Spring Racing Carnival Round-Up

[Kiralynn]

Greetings, racing fans! Saturday was an exciting day on Landroval as the Spring Racing Carnival ran toward its amazing finale. Here is a quick report on the events. I will write a better report with more screenshots after I recover from the drinking and festivities.

The racing began early in Gondamon for the Mithril Cup. The crowd was welcomed by an incredible musical performance by Die Meisterbarden von Bree. the audience danced to a number of equestrian-themed favorites.



As the sun reached its zenith, the riders lined up to prepare for the start of the race. Eleven riders registered but there was one scratch as a rider was unable to make the trip from Rohan in time.



The Mithril Cup course forces riders to face angry Dourhands, steep cliffs, and a difficult choice of shortcuts.



The race was won by a trio of elven women - Euriel, Lelirnel and Falathielle - who proved that they could ride the lands of Ered Luin better than hobbits or men.



Before the judges could catch their breaths, it was time to mount up and head to Michel Delving for the final qualifier race. Tensions were high, as this was every rider's final opportunity to qualify for the Bree Championship Cup. Breakfast Club attracted a huge crowd despite fickle weather.



The intermittent rains had left the course soggy and difficult to run. Fifteen riders looked pensive during the pace lap, following the tracks of veteran riders who had practiced earlier in the day.



The course led them through the south fields and Waymeet, across Sanderson's chicken farm, through Michel Delving's north cow fields, and back to the road that leads to the Inn.



At the finish line, newcomer Rasenbeth won with a healthy lead, followed by Caiyyd and Gwadrodewyn. With the addition of these three riders, the Bree Cup roster was complete.



The Bree Cup was scheduled for later in the evening, giving the qualified riders five hours to rest and wrestle with their fears.

The second round of events kicked off at the Horsefields north of Bree, as the formation riding team gave a demonstration of quadrille dressage. They also introduced their new war steeds, which are currently being trained in dressage. Music was provided by Die Meisterbarden von Bree, who assembled the largest band of the Spring Racing Carnival. (Unfortunately, since I served as an announcer and fireworks wrangler during the event, I don't have any screenshots. If you do, please email them to kiralynn@roll3d6.com - thank you!)

As the riding team demonstration concluded, there was a group ride to Bree, allowing the crowd to show off their own horses. The procession led to the city's town hall. Once the crowd had settled, it was time for the horse parade. Riders in beautiful outfits showed the audience a series of rare breeds, including the noble grey, Bright Days, Minas Ithil, Dagorlad, Horse Lords, winged herald, and Eriador steeds. (Please send photos.)



The sun went down and it was time for the Spring Concert. The show opened with a group of hobbits in a rainbow of dress colors launching coordinated volleys of fireworks into the sky. As a massive crowd gathered, Andune took the stage and played many wonderful songs that were perfect for dancing.



As the concert wound down, contestants lined up for a fashion show. Seventeen riders took the stage with outfits designed to match their horses and tack.



Beag received an honorable mention. Kattalina won third place and 1,000 Turbine Points. Andeon won second place and 2,500 TP. The dwarf twins, Hjarf and Bjarf, earned the most votes from the audience with sheer charismatic presence, winning the top prize of 5,000 TP.



Eighteen riders qualified for the grand finale, the Bree Cup championship horse race. Sadly, Maytook did not report to the race master by post time. The bookie was hard-pressed to keep up with the wagering as the remaining riders were ponied in front of the audience -- Aalloria, Andeon, Caiyyd, Craicwyth, Draugelen, Eliwren, Emlissel, Errowen, Euriel, Falathielle, Gwadrodewyn, Kikilaa, Lelirnel, Lifebringer, Nisael, Rasenbeth and Shintako.

The race began with a thunder of hooves on cobblestone and the cheer from the crowd was nearly deafening. Five riders lost their lead at the Oldstone Ruins as their horses refused the narrow passage. Half a dozen more riders dropped out of the race when their horses took injuries descending from the hobbit neighborhood on the cliffs overlooking northern Bree-town. Three more riders had difficulty maneuvering into the tight alley on the back stretch.

Due to the immense lag caused by large crowds and the Anniversary festival (<em>IE: fireworks and flying envelopes</em>), the race was extremely difficult to call. There were initial discrepancies in the perspective at the finish line. The riders and audience were forced to wait for some time while screenshots and video were reviewed in detail. Although the wait was regrettable, the judges were determined to give a fair and well-researched ruling.







The discrepancies were cleared up and the winners were announced. First place, 300 gold and 5,000 Turbine Points were awarded to Aalloria on bay Barabossa. Second place, 100 gold and 2,500 TP were awarded to Eliwren on Horse Lords-trained Saydrie. Third place, 75 gold and 1,000 TP were awarded to Lifebringer on yule-clad Mischief. Kattalina won 5 gold for her wager.



The Bree Cup was followed by a number of "fun runs" as the crowd was invited to try their hand at the difficult course. After the race, the air was filled with the pleasant scent of pipe-weed smoke and the sound of drunken revelers singing their favorite songs. Several musicians took up prominent positions down the street to show off their own compositions. Ale flowed freely and old friends swapped stories. It was truly a day to remember!

Thank you to our race sponsors - Atli Spider-bane of Archet, Aedon, Aldekim, and other donators who prefer to remain anonymous.

Much gratitude to Sapience of Turbine for donating all of the Turbine Point prizes and titles.

Hugs and thanks to members of the Lonely Mountain Band who donated the gold prizes.

Thank you to the bands - Die Meisterbarden von Bree, Bright Star, Breakfast Club, and Andune.

Many thanks to our race course judges, bookies and other volunteers -- Andeon, Beag, Byrcha, Craicwyth, Floradine, Harperella, Lhinnthel, Limorel, Lynxa, Meneladan, Mornawen, Naethril, Patria, Shariye, Shintako, and Sonca. Without these fine individuals, racing wouldn't be possible!

Thanks to everyone who came to participate in our equestrian extravaganza. We hope that you had a wonderful time. Join us for the 2013-2014 racing season starting in July. Happy adventuring and we'll see you at the races!