Annual Race Calendar

[Kiralynn]

I am hoping to have a standard one-per-month schedule of horse races and routes that I can stick with from year to year. Here are my rough notes. I'd love your feedback on this.


July (Fellowship Run)
* Needs a better name.
* The theme of the horse show is to look like one of the Fellowship of the Ring.
* The top 9 winners of the horse show are allowed to race.
* The race course requires multiple circuits (laps).

August (Rivendell Challenge)
* Horse show has no theme, simply Best Dressed.
* A long-distance endurance race from Rivendell to Weathertop.

September (Shadowfax Sprint)
* No horse show - talent show!
* The race allows 168% horses. This is the month in which Gandalf was given Shadowfax.

October (Wraith Race)
* The theme of the horse show is Ring Wraiths. Everyone does their best to look like one of the nine.
* The top 9 winners of the horse show are allowed to race.

November (Turkey Chase)
* Horse show has no theme, simply Best Dressed. It takes place at Windy Acres Ranch.
* Holiday season party at the Ranch.
* The course is south of Bree.

December (Misty Mountain Classic)
* Theme of the horse show is cold-weather clothing.
* This will be a difficult course with mobs. TP prize.

January (Winter Derby)
* Horse show has no theme, simply Best Dressed and takes place in the greenhouse.
* Race takes place outside Thorin's Hall.

February (Firefoot Sprint)
* No horse show - talent show!
* The race course requires multiple circuits (laps).
* 168% horses will be allowed.

March (Bywater Steeplechase)
* Horse show has no theme, simply Best Dressed.
* Takes place in Bywater, has many obstacles over a fairly long course.

April
* Theme of the horse show is ridiculous, comical outfits.
* Lead up to the SRC - Chetwood Cup, Beryl Cup

May
* No horse show theme, just Best Dressed.
* Spring Racing Carnival - Moonstone Cup, Mathom Cup, Mithril Cup, Longbottom Leaf Cup. (Only 6 cup races so we don't overload the Bree Cup raid.)
* Bree Cup

June
* No races due to Weatherstock.

[Andeon]

not a bad set of ideas - I'd like to see some long, cross country races (I noticed you had one of my personal favorites, the run from weathertop to rivendell) and some short, constrained course runs, but that's a personal preference

I imagine that February is ripe for a valentine themed race - perhaps you could segregate the riders into male/female, have a boys v girls race run? or, a boys being chased by girls run...something like that

I was never big into social dances, but what month is Sadie Hawkin's dance fever? and could you imagine a similar themed run for folks that way?

also, I'd like to see some multi-lap courses - maybe pick some of the established race courses (hengstacer, bree field and MD race track) and do a 2 or 3 lap run?

I'd *personally* love to see a halloween themed race along the lines of Sleepy Hollow (one of my favorite childhood stories) - and, along a similar theme, you might even be able to run a wind-in-the-willows type race (wasn't there something about a motorcar? :))

**also, just had another idea** would it be too difficult to run a 3-legged race sort of horse race? where rider's had to pass the finish line as a pair? I know there'd be some issues with some teams just tapping /follow - but, if there were some solid obstacles in the course (fences to jump as requirements and such) you could minimize that as an issue (hot boxing might still be an issue)

and I'm still excited about a no-holds barred, cannonball-run-esque run through moria, although we've already admitted that that would require MASSIVE investment in planning and organization, AND be somewhat exclusive (to those people that CAN enter moria, to say nothing of those that would HAVE to endure aggro vs those that don't)

those are the first few that pop to mind - I'll start thinking up titles as I come across some free time.

[Beorbrand]

How about a jumping event? I watched a man in Bree earlier who could jump off of the auction house and onto the high pole below! He showed me how to do it, but I haven't mastered it yet.

[Keli]

Hmm, not sure a monthly event is a bit too much of a good thing. I'd rather see a decent quarterly event, perhaps tied to the seasonal festivals with other, non horse events, filling in as people think of them.

But, hey, if you feel you can handle it and maintain interest Kira, then props to you.

[Kiralynn]

I updated the first post based on suggestions. It still needs some work and better names.

Beorbrand wrote:

How about a jumping event? I watched a man in Bree earlier who could jump off of the auction house and onto the high pole below! He showed me how to do it, but I haven't mastered it yet.

I'd love to hear more about how this would work. How do you narrow the field down to the top three?

[Keli]

Completely off topic (sorry) but talking of jumping, we played a game on Evernight called Bobbit Bombing. You stuck a bobbit in the water below the Trestlebridge and everyone took turns to leap off and try and land on the bobbit. Good fun for all (except 1 haha).

[Byrcha]

Perhaps the 'Wraith Race' can go from Woodhall to Crickhollow to Bree (PP) to Weathertop to Bruinen? I know there are issues with long, cross-country courses, but some variety would be good. Getting to/from the top of Weathertop should spread the field out a bit.

Re jumping, are there any locations where jumps can be incorporated into the course? Like the boardwalks in the Shire race course, it would separate riders a bit. I wonder if that broken bridge east of the Forsaken Inn can be cleared by a 168%-speed horse/pony?

A cross-country race from Thorin's to Duillond could also be interesting, and safer for lower-level riders. But I think the challenge of a ride through the Misties or the Trollshaws would be big-fun too.

Utilizing the Scholars' Stair for one of the races in Bree might be fun.

[Kiralynn]

There is a ride from Rivendell to Weathertop on the schedule. I wouldn't mind a second long ride, but I'd like it to be through a different area, just for variety.

We definitely need more challenging courses than before. When we had groups of first-time riders, any course of moderate length would do. Now that we have so many veterans who practice and take it seriously, we're going to need some advanced courses.

The main problem is always the number of judges. The best courses require 6 judges, but often only 3-4 are available. I may need to design TWO courses for each area, one for 3 judges and one for 6, so that there is a fall-back plan if not enough people volunteer.


The Winter Derby course near Thorin's Hall seems to be designed well enough. It has a number of tight turns, jumps, and difficult terrain.

The Hengstacer course is almost good enough, with 4 jumps, a cliff, and a tight turn. This one might work well as a multi-lap race course.

The Bywater Steeplechase course is almost good enough, but needs a little editing to make it equally fair for Hobbits and Dwarves.

The Turkey Chase course is probably close to good enough. It has jumps and path-finding, but I don't think it has enough obstacles to sort out the advanced riders.

The Michel Delving course separated riders out quite nicely both times, so I think it's okay.

The Gondamon course needs work badly. Something about the Dourhand tower confuses people. It's a great obstacle because there are so many different ways around it, some of them dangerous but worth the risk, but riders seem incapable of following the race master on the pace lap.

The Duillond course has been edited and should be improved. Still, I feel it doesn't have enough obstacles.

The Bree course just doesn't have enough obstacles. It's an interesting course, and it takes the riders past the audience nicely, but it doesn't separate people out nearly enough.

Now that the Galloping Gala and Anniversary events will be going on at the same time, I think we should strongly consider moving the Spring Racing Carnival to the Bree festival grounds. All of those flying envelopes and quest fireworks added to lag in a most unpleasant way. At the festival grounds, there are far fewer NPCs and objects to cause lag. There is a wonderful walled-in field where we could have the horse show and parade. There are great areas for performers in the central party area. If we had enough judges, we could even use the race course for the Bree Cup. What do you think?

[Beorbrand]

Have someone demonstrate the jump for the riders.

Everyone starts at the same time. First one or however many to make it wins.

[Byrcha]

Well, I figured if the Ringwraiths could ride from Woodhall to Bruinen, so could we! And it would only take us 10-15 minutes!

Moving the Bree Cup finale to the Bree festival grounds sounds like a great idea. Should also give the audience a more open view of the race as well as (hopefully!) reducing lag.

There is a tricksy way to re-cross the river for the Bywater Steeplechase which even a hobbit can use...

[Carica]

A year of racing! Fun fun fun!
Now for the ideas:

Since we have 68% race... how about a slow mount (32%) race, or a walking race?

I like the jumping idea. How about an actual Track & Field event?
It would include short distance sprint, high jump (jumping over or onto an obstacle in one go) far jump (clearing a distance without falling, maybe over a river or roof to roof) and finally the long distance course, and tally the scores to determine the final winner. (so even if you lose in one, you still have the chance in the other)

We could also do a triathlon - horseracing, swimming and running to finish. (I'm willing to help designing the course if we do)

For the Valentine's race Andeon mentioned, how about a team race? A man and a woman in one team, dressed in same color/outfit, and they both have to cross the finish line - whichever team's slower rider would be the deciding factor.

I also thought about a team relay, but tagging timing could be controversial and hard to judge, so that's out I guess.

[Byrcha]

Track and field? Like the Summer Olympics, coming up this August? Hmm... A triathlon would be a nice twist too.

You could do tag-team type events if you had to trade an item to a teammate during the race. These would have to be unique/identifiable items contrived/crafted by race organizers, so that racers cannot get them in advance.

[Floradine]

EDIT: The date of this is THIS SATURDAY, not next week!

On the German server Vanyar there will be a dressage riding contest on May, 12th 7pm /servertime which would be 1pm Landroval /servertime.

Location is at the playing field near the Bree festival grounds. The event is not a part of the Galopping Gala but is supported by Turbine with a Perlino and TP.


The rules are:

- A jury will give you points for your performance
- There are 2 rounds in this competition, round 2 consists of the 8 best in round 1
- 1st round has a maximum time of 30 seconds per rider
- 2nd round has a maximum time of 45 seconds per rider. A matching outfit with your horse earns you extra points.


This sounds interesting, maybe send (some?) alts and take a look how it works?

[Kaerri]

Kiralynn of Rohan wrote:

The Gondamon course needs work badly. Something about the Dourhand tower confuses people. It's a great obstacle because there are so many different ways around it, some of them dangerous but worth the risk, but riders seem incapable of following the race master on the pace lap.

As one who has ridden the Gondamon course, I feel compelled to say that in my opinion, the riders on the pace lap are entirely to blame. Any who did not run AHEAD of the race mistress were quite capable of following her - a fact which is apparently much harder to grasp than it ought to be. (Or so I assume, from watching the little green dots and being one of those who properly followed in both laps.) Of course, I may be biased, seeing as I placed in said race... ;)

[Carica]

veteranlurker wrote:

You could do tag-team type events if you had to trade an item to a teammate during the race. These would have to be unique/identifiable items contrived/crafted by race organizers, so that racers cannot get them in advance.

Oh! I hadn't thought of that! Keep them apart at each checkpoint beforehand and then hand out the unique crafted items (bearing the crafter's name) to the first member, and they must successfully trade at the checkpoint, and whoever is the last runner must return it to the judge. Good idea. (I might actually use this idea on something else too.)