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Description
Ok I wasn’t planning on entering any competitions so soon buuut I couldn’t resist, I had to draw my babies
In my head the standard for harpg competitions is super high, so it was fun to really push myself for this, even if it took an ungodly amount of time to complete !! I’m super proud of how this turned out : )

———————

Entry for RDHS Cup 2022

Horse: QLS I Predict a Riot
Rider: Leo Vásquez
Class entering: Subtop
Stable: Hunter’s Run Equestrian Centre
Country: United Kingdom
Reader: n/a
Music: Her Joy was Complete - Sleeping at Last

———————

STORY

“One of her braids is coming loose.”

“What?”

“Fourth from the bottom,” Lloyd said, pointing to the offending braid. Leo groaned. Of course one would come loose right before their round. Kaiser might as well pull a shoe or come up lame while she was at it. Leo shifted in the saddle, checking his watch. “How much time have we got?”

Lloyd chewed the inside of his mouth thoughtfully. His gaze trailed over to the main arena where a contestant had just begun their round, peals of music fading in. “Enough, I reckon.”

Giving an affirmative nod, Leo swung down from the saddle, planting his feet firmly on the ground. Wind whistled across the show grounds, whipping up snakes of sand that pummelled against Leo’s face. He squinted against their barbs, sharp as bee stings. “Get me a needle threaded, then,” he said to Lloyd, wiping a hand across his face. “And a plaiting band.” He gripped the tip of one of the fingers of his white gloves between his teeth and pulled to remove it, using his bare fingers to fully unravel the loose braid. Kaiser snorted and shook out her neck, sending short, frizzy strands of hair in all directions. Leo thanked his lucky stars that the other braids held. The mare chewed on her bit, her ears flicking backwards and forwards, but she stood still as Leo began to rework the braid.

“I’m a little bit jealous,” Lloyd mused as he returned to Leo’s side, manoeuvring his wheelchair so he could look out across the show grounds. He passed Leo a threaded needle and a single white plaiting band. “I feel like I should have brought Floyd along to this,”

Leo laughed at that through his teeth, the sound muffled by his glove. “If you’d have brought Floyd, he’d have gotten loose the second we got here and he’d be off after that mare over there.” He pointed at a glossy black mare that was stood tied a little ways away. “And it would be me having to run after him.”

Lloyd sniffed in response and turned away. “Still,” he pressed. “I don’t know why I’m here, really. God knows it was hard enough work getting my chair this far, and we’re not even down onto the fine sand yet.”

Leo rolled his eyes. He’d only known Lloyd a few months, but even in that short amount of time, he’d learned not to take the man’s complaints too seriously. If complaining was an olympic sport, he would bring home the gold every time, Monica had said on one of his first days at Hunter’s Run. “You’re here to keep me company and you’re the only one whose absence wouldn’t cause a riot. Can you imagine if Connor had come instead and we left the stables in Kezia’s hands?”

“Anarchy.”

“Exactly. But I wouldn’t have wanted to bring Monica and leave Kezia with Connor either. Con would be doing everything while trying to play babysitter to a girl hellbent on doing the opposite of what she’s told. And Helen’s still way out of town, and I’ve only ever met her once.”

“So I was your last option?” the words were snide but there was a mischievous spark in Lloyd’s eyes.

“Yeah,” Leo agreed, playing along. His fingers had reached the end of the braid so he tied it up with the elastic band, folding the end back neatly. He rolled the braid tightly and pushed the needle into it, pulling it out the other side. Another strong gust of wind blew across the show ground, slamming shut the door of one of the guest stables. Kaiser threw up her head in surprise, a squeal escaping from her throat. The sudden jerk caused the needle to slip from Leo’s hand, plunging into the opposite thumb. He cursed under his breath and pulled it out, sucking on the bright bead of blood that welled to the surface. Lloyd chuckled at the display. “At least she stood still,” he said. “My Floyd would have been off like a shot. Kai isn’t even tied up.”

“Is that a compliment, I hear?” Leo joked from around the sore flesh of his thumb. The white glove he had been holding was long forgotten, lying forlornly on the ground. Lloyd flashed him a wry smile. “Don’t push your luck. It was simply an observation.” He picked the glove off the ground and brushed it off, tucking it under one thigh to prevent it from blowing away.

“It’s because Kaiser is such a good girl, isn’t she?” Leo cooed, making kissy noises. Kaiser regarded him curiously out of the corner of her eye, her ears flicking back to listen. Grinning, Leo scratched at the spot just above her withers, making her lip wiggle in appreciation. She bent her coppery head round to groom him right back, her gentle teeth catching at the bright white fabric of his breeches. Lloyd scoffed and wheeled around behind her, inspecting her as he went. He paused, tilting his head as he looked at Kaiser’s saddle pad. “Hey, when did you get the little Union Jack patch?” he called, brushing a fingertip across the embroidery.

Leo stood on his tiptoes to see what Lloyd was pointing at. “Oh!” He exclaimed. “Monica found it somewhere. She sewed it on for me, since we were going abroad.”

“Yeah, go on team GB!” Lloyd nodded enthusiastically, picking a stray thread off the corner. “You know, we should get some patches like this with the Hunter’s Run logo. All my stuff still says Causeway Park.”

“So do your horses’ names,”

“True. But Kaiser doesn’t have an HREC in her name either. What did QLS stand for, anyway? Something-something stables?”

“Quarry Lane Stables,” Leo clarified. He brushed his dusty fingers against Kaiser’s neck and fished out the needle and thread from where it was still dangling down her mane. “It was the name of the place that rescued her originally. They gave her that prefix and I didn’t really feel the need to change it.”

“Ah yes, the rescue wonder horse.” Lloyd rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Still, it would have been nice to properly represent Hunter’s. I know Monica’s been angling to get our name out there.”

Leo let out a dry laugh. “When we lose, you mean?”

Lloyd jerked his head indignantly. “What do you mean ‘lose’?”

“You know exactly what I mean. I’ve been worrying about it since we got here. I don’t know whether I should have signed up for Subtop. Maybe I should’ve just gone for the normal class.”

“Why, though? You’ve ridden this level before. How’s this any different?”

“I don’t know,” Leo said, pushing the needle through the braid one last time and tying it off securely. He handed the needle back to Lloyd. “It’s just…”

“What, you’re a shit rider? Is that what you want to hear?”

Leo shrugged, avoiding Lloyd’s gaze. He pretended to busy himself by rubbing at a little scuff on his saddle. “Connor seems to think so.”

Lloyd rolled his eyes and shifted forwards slightly to pat Kaiser’s sweaty neck. “He doesn’t think you’re that bad.”

“Cheers, mate.”

“He’s just strict ‘cause he used to be a dressage rider, and a pretty damn good one as well. Have you seen some of his awards?”

“No, I haven’t spoken to him that much.”

“Hm. Well, my point is he knows what he’s talking about. If he’s being tough on you, it just means he can see something that you might not.”

“I know,” Leo sighed. “I know he’s a good trainer. It just doesn’t do wonders for your confidence to have someone picking apart your every move.”

Lloyd shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Yeah, well…” he murmured vaguely, turning his gaze out across the show grounds. “It’s how you learn.”

Leo frowned. A silence fell between the two men. Music still floated in the air from the main arena. Kaiser pressed her nose into Leo’s jacket, wondering where the scritches had gone. She whuffled her top lip against his pockets, seeking out the treats she knew were inside. He stroked her velvety muzzle gently, staring into space. “I’ve never seen him ride,” he commented absently.

“Who, Connor?” Lloyd replied, raising his head. “Mm… he doesn’t so much anymore.”

“Why?”

Lloyd shrugged. Leo suspected he knew something that he wasn’t letting on, but if it wasn’t any of Leo’s business, then he wasn’t going to pry. He looked around for his lost glove instead. Lloyd handed it to him wordlessly and he slipped it back on to his hand. His breeches had a small mark on one leg from where Kaiser’s teeth had been, but he hoped it wouldn’t show in the ring.

Somewhere off in the distance, the crowd erupted into applause. Kaiser pricked her ears towards the sound, whickering softly. The music faded out, or possibly was drowned out by the applause. “Right,” Lloyd said definitively, turning his wheelchair to face the arena. “Sounds like that’s that round done. You’re up next.” Leo followed his gaze to where the contestant was leaving the arena, their face flushed with pride and their horse dripping with sweat. Leo plucked at one of his stirrup leathers. He rubbed the scuff in the saddle again, just in case it would help. At least the mark would be under his seat. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly through his nose. “Alright,” he responded. “Give me a hand, then. Come balance my other stirrup.”

Lloyd grabbed the stirrup in one hand, leaning his weight on it. Leo placed a foot in the opposite one, bouncing a few times before swinging up high into the saddle. He reached for his reins, gathering them into one hand while he smoothed out his coat with the other. Kaiser sucked on the bit as she turned in a wide circle, her pink tongue lapping over her lips. The applause had died down and in its place came the boom of Leo and Kaiser’s names over the loudspeaker. Leo cleared his throat and looked down to Lloyd. “Will you be alright to come down onto the sand?”

Lloyd nodded. “I’ll be fine, I’ve got my cane with me. If I get stuck I’ll walk and get someone to carry my chair. Now go quick, do you want your stick?”

“No thanks, Kai’s feeling forwards today, what with all the wind.”

“Suit yourself,” Lloyd said with a shrug. “If you win this, I’ll take you out for a pint later, on me.”

Leo supposed that was the closest thing to a ‘good luck’ that he was going to get. He gave Lloyd a little mock salute and gathered up his reins until he could feel the contact. Kaiser swished her tail as Leo nudged his heels against her flank, easing her into a walk. She marched forward confidently, her neck arched and her body feeling relaxed and supple as they made their way towards the arena.

———————

Pose ref

Judge and writer belong to KimEnLie (I hope I got their designs right lol)
Leo, Kaiser and Lloyd belong to me
everyone else in the crowd are just npcs

Description
Ok I wasn’t planning on entering any competitions so soon buuut I couldn’t resist, I had to draw my babies
In my head the standard for harpg competitions is super high, so it was fun to really push myself for this, even if it took an ungodly amount of time to complete !! I’m super proud of how this turned out : )

———————

Entry for RDHS Cup 2022

Horse: QLS I Predict a Riot
Rider: Leo Vásquez
Class entering: Subtop
Stable: Hunter’s Run Equestrian Centre
Country: United Kingdom
Reader: n/a
Music: Her Joy was Complete - Sleeping at Last

———————

STORY

“One of her braids is coming loose.”

“What?”

“Fourth from the bottom,” Lloyd said, pointing to the offending braid. Leo groaned. Of course one would come loose right before their round. Kaiser might as well pull a shoe or come up lame while she was at it. Leo shifted in the saddle, checking his watch. “How much time have we got?”

Lloyd chewed the inside of his mouth thoughtfully. His gaze trailed over to the main arena where a contestant had just begun their round, peals of music fading in. “Enough, I reckon.”

Giving an affirmative nod, Leo swung down from the saddle, planting his feet firmly on the ground. Wind whistled across the show grounds, whipping up snakes of sand that pummelled against Leo’s face. He squinted against their barbs, sharp as bee stings. “Get me a needle threaded, then,” he said to Lloyd, wiping a hand across his face. “And a plaiting band.” He gripped the tip of one of the fingers of his white gloves between his teeth and pulled to remove it, using his bare fingers to fully unravel the loose braid. Kaiser snorted and shook out her neck, sending short, frizzy strands of hair in all directions. Leo thanked his lucky stars that the other braids held. The mare chewed on her bit, her ears flicking backwards and forwards, but she stood still as Leo began to rework the braid.

“I’m a little bit jealous,” Lloyd mused as he returned to Leo’s side, manoeuvring his wheelchair so he could look out across the show grounds. He passed Leo a threaded needle and a single white plaiting band. “I feel like I should have brought Floyd along to this,”

Leo laughed at that through his teeth, the sound muffled by his glove. “If you’d have brought Floyd, he’d have gotten loose the second we got here and he’d be off after that mare over there.” He pointed at a glossy black mare that was stood tied a little ways away. “And it would be me having to run after him.”

Lloyd sniffed in response and turned away. “Still,” he pressed. “I don’t know why I’m here, really. God knows it was hard enough work getting my chair this far, and we’re not even down onto the fine sand yet.”

Leo rolled his eyes. He’d only known Lloyd a few months, but even in that short amount of time, he’d learned not to take the man’s complaints too seriously. If complaining was an olympic sport, he would bring home the gold every time, Monica had said on one of his first days at Hunter’s Run. “You’re here to keep me company and you’re the only one whose absence wouldn’t cause a riot. Can you imagine if Connor had come instead and we left the stables in Kezia’s hands?”

“Anarchy.”

“Exactly. But I wouldn’t have wanted to bring Monica and leave Kezia with Connor either. Con would be doing everything while trying to play babysitter to a girl hellbent on doing the opposite of what she’s told. And Helen’s still way out of town, and I’ve only ever met her once.”

“So I was your last option?” the words were snide but there was a mischievous spark in Lloyd’s eyes.

“Yeah,” Leo agreed, playing along. His fingers had reached the end of the braid so he tied it up with the elastic band, folding the end back neatly. He rolled the braid tightly and pushed the needle into it, pulling it out the other side. Another strong gust of wind blew across the show ground, slamming shut the door of one of the guest stables. Kaiser threw up her head in surprise, a squeal escaping from her throat. The sudden jerk caused the needle to slip from Leo’s hand, plunging into the opposite thumb. He cursed under his breath and pulled it out, sucking on the bright bead of blood that welled to the surface. Lloyd chuckled at the display. “At least she stood still,” he said. “My Floyd would have been off like a shot. Kai isn’t even tied up.”

“Is that a compliment, I hear?” Leo joked from around the sore flesh of his thumb. The white glove he had been holding was long forgotten, lying forlornly on the ground. Lloyd flashed him a wry smile. “Don’t push your luck. It was simply an observation.” He picked the glove off the ground and brushed it off, tucking it under one thigh to prevent it from blowing away.

“It’s because Kaiser is such a good girl, isn’t she?” Leo cooed, making kissy noises. Kaiser regarded him curiously out of the corner of her eye, her ears flicking back to listen. Grinning, Leo scratched at the spot just above her withers, making her lip wiggle in appreciation. She bent her coppery head round to groom him right back, her gentle teeth catching at the bright white fabric of his breeches. Lloyd scoffed and wheeled around behind her, inspecting her as he went. He paused, tilting his head as he looked at Kaiser’s saddle pad. “Hey, when did you get the little Union Jack patch?” he called, brushing a fingertip across the embroidery.

Leo stood on his tiptoes to see what Lloyd was pointing at. “Oh!” He exclaimed. “Monica found it somewhere. She sewed it on for me, since we were going abroad.”

“Yeah, go on team GB!” Lloyd nodded enthusiastically, picking a stray thread off the corner. “You know, we should get some patches like this with the Hunter’s Run logo. All my stuff still says Causeway Park.”

“So do your horses’ names,”

“True. But Kaiser doesn’t have an HREC in her name either. What did QLS stand for, anyway? Something-something stables?”

“Quarry Lane Stables,” Leo clarified. He brushed his dusty fingers against Kaiser’s neck and fished out the needle and thread from where it was still dangling down her mane. “It was the name of the place that rescued her originally. They gave her that prefix and I didn’t really feel the need to change it.”

“Ah yes, the rescue wonder horse.” Lloyd rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Still, it would have been nice to properly represent Hunter’s. I know Monica’s been angling to get our name out there.”

Leo let out a dry laugh. “When we lose, you mean?”

Lloyd jerked his head indignantly. “What do you mean ‘lose’?”

“You know exactly what I mean. I’ve been worrying about it since we got here. I don’t know whether I should have signed up for Subtop. Maybe I should’ve just gone for the normal class.”

“Why, though? You’ve ridden this level before. How’s this any different?”

“I don’t know,” Leo said, pushing the needle through the braid one last time and tying it off securely. He handed the needle back to Lloyd. “It’s just…”

“What, you’re a shit rider? Is that what you want to hear?”

Leo shrugged, avoiding Lloyd’s gaze. He pretended to busy himself by rubbing at a little scuff on his saddle. “Connor seems to think so.”

Lloyd rolled his eyes and shifted forwards slightly to pat Kaiser’s sweaty neck. “He doesn’t think you’re that bad.”

“Cheers, mate.”

“He’s just strict ‘cause he used to be a dressage rider, and a pretty damn good one as well. Have you seen some of his awards?”

“No, I haven’t spoken to him that much.”

“Hm. Well, my point is he knows what he’s talking about. If he’s being tough on you, it just means he can see something that you might not.”

“I know,” Leo sighed. “I know he’s a good trainer. It just doesn’t do wonders for your confidence to have someone picking apart your every move.”

Lloyd shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Yeah, well…” he murmured vaguely, turning his gaze out across the show grounds. “It’s how you learn.”

Leo frowned. A silence fell between the two men. Music still floated in the air from the main arena. Kaiser pressed her nose into Leo’s jacket, wondering where the scritches had gone. She whuffled her top lip against his pockets, seeking out the treats she knew were inside. He stroked her velvety muzzle gently, staring into space. “I’ve never seen him ride,” he commented absently.

“Who, Connor?” Lloyd replied, raising his head. “Mm… he doesn’t so much anymore.”

“Why?”

Lloyd shrugged. Leo suspected he knew something that he wasn’t letting on, but if it wasn’t any of Leo’s business, then he wasn’t going to pry. He looked around for his lost glove instead. Lloyd handed it to him wordlessly and he slipped it back on to his hand. His breeches had a small mark on one leg from where Kaiser’s teeth had been, but he hoped it wouldn’t show in the ring.

Somewhere off in the distance, the crowd erupted into applause. Kaiser pricked her ears towards the sound, whickering softly. The music faded out, or possibly was drowned out by the applause. “Right,” Lloyd said definitively, turning his wheelchair to face the arena. “Sounds like that’s that round done. You’re up next.” Leo followed his gaze to where the contestant was leaving the arena, their face flushed with pride and their horse dripping with sweat. Leo plucked at one of his stirrup leathers. He rubbed the scuff in the saddle again, just in case it would help. At least the mark would be under his seat. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly through his nose. “Alright,” he responded. “Give me a hand, then. Come balance my other stirrup.”

Lloyd grabbed the stirrup in one hand, leaning his weight on it. Leo placed a foot in the opposite one, bouncing a few times before swinging up high into the saddle. He reached for his reins, gathering them into one hand while he smoothed out his coat with the other. Kaiser sucked on the bit as she turned in a wide circle, her pink tongue lapping over her lips. The applause had died down and in its place came the boom of Leo and Kaiser’s names over the loudspeaker. Leo cleared his throat and looked down to Lloyd. “Will you be alright to come down onto the sand?”

Lloyd nodded. “I’ll be fine, I’ve got my cane with me. If I get stuck I’ll walk and get someone to carry my chair. Now go quick, do you want your stick?”

“No thanks, Kai’s feeling forwards today, what with all the wind.”

“Suit yourself,” Lloyd said with a shrug. “If you win this, I’ll take you out for a pint later, on me.”

Leo supposed that was the closest thing to a ‘good luck’ that he was going to get. He gave Lloyd a little mock salute and gathered up his reins until he could feel the contact. Kaiser swished her tail as Leo nudged his heels against her flank, easing her into a walk. She marched forward confidently, her neck arched and her body feeling relaxed and supple as they made their way towards the arena.

———————

Pose ref

Judge and writer belong to KimEnLie (I hope I got their designs right lol)
Leo, Kaiser and Lloyd belong to me
everyone else in the crowd are just npcs