Alba Ceann mu Dheas - Update - January 26th 2014

[rambuckel]

@kwakelaar: Thanks a lot!
@noah: I guess it's pretty much the same in any sports club be it riding, football, soccer or water skiing. It's more effective to share equipment and knowledge. In the village where I ride there's two stables. One has the larger riding hall and so we can use that for events during winter and during summer they use our cross country parcours. Thanks a lot!
@benedict: Thank you very much!
@nbvc: Thanks a lot!

Today a short update about what has happened in my little workshop in the meantime. I had to realize that trucks are not really mine but I did my very best.

Workers are preparing the arena for the jumping competition while the riders arrive on the parking lot:


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Slàn leat!

[noahclem]

Looks like people are getting ready for something exciting! Nice trucks and trailors and I'm very curious as to how the competition they're getting ready for will look! And yes, I think our hobbies are very similar, but football/soccer might be a little less expensive than horses or waterskiing 

[sunv123]

It must be very cool going to a horse riding event, as i have not been to one before!

Hey, could you please, please give me a download link or just the name of those tiles, because they look so nice and I've been searching all over for them. Thanks,

-sunv123

[Kergelen]

Amazing recreation of the horse world. The "horse arena" looks great and the parking too.

[benedict]

Those horse trailers are fantastic - love the one with the Scottish flag skin.

And congratulations, your MD is number 8 for the year on BTT!

[Swordmaster]

That looks exciting! I know absolutely nothing about horseriding, and the few times I get a glance on it (like the past olympics), I never understand who won and why. Like cricket, another crazy sport   And I tend to agree with Noah - some sports are mighty expensive, others not at all. That's why football is so popular around the world - all you need is a ball and something for goalposts. But I take the most expensive part of your hobby is the horse itself? (Himself/herself?)

Cheers
Willy

[Framly]

Fantastic Updates, Theresa! You're are Bat-Artist

CHIO in Alba

[Dantes]

So many hd horse props, amazing  Well done 

[Schulmanator]

Delightful! Impressive clarity on the close up pix. 

[solsystem]

Once again you created very nice scenes.  Great Update!

[rambuckel]

@noah: Thanks a lot! Soccer and Football are surely not as expensive if you just take the personal equipment. But the maintenance of a proper soccerfield produces probably more costs than the maintenance of a riding arena for training and everyday use. Althugh I guess it's still cheaper than the maintenance of a water-ski site with some boats and propably even one of these constructions to drag waterskiers. But I certainly agree that the personal equipment for riding or water skiing is much more complex than that for water skiing

@sunv123: Thanks a lot! Riding events can be very nice even for those who're not riding themselves. Especially those in summer. Most of those events provide space to sit on some sort of meadow while watching the competition so you can sunbath while watching the competition and you don't have to sit in a row like in a stadium. The tiles? Do you mean those? http://www.simpeg.com/forum/index.php?action=downloads;sa=view;down=640
I might have got you wrong. In case I did please tell me and show me more exactly what you mean and I'll have a look again

@kergelen: Thank you very much!

@benedict: Thank you for your efforts with the Top100! I was really not expecting to be within the Top 10 but that's a real honor.

I have to thank all of those who visit and comment Alba. You actually support my little project with their acknowledgement and motivation!

@swordmaster: Thanks a lot! Usualle the horse itself is not the most important cost factor. Horses can cost up to 1Mio € and even more if you take "Totilas" for example. And a sport horse for ambitious riders which has certain abilities, a really good quality, pedigree and education and which already has some experience and some rankings in competitions averages about 20. – 40.000 €. I'm not really familiar with actual horse prices so this is what I regularly see in the magazines I read regularly. But this usually is for the really ambitious rider who has the ability to start in higher classes. If you want to have a horse for leisure purposes you can get a really good horse for 4.000 – 6.000 € and even less if you have a little luck. The most expensive part is the maintenance of the horse (stable, feeding, medical care ...) and the equipment for the horse.
I tried to give some explanation about the rules of show jumping in this update. As I usually ride dressage I'm not too familiar with show jumping although I know the basic rules. But it was really interesting to read about the history.

@Framly, Dantes, Schulmanator, Solsystem: Thanks a lot!



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Slàn leat!

[Schulmanator]

Great details! And nice work on all of the extras you added in.

Slan leat!!

[Swordmaster]

You're incredibly talented, Theresa. To make updates like this, you can't just be an average SimCity player. You've got to have much more going, not least of all a thorough understanding of this complex sport and the ability to explain it to simpleminded folks like me

Great work.

Cheers
Willy

[benedict]

Thanks for the history - I had no idea that's how showjumping originated. Great update - love the jumping course. I bet the horses don;t enjoy jumping number 4 with the bright red number 9 in their left vision!

[nbvc]

The jumping scenes look fantastic.

[noahclem]

Great work Theresa    The jumps are fantastically done. It's awesome to awesome to follow the story of the sport and then the course itself to have all the background that went into creating the great scenes in the ceremony. And I would never have thought of that as the reason for the origins of horse jumping! Another spectacular update 

[sunv123]

Ah, yes that's the one! Thanks!

Great work with the info, I learn so much from this!


Hmm, seems like Americans aren't as good at this sport.

[mrbisonm]

I see a great Horse fan here, probably someone who even owns one or more and participates in horseshows like this or at least has been around the shows a few times. Am I wrong? In Aachen?

Edit: I have just found and read the interview with 3stooges, sorry, didn't see that one neither.

We have a horseshow in my neighborhood, about 10 miles from here every year. The Cookshire Country Fair, as they call it here. I go once in awhile and watch my niece on her horse. I'm not actually a fan of horses, but I used to have a few standardbreds and quarterhorses on my farm which I bought on an auction, just to save them from the butcher. They all died naturally of old age on the farm. Now I don't have the time nor the room for them anymore, but I wish I could do that again one day. It was fun to see the horses grazing and running in front of my home in a pasture made just for them.


Great story, great pictures and settings, great props and I love the "horsy" details you add to the game. Well done and good enough to make sure that I come back.

Fred

[rambuckel]

@Schulmanator: Many Thanks!
@Swordmaster: Thank you very much for your kind words! Good to know that my explanations are understandable! I really love the possibilities of the game to let my imagination run wilde
@benedict: Thank you very much! Well I didn't really have an idea either It was interesting to read about the history of the sport in preparation for that update. I was convinced that show jumping originated from any military discipline.
@nbvc: Thanks a lot!
@noah: Thanks very much! As I already wrote, I had my own theory where show-jumping might have come from. But actually that theory was wrong
@sunv: Thanks a lot. Actually there are some American riders who are world class. Think of Meredith Michaels – Beerbaum for example. She actually married a German rider and rides for Germany but she's American. Ashlee Bond, Beezie Madden and some more. Some of them live and train in Germany or one of the Benelux states but they start for America.
@Fred: A warm welcome to Alba! Thanks a lot for your kind words!

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a good time with all your families and friends!

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Clement Clarke Moore ( 1779 – 1863)

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Nollaig Chridheil!

[benedict]

Merry Christmas to you, too. Thanks for all the great updates, including this Christmas one!