It's pretty unusual to see anyone over about 200lbs doing impact-heavy sports on horseback (such as jumping fences) without a horse that's appropriately sized and trained to deal not only with the regular weight of their rider + tack, but also the shocks of jumping/jolting around with ANY kind of heavy weight directly over their spines. Even in professional horse racing (like the Kentucky Derby), the riders of the racehorses (jockeys) are specifically hired based upon how small and lightweight they are, which has negatively impacted how we see horseback riding + big people today in a serious way. Jockeys only need to be small and lightweight for racing because being smaller means the horse has less extra weight to carry while trying to outpace other horses, and since it's professional racing most of us get any knowledge of horse-related stuff from, it's very easy to fall into the trap of self-gatekeeping if you're not a tiny little jockey-sized person when you shouldn't feel that way!

It SUCKS telling someone they're too heavy to Do A Thing or, in some cases (especially if you're in spaces with very limited sizes of horses), too heavy to ride at all, but I would still recommend you and/or your sister look around for teaching ranches with horses or alternative riding techniques for accommodating larger bodies in a way that won't put the horse or rider in danger. Your sister should not have to go on an extreme diet to lose weight in order to have a great time with horses. That is a myth perpetuated by the racing industry.

If your sister and/or yourself would like to try to explore equestrianism in a much more weight-friendly setting, try looking into Carriage Racing. It looks like this:

Carriage racing is an awesome way for people who, due to mobility issues, weight restrictions, or outright disability, want to work with horses, ride, and even compete with a more accommodating setup to traditional saddle-and-bridle riding. It's a throwback to Roman and Egyptian chariot warfare, racing, and sportsmanship, and is still practiced casually and as competitive sports today:

Because the horse is pulling the rider rather than carrying the rider, you're likely to find much more accommodating forms of horsemanship for people with bigger bodies if you forego riding and instead try out something like a carriage setup. Without as much direct weight on their spines, a horse is likely to handle a heavier person much better, and carriage setups also give the option of more than one horse to share in pulling a carriage or cart.

Carriage racing is more commonly viewed as a sport in Britain and the former UK due to Prince Philip championing it during his later years when he wasn't healthy enough to play conventional games of polo or take part in more contact-heavy sports. Carriage racing is also practiced in North America, but it isn't nearly as popularized or discussed as traditional racing like the Kentucky Derby. You're more likely to find carriage racing and teaching schools wherever you can find Amish and Mennonite communities in the US and Canada, but looking into teaching ranches in and around your area may reveal places to go that you never knew were actually there! (Horse people are kind of notorious for sucking at networking outside of facebook and very niche community pages, ngl)

If horses really bring a great benefit to your sister's life and she's struggling to find accommodations so she can ride, let her take a look at single-person carriage riding and see if that's more of an attainable thing for her! "Racing" is the usual term applied to it, but carriage riding can be learned and practiced in very quiet, non-competitive, low-impact settings for fun rather than as a full-on professional sport, and can even be a marketable skill! There's very much a business industry around carriage horses and riders, especially in the wedding industry.

Please know that I am not, and will not, in any way pressure you or your sister to lose weight in order to ride again. There are accommodations out there, and nobody should feel hopeless that they'll never achieve their dream of spending time working with horses if that's what they want to do. What is a problem is how little these alternative and more weight-and-disability-friendly equestrian sports are publicized and shared so disabled and overweight people can feel welcome in equestrian spaces.

Horses and equestrianism is not, and never has, been limited to one particular body type or a person's physical ability. There have ALWAYS been weight- and disability- friendly forms of equestrianism, and horses are increasingly popular in therapeutic settings as therapy animals for helping people suffering from major issues like PTSD find confidence and a sense of comfort and non-judgment. No matter your weight or degree of mobility or ability, you shouldn't feel "too" anything about looking into horses, riding, and equestrianism as an outlet or passion.

[theolivetree123]

Voice claim: Mahiru Koizumi - Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (JP)

Character Details

Age: 17

Height: 172 cm

Sexuality: Omnisexual, Demisexual

Birthday: October 31st

Nicknames: Seahorsie (by Floyd), Witch (by Sebek), mademoiselle sorcière (Rook)

Dominant hand: Right

Dorm: Diasomnia

Grade: Freshman (1st Year)

Likes: Floral perfume, black cats, lilies, scented candles

Dislikes: Octopuses, pickles, big dogs

Favorite Food: Macarons

Least Favorite Food: Calamari

Best Subject: Potiontology

Club: Equestrian Club

Hobbies: Dancing

Homeland: Briar Valley

Family: Silas (cousin), Victor (cousin), Adoptive mother and father, biological mother (dead) and father (dead)

Twisted from: Winifred Sanderson (Hocus Pocus)

Character Info

Constance is very confident and opinionated, never scared to say what's on her mind. She also gets into trouble fairly regularly due to her reckless nature and differing opinions. Unlike everyone else at NRC, Constance and her cousins do not idolize, nor like any of the Great Seven. Instead, they follow the Sanderson Sisters, seeing them as the greatest witches of all time.

Constance values her family over anything else. She will always protect her cousins first and will always stick by their sides. Constance, Silas, and Victor are together so often that they feel weird when they aren't all together. This is due to their past home lifes, where Constance was living with her sick, bed-ridden mother, Silas living with his alcoholic and abusive father, and Victor living with his overbearing mother and dismissive dad. Constance, Silas, and Victor would be kept in their rooms all the time, practicing their magic, and as such, never really learned how to socialize with kids their age. Yet, the three would find comfort in one another, sometimes sneaking out to play. As they grew older, Silas and Victor's parents abandoned them, leaving Constance's mother to take them in, but once she passed, there was no one left to care for the three cousins. As such, they became criminals, stealing food and valuables to survive. That was until Constance came up with a plan. The three would make potions and sell them to people all over Twisted Wonderland.

Three years went by, and Constance and her cousins were somewhat thriving. Their potion business boomed! Although the three had become wanted all over Twisted Wonderland, they didn't care. If making illegal potions was the way to survive, then they would gladly take their "good-ness" as a sacrifice. The three had even captured the attention of a cooky couple who ran an entire village hidden deep within the woods of Briar Valley. And as such, the couple took the three teens in as their children. But, there was a price. As payment for letting them into their secret village, Constance, Silas, and Victor had to "brand" themselves. A magic black ink had to be plastered onto their skin in a place of their choosing. This ink held the ability to make someone's magic stronger, but at the price of losing power in the place you used it. Constance decided to place it on her left hip, and as such, her left leg/hip became weaker. Though Constance lost some of her mobility, she and her siblings became stronger than ever before. They had also joined a community and finally had a new family.

Constance and her cousins always had an interest in attending a magic school, but never had the opportunity to do so, until they were taken in by the cooky couple. They immediately jumped at the opportunity to enroll their new children into NRC, unbothered by the three cousin's lack of social skills. Constance was excited, yet cautious. She had never met other kids her age besides her cousins. How would other kids her age treat her? She already had many terrible experiences with past boyfriends. Would the students at NRC treat her the same?

Although she had some bad stories, Constance's time at NRC was everything she wished for and more. She had always wished for more friends, more people who share the same magical abilities as her, and she was finally there. Even though she kept up a sparky exterior, Constance was grateful for everyone she met at NRC.

Relationships

Sebek - Both Sebek and Constance found the other to be annoying at first, but slowly became friendly rivals as they learned more about one another. Whether it was her confidence, her playfulness, or her looks, Sebek just couldn't seem to stay away from her. Constance found Sebek to be annoyingly endearing, always making fun of him to see his reaction. The two slowly seemed to enjoy each other's company, even if neither wanted to admit it.

Ace: Similarly, Ace and Constance also have a friendly rivalry. Though their relationship is mote platonic. Constance thinks of Ace as her "brother from another mother" and teases him constantly. Ace and Constance are both sort of annoying gingers, so they bond over their annoying-ness.

Deuce: Constance sees Deuce as her bestie, always being nice and enthusiastic to him to the point where Constance almost babies Deuce. Deuce appreciates Constance's support, yet he's a bit tired of her treating him like a child.

Malleus: Constance naturally treats everyone in NRC the same, no matter who they are, and that goes for Malleus, too. Even though Malleus is Constance's housewarden, she still treats him like a close friend, calling him nicknames and acting super casual around him. She is not in any way intimidated by him, and Malleus appreciates it, matching Constance's energy by cracking jokes with her.

Silas and Victor: As Constance's cousins, she obviously loves them dearly. Yet, as the youngest, Constance gets babied sometimes by Silas and Victor. Silas especially is very protective over Constance, not wanting Sebek to hurt her like her last exes did. Victor, on the other hand, is a bit more flexible, totally fine with Constance and Sebeks' relationship. Well, as long as Sebek keeps his hands to himself.

Random Facts

"Sanderson" is not Constance, Silas, or Victor's real last name. They just use it to sound important.

Constance covers her right eye because she doesn't actually have one. One of her many exes hit her with a glass bottle, greatly injuring her right eye. Her eye is the only thing Constance considers to be "ugly" about herself.

Even though Constance is Omnisexual, she has never had a female partner.

Constance is scared of octopuses. This is partially because of her trypophobia

Constance, Silas, and Victor don't know how to swim.

Constance has PTSD

Character References

[hrh-princessanne]

It is with great sadness that we announce the Magic Millions Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park will not take place this year.

Despite great determination from the organising team, the current economic climate has made it unviable for the event to go ahead. Following the adverse weather experienced at Gatcombe last year, which led to the abandonment of the event, and due to the ever-increasing costs associated with operating on a green field site, it has made the event unfeasible to run.

Event Director, Peter Phillips comments, “It is with a heavy heart that The Festival, which has played a significant part in the British Eventing calendar since 1983, cannot run this year. The event has also been a huge part of my family’s lives and those of many others for 40 years.

“It has built up a large community that has enjoyed and celebrated The Festival each year. I would like to thank everyone who has been involved over the past four decades; our sponsors for their unwavering support, the large selection of trade stands and arena entertainment and our spectators who have loved coming to Gatcombe to watch the world-class equestrian sport from the famous Park Bowl.”

Event Chairman, Captain Mark Phillips adds, “The horse trials at Gatcombe and more recently the Festival of British Eventing have been a major part of my life for over 40 years when The Princess Royal and I first had the dream. The dream became reality, and with it, many special memories of the many riders, horses, volunteers, sponsors and spectators all of whom massively contributed to the history of the horse trials at Gatcombe Park.

“It’s truly a great sadness that the original model and indeed the sport has changed so much. Since Covid, costs, particularly insurance, have risen so much that the numbers no longer add up. It is an end of an era, the next 40 years of the sport will be different, let’s hope it can be equally special.”

Rosie Williams, Chief Executive of British Eventing said, “It is incredibly sad news for everyone involved in the sport. My focus this year is very much going to be on how we can implement a strategy that works for the sport going forward. We need to do everything we can to find a way to support our organisers, landowners and stakeholders to make events at wonderful venues like Gatcombe become viable. We will work hard as a governing body to assist in any way we can for the financial risk and burden to be minimised so that we can welcome Gatcombe, and others like it, back into the calendar.

“We will continue to be ongoing in discussions with Peter and the team at Gatcombe and will also be, as a matter of urgency, discussing a tender process for the national championships which will need to find a new home for this season and going forward.”

[aimeedaisies]

Great Western Railway celebrates The Princess Royal’s lifetime of dedicated service by naming train in her honour

Great Western Railway has named a train after HRH The Princess Royal in recognition of her support for more than 300 charities, organisations and military regiments in the UK and overseas.

Representatives from a host of those organisations joined guests at London Paddington on Thursday 2nd May as Intercity Express Train 800024 was named in honour of Her Royal Highness.

Her Royal Highness was joined at London Paddington by husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, a member of the GWR Advisory Board.

After the unveiling, The Princess Royal was introduced to guests including the Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper MP, former Prime Minister Theresa May and Transport for London Commissioner Andrew Lord.

Mark Hopwood, Great Western Railway Managing Director, said: “Naming trains has been a tradition on the railway, and especially on the Great Western Railway, since the earliest days of train travel.”

“Today GWR proudly continues this tradition, recognising and celebrating inspirational individuals who have shaped the communities and the nation. Her Royal Highness has dedicated a large part of her working life to official engagements and visits and we are delighted to recognise this immense contribution by carrying her name on the side of this Intercity Express Train.”

Transport Secretary, Rt Hon Mark Harper MP, said: “I’m delighted to see one of GWR’s trains named after Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal in recognition of her remarkable commitment to public service.

“Her Royal Highness has made a significant contribution to so many important charities, events and public services so it gives me great pride to celebrate this through one of the greatest traditions on our railways.”

Inspired by the heritage of GWR’s King George V locomotive, two sides of a coin appear on the side of GWR’s named Intercity Express Trains.

With the Coat of Arms of the GWR on one side of coin, the other will include an illustration of The Princess competing at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Seated on the Queen’s horse, Goodwill, Her Royal Highness was taking part in the equestrian three-day event – the first member of the Royal Family to feature in the Olympics.

HRH went on to play a part in London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games and today brings insight and experience to her role as a British member of the International Olympic Committee, as well as being President of the British Olympic Association.

Annamarie Phelps CBE, Vice-Chairman of the British Olympic Association, said: “HRH The Princess Royal is synonymous with British Olympic sport and the British Olympic Association. Having competed as an Olympian, she also holds the unique record of being an IOC member, having led an international sport federation and, of course, being the mother to another Olympian, Zara Tindall. We are delighted to join her today to celebrate the naming of this train in her honour.”

The Princess has been President of Save the Children UK since 1970, visiting projects in many countries including China, Cambodia, Botswana, Madagascar and The Philippines.

Gemma Sherrington, Interim Chief Executive of Save the Children, said: “We are delighted that Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal is being honoured by Great Western Railway for her lifelong charitable commitments. The Princess Royal has supported the work of Save the Children for over 50 years and as our Patron has worked tirelessly to support us, visiting teams in the UK and around the world and regularly meeting with our inspirational fundraisers and volunteers.

“We continue to be incredibly grateful for The Princess Royal’s support to help us continue to deliver lasting change for children and their families in the UK and across the globe.”

HRH has been closely involved with the creation of several charities, including The Princess Royal’s Trust for Carers (now Carers Trust), Transaid and Riders for Health, and has been Patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association since 2008.

Tanya Curry, chief executive of the MND Association, said, “HRH The Princess Royal has offered steadfast support to the MND Association for more than 16 years and is a remarkable advocate for people with motor neurone disease, a terminal illness which affects more than 5000 people in the UK at any one time.

“We are incredibly grateful to Her Royal Highness for her unwavering dedication throughout her time as Royal Patron of the MND Association, and we are delighted her commitment to charitable causes is being recognised in this way.”

[thedisabilitybookarchive]

Lis Hartel- Disabled Olympian, Equestrian Champion

Olympic season is in full swing, so it seems only appropriate to give a little love to some of history's most notable disabled Olympians as the games get underway. What better place to start than with the story of Lis Hartel and the impact she had upon equstrian sport.

[ID: A book cover. The cover art shows a brown horse being led by a woman in a black dressage suit. The background is light blue. A beam of light is shining on the woman and horse. Text above them reads: The title “Jubilee” in large red writing, “The First Therapy and an Olympic Dream” below in smaller black writing. “By KT Johnson” and “Illustrated by Anabella Ortiz” below in smaller, black capitals. /end]

🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎 [22 horse emojis]

Hartel was trained in the art of equestrian sport from a fairly young age, regularly competing in showjumping and dressage competitions by her teens, and, eventually becoming the Danish dressage champions in 1943 and 1944. In September of the latter year, at the age of 23 and whilst pregnant with her second daughter, Hartel contracted polio.

The disease left her paralysed below the knees, though she decided to continue her equestrian career against medical advice.

In 1947, then, Hartel finished second at the Scandinavian championships. She would then win a silver medal in individual dressage at the 1952 Olympics, becoming one of the first four women to compete in Olympic equestrian sport against men, and only losing out on the gold by 20 points, coming second to Swedish rider Henri Saint Cyr. At the 1956 Olympics, she would go on to be awarded another silver medal in individual dressage, again only coming second to Henri Saint Cyr.

Hartel was also the Danish dressage champion from 1952-54, securing the title again in both 1956 and 1959.

She eventually retired from competitive riding sometime later but continued to coach, give demonstrations, and raise money for polio survivors and therapy riding for disabled people.

In 1992, Hartel was inducted into Denmark's Hall of Fame. Two years later, in 1994, she became the first Scandinavian to be inducted into the International Women's Hall of Fame, and, in 2005, she was named one of Denmark's top ten all-time athletes, an honour she still holds today.

Hartel would pass away in 2009, at the age of 87, but her legacy as a decorated Olympian, equestrian, and great disabled athlete continues to live on.

The Lis Hartel Foundation in the Netherlands continued her work in the disabled community, by creating and providing riding opportunities for disabled riders.

Her Olympic success and position as a disabled athlete was greatly admired at the time and inspired many other "fledgling" movements, including the momentum that would eventually lead to the formation of the Riding for Disabled People's Association in the UK.

She has been written about countless times, with her story even being transformed into a children's educational picture book by KT Johnson (information for which can be found in the archive).

Yes, Hartel's impact on both equestrian sport and sporting history as a whole can never be denied. And so let us close out this Disability Pride Month by honouring a great disabled champion:

[ID: Black and white photograph of Lis Hartel riding a horse. /end]

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

[thesims4blogger]

COMMUNITY BLOG: Saddle Up With the Sims 4 Horse Ranch Expansion Pack

EA has shared a community blog for the announcement of the next The Sims 4 expansion Pack, Horse Ranch.

Saddle Up With the Sims 4 Horse Ranch Expansion Pack

Invite your neigh-bor Ranchers over as we welcome Horses

There is no better feeling than coming home to your very own stretch of land inspired by the great American West. Players can explore the rustic locale and curate their ideal ranch life – whether that be a barn full of animal friends or a relaxing cabin on the prairie, each moment is sure to feel authentic and meaningful.

In The Sims™ 4Horse Ranch Expansion Pack, players will have the opportunity to raise, train and form special bonds with majestic Horses, and fall in love with adorable Mini Goats and Mini Sheep. You can saddle up and meander into town to learn all about country living from the locals.

Now, mosey on over to your rocking chair and get ready for a story that’s about to be the talk of the ranch!

LIFE ON A WORKING RANCH

Suly Suly, partner. Welcome to Chestnut Ridge, a rustic world inspired by the wide open skies of the iconic American West. This picturesque world is perfect for waking up in the morning to look out at the big open countryside from the ranch of your dreams, whether that be a traditional cabin or a modern farmhouse.

Get the whole family involved! And by the whole family, we mean Horses, too! Sims will now welcome Horses into their families and care for every aspect of their lives. Each animal will provide a unique contribution to the ranch (even if it’s just to be adorable).

Sims will work hard and play harder, experiencing all aspects of a working ranch. Sims can experience mucking a Horse Bed, lending a hand on the ranch and more. From keeping all of your animals happy and clean to harvesting Prairie Grass for the Animal Feeder, Sims can delight in knowing that all of their hard work is worth it. When the work builds up, Sims can hire a Ranch Hand to help!

For your Sims that like to DIY, they can craft their own Nectar by stomping a variety of fruit… or potatoes… or even trash! The bottled Nectar can be consumed in multiple servings and it will have different effects. Sims can age it in Nectar Racks for more Simoleons.

BOND WITH ANIMALS

Sims can fill their ranch with animal friends to carve out a life together. Their Horses – including adorable Foals – are part of a Sim’s household and have lots of special interactions with both Sims and other Horses. Sims can shear the Mini Sheep and milk the Mini Goats for Simoleons, eventually inviting locals to come and see how adorable they are!

JOIN A THRIVING COMMUNITY

While living on a ranch has its moments of peace and solitude, Sims can saddle up and ride their Horse into town to check out the lively social scene. Your Sims can meet friends at the bar, blow off steam at the dance hall, or train at the equestrian park. Sims can even host or attend a Ranch Gathering with a cookout and dancing, or a Ranch Animal Day, where they can interact with the animals.

CREATE, BREED AND RAISE HORSES

We’ve heard and seen all of your requests for Horses, and we are elated to announce that players can now customize hoofed friends in Create a Sim, or get new Horses by rescuing, breeding or purchasing them. You can choose from real-world breeds, change the horse’s head shape, mane, tail, feathers, body mass, coat length and more!

The very best part – Foals can be born on your ranch! That’s right, players can have their Horses nuzzle under the stars to make the perfect little Foal, a combination of both of its parents…and they may even unlock a unique Trait. The joy of breeding and raising Foals on your Sim’s ranch is one you won’t want to miss. Each Horse has its own personality, and the Foal will learn both from the family and trainer!

Sims can explore by trotting their way down a long and winding trail or by going downtown to New Appaloosa, ride around Riders’ Glen, the Ranches’ Neighborhood. Be sure to check out Galloping Gulch, the National Park Neighborhood, which features plenty of scenic trails through the large rock formations as well as campfire spots and picnic areas. Your Sim may come across Dreadhorse Caverns where the adventurous can enter and try their luck at exploring!

Horses have four Skills: Temperament, Agility, Jumping, and Endurance.  Horses develop Jumping Skill by practicing on Horse Jumps.  They develop Agility by practicing on Horse Barrels.  All of these skills apply to the competitions that take place at the Equestrian Center. Winning competitions results in Simoleons, rewards such as plaques for your walls and metal signs you can display on your big Ranch Sign.  They culminate in the Ultimate Horse Championship!

SACRED HEALING CIRCLE

“Indigenous people have always had a deep, spiritual relationship with horses,” says Stacey Parshall Jensen, The Sims’ friend and sensitivity reader who collaborated on The Sims 4 Horse Ranch. “They’re a symbol of power. They provide healing and represent freedom and bravery to our Indigenous culture.”

Together with The Sims team, Stacey worked to co-create food, home items, and clothing that are represented in Horse Ranch, reflecting elements of Native American culture. To celebrate the launch of this pack, The Sims team is making a donation to Sacred Healing Circle, a 100% Indigenous founded and led organization working to support Indigenous communities through preserving traditional methodologies and practices, including the Native American Horse Preservation and Research Program. This program helps to preserve the Native American Horse, as well as protects the traditional and historical knowledge surrounding the horse and Indigenous People in the Americas.

Preorder The Sims 4Horse Ranch Expansion Pack now to start playing immediately when it launches on July 20, 2023 on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC via EA app for Windows, Origin™, Steam® and Epic Games Store. The Sims 4 has officially launched on the Epic Games Store as well, another download destination for this Expansion Pack.

[astra-galaxie]

"Any time, my boy! If you need more help, I shall be here!" - Rhys Wells

Biographical information

Full Name: Rhys Wright-Wells

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Status: Alive

Age: 70 (season 4)

Birth: 1820

Race: Human

Nationality: Welsh

Origin: Cardiff, Wales

Residence:

Concordia, USA

Cardiff, Wales (formerly)

Profession(s):

Doctor

Coroner

Family:

Amelia Wright (wife)

Richard Wells (son)

Arthur Wright (stepson)

Unnamed wife (deceased)

Affiliation(s): Concordia Flying Squad

Profile

Height: 6'0" Age: 70 (season 4) Weight: 178lbs Eyes: brown Blood: O+

Rhys is a tall gentleman that bears a strong resemblance to his son Dick with nearly identical facial structure and build, but Rhys has more facial hair and is entirely silver-haired. He wears a white lab coat, a dark green dress shirt, brown slacks, black shoes and a black bow tie. Lastly, a pair of brown-framed glasses sit over his brown eyes.

Synopsis

The father of Richard "Dick" Wells, stepfather of Arthur Wright and husband of Amelia Wright-Wells, Rhys is a physician hailing from Wales. His first wife, Dick's mother, died when the boy was barely more than a toddler. Following her death, Rhys and Dick moved to Concordia for a new, better life. Here, Rhys established a medical practice and began serving the community.

A few years after moving to Concordia, Rhys met Amelia Wright at a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream by the local theatre. He's not ashamed to admit it felt like love at first sight, but he was still nervous to pursue a new relationship even though his first wife had been deceased for years. He was worried Dick would think he was trying to replace his mother, so they took things slow, starting as friends until they were ready to take the next step. And when their relationship had gotten serious enough to introduce each others' children, Rhys was glad the first meeting had gone well. His son was ecstatic at the idea of finally having a little brother, and Arthur seemed interested in having an older brother, too.

Eventually, Rhys and Amelia married, uniting their two families into one. Life was great for the Wright-Wells family. Of course, they had their issues, but their love stayed strong through it all. As his sons grew up, Rhys encouraged them to pursue their dreams which led to Arthur joining the police academy and Dick entering medical school. He was proud of the paths both of his sons had chosen and was even prouder when they announced they would be founding members of Concordia's new Flying Squad.

During the current timeline of the series, Rhys made his first appearance when he stepped in as temporary coroner after Dick became a suspect in Heartbroken. While his primary profession is family medicine, Rhys holds a pathology degree and is a certified coroner. He has always told his sons that he would be there if they needed his help. So, he assisted the Flying Squad with the case and was happy to hear that Dr. Hart's killer had been caught even if who it was and the reason for the murder were heartbreaking…

After the case was solved, he, Amelia, the Flying Squad, and their families attended Kilian Bontemps's equestrian performance. He also met Jason's mother, the first and only recipient of Hestia's Heart. Seeing how the invention had replaced the woman's heart was fascinating, and Melaina welcomed him to read her files to learn more about the medical marvel. Rhys also promised to keep Dick from overwhelming her as his son was even more excited about the invention than his father was.

More to be revealed in Murders of The Past

Organization(s)

Concordian Flying Squad

Rank: Coroner

Story Information

First appeared: Heartbroken

Trivia

He is based on an IRL doctor I work with

Amelia was hesitant to take her husband's surname when they married due to past trauma involving changing her surname. So, Rhys offered to hyphenate his name with her if she chose to take the Wells name. Their sons didn't hyphenate their names like the couple did, and to this day, most people still refer to Amelia as a Wright, while people call Rhys a Wells

He still operates a medical practice, though he only does family medicine now. But he does also practice other fields like obstetrics and gynecology

Rhys and Dick did and still do experiments together. Rhys isn't as crazy as Dick is with his experiments, but he still supports his son's endeavours and is always there to patch Dick up after an experiment backfires. And while he'll always worry about his son's safety, Rhys knows Dick would never intentionally put himself in danger in the name of science… Most of the time!

He is good friends with Leopold Rochester. This is also the friend he was referring to in Heartbroken when he says he knows one of the World Exhibition sponsors

Disclaimer: Character design was created using Rinmarugames ! I have only made minor edits to the design! Background courtesy of CriminalArtist5

Links to my stories:

The Case of the Criminal (Ao3/Wattpad) Killer Bay (Ao3/Wattpad) Where in the World are the Killers? (Ao3/Wattpad) Murders of The Past (Ao3/Wattpad)

[heartfullofpony]

CHANGE FROM BELOW

Let's take a moment to talk about what an incredible ending that Make Your Mark, Chapter 5, The Root of All Evil: Pt 2 had.  Not only did Misty finally confront her abusive mother figure; not only was a Tirek-scale threat to all Equestria averted with a wave of bright shiny hope, and a bright shiny song...but the power of friendship prevailed in the profoundest way possible.

Every ideal that Sunny Starcout ever believed in was put into practice - not just by her or her friends, but by the entire world.  (Or at least the known world).

Think about the very beginning - how MLP: ANG started with an Equestria deeply divided.  How it ended with earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi daring to take a brave step forward - to abandon the racialized fears they'd all grown up to internalize.  How the earth ponies of Maretime Bay turned their backs on the fascist demagoguery of Sprout, and the racist fear-based economy of his mother, to take a brave step forward into the unknown.

...A world where the three pony races might kinda sorta maybe start to get along.

Then, in the Make Your Mark series, we saw that dream hit multiple speed bumps. Posey and her Karenhood.  Resentment of unicorn and pegasus magic.  We saw Sunny continue to try to show others the way - not through pedantry, but through participation in the struggles of others.

She built a community garden to bring folks together.  She turned the local military weapons facility into a television studio owned and operated by and for the citizenry, and she did so - not as a maternalistic authority figure, but by turning to the community itself, and taking its feedback seriously (even if the populace wasn't entirely sure what they wanted).

And then there's Pipp - the princess who often comes off as a self-obsessed, and egoic social media influencer.  Here, she strives to use that influence for good.  Even though her musical number in front of Princess Opaline failed to accomplish anything directly, it was the reprise of that same song that got all of Equestria singing.  It was the voice of a child who looked up to Pipp, and believed.

My Little Pony, both G4 and G5, always emphasized friendship, and how it's power was in the unity of its diverse peoples (horses).    The Tree of Harmony acted as a sort of Divine Will that chose to condense the very special magic of this very loving civilization into the Elements of Harmony, and bestow them to a chosen few to wield on behalf of the many.

Here, in the gathering of ordinary ponies around the trees, we see Equestrian magic come full circle.  The song that that child sings - the song that all of Equestria sings - it is the root of their very civilization.  It is the magic that powers everything! 

It doesn't derive from the magical trees, but rather, feeds them, and nourishes them.

The beauty of this finale is that nothing the main characters do actually saves Equestria at all.  At least not directly.  It's the masses of ponies in Bridlewood, Zephyr Heights, and Maretime Bay who save themselves with the simple lessons that they've clearly taken to heart.

Think about what a huge leap this moment is from the beginning of A Next Generation, when Sunny first stormed the expo and attempted to convince the citizens of Maretime Bay through preaching and sign-waving.  

The best thing about the great victory over Opaline is that it showed just how much had changed since friendship returned to Equestria - not just in ponies' adoption of Sunny's model of interracial equality, but in Sunny herself - her willingness to grow as a leader amongst, and alongside them.  Her only role in any of this has been to give folks a nudge in the right direction - to get involved in their struggles, and to help them to see the best in themselves.  

As fantastical as rainbow lasers and friendship trees may be, this is actually a pretty darn realistic look at how social progress actually happens.

If you, like so many of us, take a look at the state of the world, and feel heartbreak and despair, remember: change starts at home - in your community.  Make a difference.  Get involved.

- Sprocket

If you enjoy my stories and my essays, please consider Supporting Me on Patreon. (I'm donating all Patreon earnings from this particular post to the Middle East Children's Alliance, to help those impacted by war).

You can also follow me on FimFic.

[langernameohnebedeutung]

Not sure if you're the right person to ask this but since you've been the only one on my dash talking about the things happening in chess rn - why the fuck are chess tournaments even separated by gender?! Like, genuinely. I can guess that it started that way thanks to misogyny and "conservative values" or some shit but nowadays? The separation in physical sports still makes sense because men do tend to have an advantage over women statistically speaking, that's all fine and dandy. But in CHESS? w h y?

Okay, this is the right ask now:

I mean, it's a difficult subject. Historically, chess was treated a "male" game, so boys were trained more thoroughly, more professionally, in far greater numbers which means that chess was largely a male sphere (which, obviously and as usual, led to the common interpretation that women are less capable at playing chess because 'hey, if they were, they WOULD be playing chess, what do you mean context matters lol' which further alienated young women and further cemented the idea of chess as a male sphere and hey, what's the point of training women to begin with).

This also had a political component: In some countries, chess was a national sport, in others it plays a minor role - which also translates into different average Elo rankings per country (so unless anyone thinks people in the Soviet Union had a magical chess gene, I think we can safely assume that training as many people as possible in chess translates into a high chance of ending up with a significant number of very good chess players. And those findings we can also apply to he gender disparity.) This also led to the usual sense of entitlement among male chess players that chess is 'for them' and that women trying to get into the game are somehow corrupting the dignity of the game or being intruders or just generally are not to be welcomed. This is something you historically often see when a space was opened to women like the first female university students who experienced a bunch of harassment at the hands of their male peers)

So all of this resulted in a scenario where a lot of male chess players were openly resentful against female chess players (translating into adverse playing conditions for female players), women on average had a disadvantage due to many of them not receiving the same training as their male counterparts (which results in lower Elo rankings) as well as the collective numerical disadvantage because men outnumbered women 16:1, which means that in pretty much any competition, the odds of a man winning were 16x higher than the chance of a woman winning.

So as a solution, the female world championship was established. And real talk, I don't have an issue with that. As I said, in chess, there are no physical denominators that would make a more sensible categorisation to even the playing field. It is also a game designed to leave little to no room for luck to determine the outcome. Women are still free to participate in the "regular" Chess World Championship, it is not restricted to men only the way most physical sports are. So this is mostly about representation and honestly, from that angle, I do understand the desire to show young girls that chess isn't a "male" thing and that they too can win and that there is a community of like-minded women (which is something I think is especially important for young girls that weren't made to feel welcome in the chess playing spaces in their direct environment). Although my long-term hope would definitely be that one day, we a) do something about misogynistic discrimination women experience in general chess and b) that enough young girls receive the training and the encouragement to play chess that one day, this whole thing is no longer an issue. Right now, the surge of chess in popularity among kids, I see that as a huge chance! This is great and I hope this causes a shift in sentiment!

(Another exception: Men and women also compete together in the equestrian categories in the Olympics. Except here with women significantly outnumbering men)

The thing is, I have yet to see any explanation for stripping trans men of their titles when they transition or stripping trans women of titles AND banning them from women's competitions that isn't…just about being a dick and harassing and humiliating trans people. Especially when the FIDE wants to document this (which btw would be highly dangerous for trans people from certain members states). Not to mention a bunch of misogynistic implications to boot by pretending that AFAB people don't have a chance against AMAB people one-on-one.

This is just bullying, plain and simple.

[thiziri]

‘An honour to showcase our work’: Princess Royal visits community stables.

The British Horse Society (BHS) recently welcomed their Vice-Patron, HRH The Princess Royal to a riding school in Birmingham to see how it is benefiting young people in the area.

Summerfield Stables is an inclusive community group with a core aim to ensure that all children and young people, regardless of sex, race, age or disability, in the local area have the opportunity to interact with horses, and the benefits this can bring.

This comes at a time when the equine industry’s riding centres and livery yards continue to face great challenges, with the BHS reporting a 15% reduction in riding schools since 2018.

“It was an honour to host HRH The Princess Royal and to showcase the important role that horses have in our community, as well as the difference they make to children’s lives,” said Georgian Urwin, Volunteer and Part-Qualified Stage 4 Coach at Summerfield Stables.

“Founded in 1970 by Roslyn Tedd-Urwin, for over 50 years Summerfield Stables has been an important presence in the community, offering opportunities for young people and volunteers which has been even more in demand since the Covid pandemic. Today, HRH has had the opportunity to see this first hand.”

The Princess Royal watched demonstrations from a host of the Approved Centre’s participants and volunteers. These comprised of an introduction to the BHS’s Pony Stars programme, which offers children the chance to discover, develop and nurture their love for ponies and the outdoors. Bobby, the BHS’s Equine Personality of the Year 2020 also made a star appearance.

HRH The Princess Royal heard from participants of the BHS Changing Lives through Horses initiative which the stables has been running since last year.

“It was a privilege and an honour to introduce our Vice-Patron HRH to Summerfield Stables and all those who work so hard to make it such a success,” said James Hick, Chief Executive Officer at the BHS. “We know that the horse/human relationship can be transformational for wellbeing, and it is great to champion those centres who are so passionate about providing all young people with their first interaction with horses.

“Together, we must continue to ride by the side of every equestrian and all those who care so passionately for them. Our riding schools are a critical part of this, helping to make sure they have access to education, horse care and welfare, practical riding tuition and most importantly, an inclusive and welcoming environment.”

© Your Horse | 7 April 2023.

[blackswaneuroparedux]

La ville de Paris a son grand mât tout de bronze, sculpté de Victoires, et pour vigie Napoléon.

Honoré de Balzac

"The city of Paris has a great mast, made entirely of bronze, with sculpted Victories and Napoleon as its lookout."

Nowadays known as the Parisian centre of jewellery and luxury, Place Vendôme was originally ordered by Louis XIV to be a showcase for the great institutions of the monarchy. The project was finally abandoned, and the land sold to great financiers. In the centre, an equestrian statue of Louis XIV recalled the royal predominance. But in 1792, this statue suffered the same fate as all the other statues of the royal squares: it was knocked down.

In 1810, Napoleon inaugurated on the site of this old statue the current column, dedicated to the victorious soldiers of Austerlitz (1805). 43 meters high, it is inspired by the Trajan column of Rome. More than 1200 cannons taken from the Russians and Austrians were melted to make the bronze plates, while a statue of Napoleon in Marcus Aurelius was at the top.

At the fall of the emperor in 1814, the statue was taken down, replaced during the Restoration by a flag with a huge fleur-de-lis. In 1830, the new monarchy, led by Louis-Philippe, decided to replace the royal flag with a tricolor flag. Then, a few years later, a new statue of Napoleon is placed on the top of the Vendôme column. Louis-Philippe, who has always cultivated an image close to revolutionary ideals, wanted to revive the figure of the military hero. Napoleon is no longer represented as a Roman emperor, but dressed as a “little corporal” in a frock coat and hat. This statue would remain 30 years, until Napoleon III, judging it unworthy of his illustrious predecessor, replaced it with a new statue of Napoleon as a Roman emperor.

In 1871, during the Paris Commune, the symbols of Napoleonic power and imperialism were again very badly seen in a bad light and the column was demolished on May 16th.

After the Commune, the Third Republic rebuilt it. By 1874 the column was rebuilt in the centre of the Place Vendome with a copy of the original statue of Napoleon Bonaparte I dressed as a Roman emperor positioned on the top.  Commissioned by Napoleon III, there was even an inner staircase, which could take you to the top of the column, that was now called the Colonne de la Grande Armee.

Photo: The Colonne Vendôme in Place Vendôme by Robert Doisneau, 1940.