OMG I have missing days...Not sure but I think it might be the return of the Aliens. Last I knew about, I was in the middle of a snowstorm with howling winds and nasty cold and now I am standing roasting in the middle of a desert. I wandered around a bit trying to get my bearings when I passed a sign, a huge sign with a bunch of spaceships and aliens on it. Roswell huh, I betcha that has something to do with it. Oh I know where I am now. After a quick call to the Auto Club to get my wayward truck back, I set off to probe the ranch before me. Abduction Alley....hmmm how fitting seeing as I am missing days. Anyways on to the horses, they draw me...almost call to me...come see me...you want me.... hmmm who said that. You know I wonder if this has something to do with the beauty of the horses that are before me they seem sorta of alien in their duns and grullas. I stamp the dust off my boot and grab the first hired hand I can see. The ranch is owned by a LongLiveQueequeg, now that's name I know, prominent in the Spots World. LLQ has been in the ER World for some time and so I figure that there is a reason for my abduction. With one world champion, two national champions and six grand champions I would say that this ranch is making waves in the showing world. With career events sitting at 2,116, career BHIS Wins at 172 and with a career win record of 12,312/1,083/1,116/1,151 this ranch is sitting a tidy sum of $1,976,055 in career earnings. So now I will head off and catch up with my truck, hopefully the Aliens have made their point and this reporter will be free and clear. Hmmm what is that attached to the back of my neck?

The hands found the herds in good health in the valley. They vetted them, recorded their conditions, and separated several out to bring back for sale.

Every once in a while I get the urge to surf through our Grand Champions, National Champions and our World Champions. I also run through our Current Years Top Horses. Now it seems that our last boy is still sitting there at the Top so I picked the next one down this time. Now I am not one that is Superstitious but there comes a time when you don't walk under the ladder or let the black cat cross your path. Hmmm black cat, black horse; wonder if they work the same...oh well babbling again back to the point.
So a quick trip out to Demon's Lair owned by demonica was in order and off I went to check out the jet black Friesian Stallion Superstition TS. I took my time getting out of the truck as I looked this ranch over, and then spotted him. I grabbed a hand on his way by and found out that The Sensation was the sire and Raven CM was the dam of this Grand Champion Western stallion. Looking over his competition stats I noted that placements were at 151/33/23. Best Horse In Show Wins sitting at 27. We had noticed that this boy was running in shows that were dedicated to his breed and that not many had been in these classes, but he still had to beat others to earn this Grand Champion, just showing another way of making the grade.

After a brief stop in the office and a check in with The Boss I headed out the door again. The weather had seemed to turn for the worse on my way out, cold blustery winds rocked the little truck as I sought out my next ranch. I figured a change in music was in order, so with the tunes thumping hard I battled the northerly winds to another up and coming ranch. I figured one more and then out to find one of those with the paths well worn to their doors.
Thats when the little blanketed bodies poked out of the cold and grabbed my attention. So I turned down the tunes and headed up the drive. I didn't expect anyone to be out and about, but I did happen to see one employee on hand. So braving the winds and slipping into the warm sheepskinned lined jean jacket I made my way towards to find out about this ranch.
After plying the hand with a cup of warm coffee from my handy dandy thermos I got the name of the ranch. Shooting for the Stars Ranch. But it was the Brand that really caught my eye. JAG nice choice, I thought, fits real well with the Stars. I got visions of Jet fighters rocketing the skies at the top of their class. Not sure if thats what the owner had in mind, I'll make a mental note to come back and ask.
One more cup of coffee and I was out to take a look at the stock that was here. Wow, spots and splashes...fast and slow. There was a few Beginner Champions plaques hanging off the name plates. Some little weanling's that were already starting to show that they might have what it takes to make it. With a record of career events at 726, career BHIS winnings at 10, career win record of 2,884/116/151/139 and showing a $51,194 in earnings I think that amhelms should be pretty proud of themselves. Watch out old times, these new ranches are gonna give yah a run for your titles.

Ever get the feeling ya just want to ramble...well come along readers and ramble on towards a rather young ranch in the ER World. After taking a look at Painted Pastures Farm I headed my way south and maybe a little north, I'm not exactly sure as my map reading skills are a bit off, then again the great huge pop stain in it might not have helped. But I digress and coming up upon a tranquil little ranch I decided that a stretch of the legs is in order, who am I kidding; for a good looking ranch I will stop and investigate...okay...be snoopy, tis in the nature of the beast. I turned up the drive only to find that the name of this ranch was kinda of catchy. Reading the name of Life Is Short Stables I couldn't help think, you got that right sister so live each day to the fullest. I realized that I had found one of those out of the box type ranches that specialized in a sort of a jack-of-all-disciplines ranch that seemed to have a rather interesting mix of breeds. The ranch stated that they specialized in the Paint breed, but I found a mix of spots and dots in all different sizes. After a little bit of ER Internet research I discovered that they owners name is iliveforhorses and that they were looking at a Career Win Record of 676/46/37/53 showing a total of Career Earnings at $10,481 which is not too bad seeing at how young this up and coming ranch is. We wish them luck for the future and know that we will be seeing a fair amount of these horses through out the ER months.

Couple of days ago as I was going through our massive list of World Champions I chanced across the latest. I decided to take a closer look at this Arabian Stallion by the name of He Cries Best. This beautiful Mahogany Bay stallion by My Cries Unheard
out of Best Seller is 10 years old and already at the top of his game. I decided that a quick trip out to Falconwood Legacy Stables owned by Caw Thorn to take a look at him was in order. I discovered that this gentlemanly stallion had his heart in all the right places and a fair sum of $376,414 in earnings. It seems this gentlemanly stud was born and trained on his home ranch showing an achievement to his breeder/trainer. His placements were standing at 344/86/27 and on top of that 63 Best Horse In Show Wins and working to achieve the top of his World Champion bracket. Makes this reporter wonder if his is going to head for the coveted Custom of Distinction in Endurance. Might want to watch out for him, he could dash your dreams.

On a hunch and a bit of direction I decided that a road trip was in order...so off I went with a diet coke in one hand and a bag of chips in the other, tunes blaring out some lonesome country song. After a few hours of touring the E-R countryside I happened upon a quaint little farm located high in the mountains. Something drew my eye to it, maybe it was the flash of white against the dark colors of some purely stunning paints and AQH's that grabbed my attention, but whatever it was that directed me I was sure glad I stopped by. Pretty little place called Painted Pastures Farm, run by a sweet lady by the name of Painted Lady, information that I gathered from a group of hard working hired hands. A relatively new- up- and comer in the showing world but out to make headlines for herself. Leaning on the rail I talked back and forth with the hands and found out that this young ranch was holding a Career Win Record of 3,417/283/230/298 and a total earning amount of $748,302, . This made this ranch something to watch out for. Looking over the young stock I was truly impressed and glad that I had stopped...going to keep an eye out for this ranches brand.

The hands found the herds in good health in the valley. They vetted them, recorded their conditions, and separated several out to bring back for sale.

Sired by National Champion Laegaire and out of Novice Champion Galadriel's Light, the solid yellow dun Irish Draft Gelding standing in front of me ,as I write this, was born to excel in the show ring. He is Finrod Felagund, a very handsome bombproof Draft National Champion.

This remarkable 10 yr old has been chosen BHIS at 67 of the 101 shows he's competed in. An awesome feat to be sure. Having won first place 261 times, second place 63 times and third place 37 times out of the 495 classes he has been shown in thus far, this fella has an outstanding show record to boot. An incredible 2,162 horses have suffered defeat by this gelding. I'm sure his owner and breeder, JoharaIV, is extremely proud of her boy.

In a welcome change of pace, I decided the other day to investigate a rumor of a ranch running rampant with evil Kisos. As it turns out the rumor is true!

Coolwater Creek is home to over 50 evil Kisos. Amazing as their wicked personalities are, their ability to perform in the show ring is even more impressive. Pebbs, owner and operator of Coolwater Creek, has racked up a remarkable $10,655,527 in earnings in her career! Her demonic Kisos have won BHIS in 1,915 of the 8,940 shows she has entered them in. Amazing! Pebbs, having successfully bred and shown over 58 GCh or higher Kiso and countless Futurity Winners, has a lot to be proud of. Coolwater Creek is also home to the ,now retired, Local Stock,Hall of Fame legend, Acappella ROMX. An amazing ranch to be sure.

Today I had the good fortune to witness a sweet 18yr old Spanish Mustang mare make history. The remarkable little mare was found at the local Spanish Mustang specialty show where she dominated the field as if she owned it, earning herself the title of Grand Champion. According to the announcer, this beauty goes by the name of Picador.

After talking with a show official, I learned that the mare is sired by English World Champion Rubi Caotico and is out of a grey mare named Dainty Fighter. After pressing for more information, I also learned that this mare has had a great run in the show ring, having placed first 91 times, second 92 times, third 42 times and having come in as BHIS a remarkable 13 times out of 74 events.

I was quite taken with Picador and believe I will keep my eye out for her and her descendants at the shows.

The snow is coming down so hard I can barely see the barns up ahead, as I pull into the drive of Equestrian Days Stable. I'm here to meet a remarkable English World Champion Appaloosa legend in person. His name is The Absolute One, known by his friends as Tucker. He is the mighty 13 yr. old son of the infamous stallion The Chosen One and is out of a gorgeous mare dubbed Absolute Beauty.

Stepping from the car, I walk through the gate and enter the stallion barn. Easily locating his stall, I stand in front of it in awe. Behind the dutch door stands the Chestnut Rabicano stallion in all his glory. He wickers a soft greeting to me as he reaches his head over the barrier, placing his soft muzzle against my waiting hand. The long drive was worth it. I give him a few more scritches behind his ears before stepping back to read the gold plaque on his stall door.

The plaque reads off the many accomplishments of the stallion before me. Out of 283 shows, Tucker has won BHIS 155 times and has beaten 6,376 horses in his career. I read further and discover that out of 1,918 classes, he placed first 1,174 times, placed second 257 times and has placed third 136 times. I'm amazed to find that he has earned $1,024,812 thus far in his career. After a glance at my watch, I give Tucker another pat before wandering back to my car and driving away. This was a most momentous day.

The hands found the herds in good health in the valley. They vetted them, recorded their conditions, and separated several out to bring back for sale.

The hands found the herds in good health in the valley. They vetted them, recorded their conditions, and separated several out to bring back for sale.

E-R Officials wish to congratulate Kicked and Intruder Alert.

Intruder Alert, the first World Champion, was awarded the prestigious Horse of the Year Award for 2007.

The weather was crisp as the hands headed out. The breath of their horses hung like smoke from a dragon's nostrils in the cool morning air. The sun glistened off the frost as it rose into the early morning sky.

The herd was frisky in the early winter weather. The hands vetted them, recorded their conditions, and separated several out to bring back for sale.

The hands brought in a modest number of horses from the local herds this year, leaving plenty in the valley to replenish the herd stock for the future.

The late summer rains brought the grass in green and lush. The hands found the herds in good health, and large numbers.

Acappella was inducted into the Hall of Fame today. Sire of 21 get that are at the Grand Champion or higher level, and 21 futurity winners, Acappella is the first horse awarded the Register Of Merit.

585/439/51/12 - 1,471 horses defeated.
1,030/339/367/208 - 2,244 horses defeated.
513/370/43/27 - 1,570 horses defeated.

Two futurity winners.

This Dressage CoD had the makings of a bitter battle to the finish. At the last moment Lillith Bloodgood broke with Rhino, and was excused by the event veterinarian. One of the futurity winners was out.

Against The Grain and Kiss Of The Measles took to the ring in a head to head competition. Kiss The Measles took first in the Dressage class and never looked back, sweeping all five classes of the event, soundly defeating Against The Grain's best efforts.

From BHIS at the 2 year old Dressage Futurity, to BHIS at the Customs of Distinction Dressage Event, Kiss Of The Measles has shown she's nothing to sneeze at.

Congratulations on their victory in the SHG CoD Harness Racing Event!

Abercrombie battled it out with his stablemate Charged to the Max in what became a match race. In an even split both the mare and the gelding won two races each, however Abercrombie edged out the game little mare on the turf to take BHIS.

Congratulations on their victory in the SHG CoD Racing Event!

Shadow Cat battled it out with his stablemate Deathly Lament as the two dominated the Racing CoD.

Congratulations on their victory in the SHG CoD Three Day Event!

Soaring summer temperatures seared the area, scorching the precious little grass that remained due to the drought.

The hands searched the valley for most of the day, hunting for the few stragglers that had not left for the hills with the main herd. After hours of searching, they returned with a few hardy little animals.

The number of currently active cases has risen slightly over recent months. Investigating this I found that there are 47 horses that have tested positive that have not been euthanized.

One case, the horse was infected on month 219, tested positive on month 229, and is still active, spreading EIA today. This horse is asymptomatic, and will live indefinitely, spreading this disease. The owner is active, but has simply not euthanized the horse for whatever reason.

Be vigilant! Check the results of all horses on any ranch you do business with. Don't assume they will have euthanized any positive result horses.

Pepi proved he was more than just potential today when he swept the Endurance CoD. This boy showed he was pure platinum through and through as he racked up first place after first throughout the event.

NeeChee put in a strong showing in second, but was never quite able to really put the pressure on Pepi.

The Customs of Distinction Series continues with the Endurance CoD event scheduled for month 230.

The Three Day Event CoD follows on month 245.

The hands thinned the local herds today, bringing in quite a selection of locally bred horses for breeders to choose from.

Congratulations to Lava on taking BHIS at the Gaited CoD event. It was quite a battle between he and Kerrigan. Volens Et Potens, the only mare to compete, put in a strong showing, taking a second and several thirds.

The Customs of Distinction Series continues with the Western CoD event scheduled for month 199.

The Gaited CoD follows on month 214.

Today Casiopeia, the dam of four titled futurity winners, including Grand Champion Havana Blues and National Champion Incognito, was welcomed into the Hall of Fame.

The SHG CryoBank announced today that it has expanded its facilities. With this new expansion they are now able to offer Extra Frozen Semen Tank Rentals to Blue Ribbon, Red Ribbon Breeder, and Silver Platter ranches that have a Breeding License.

Cost for the rented tanks is $10 USD for each 180 game Months.

Rentals can be paid for on the Subscribe page.

Efforts are underway to get the Customs of Distinction series off the ground. The competitions were put on hold while work was done to move them from Grand level competition to the prestigious World level.

Beginning with the English CoD on month 169, the CoD events will be run approximately one every 15 months until they are caught up. They will then return to their normal schedule.

SHG Imports announced the arrival of a new shipment of imports today.

SHG Imports said they will disperse these newly imported horses to the area breeders beginning immediately.

SHG Registry officials announced that they have begun revoking registrations of horses that belong to repeat offenders.

"It really baffled us," one official stated. "We unnamed their horses, forcing them to pay around $10,000 in reregistration fees, and they turned right around and used the affix again!"

Officials said it was disturbing that warnings and forced reregistration were not enough to deter some people.

"I really would have preferred to spend some time with my horses, but here I am adding features to our registration software so we can revoke registrations."

Horses that have their registrations revoked cannot be competed or bred. They also lose any titles they have earned.

Officials from the Horsin' Around facility stated that owners of horses placed in loving homes through their facility will not be paid anything for the horse if it has had its registration revoked.

"Our loving families do not feel they should pay for horses that have had papers pulled. It's just an ugly mess."

E-R Imports has shipped in new import stock for the area breeders!

This rare occurance is a golden opportunity for many to bring in fresh blood to their barns.

After allowing the local herds to build up their numbers, the biannual roundups of local stock have resumed.

The hands reported the herds were found in excellent health, grazing on the lush new green growth emerging in the valley.

Because the herd's size had grown so significantly over the last few years, the hands were able to bring in a large selection of horses to be sold to the area breeders.

This memo was just released by the E-R Registry.

Ranch based affixes, essentially brands, are not allowed in registered names. This is clearly stated on the registration form.

We will begin seeking out horses with affixes in their names soon, and unregistering them. You will be forced to reregister these horses, at your cost.

Continued violation of this naming rule may result in our instituting fines, or possible revokation of registration for each horse bearing a ranch based affix.

The E-R Hall of Fame would like to welcome Jamila Sakima, Caviar Dreams, and Closure.

Missy was the first homebred horse to break the 80% mark.

Caviar Dreams shattered the records, and set the show world on fire.

Closure has dominated the breeding shed, siring the two highest homebred foals in E-R history.

Congratulations to all.

This just in. Reports are flooding in from all over the globe. Some strange cosmic coincidence has caused every mare in the world to foal at the same exact time.

Eye witnesses report having seen a bright light, or a streak passing through at very low altitude just seconds before the mares mysteriously foaled. Some mention a vet racing around from mare to mare, described only as being the fastest thing on two feet.

Could this be an alien experiment? Could this supersonic vet be alien? The world may never know.

Overwhelming heat delayed the departure and efforts of the hired hands this year. Upon their arrival in the valley, they found precious little water, grass that looked like hay, and very few horses.

After vetting the horses, they gathered a small number wanting to leave enough to carry the herds forward without leaving too many for the drought stricken area to support.

Be sure to get your rodeo Grand Champions saddled up and entered in the E-R Customs of Distinction Rodeo Event!

As the sun rose past the horizon, the heat was already stifling. Midmorning found the hands entering the valley, the oppressive heat distorting the image before them. Temperatures soared into the high 80's by noon with no relief in sight.

The high temps and lack of rains were beginning to take their toll on both the grass and the herd. While the herd was still in good health, the hands made the decision to bring in as many as they could in an effort to alleviate the situation and prevent losses.

The sun lit the sky in hazy pinks and purples as the hands headed down to the valley. By the time they reached the head of the valley, it was a flaming golden orange disc breaking over the horizen, and an early morning haze filled the valley.

As the hands entered the valley they saw the horses through the mist. Some were grazing, while others dozed peacefully. Foals lay at their dam's feet, curled up waiting for the morning sun to disipate the haze.

By the time the sun reached the peak of its path across the sky, the hands had rounded up a fair number of horses, and given vet care to the rest. As they left the valley the remaining foals were frolicking and racing with each other at the lower end of the valley, the roundup forgotten.

Today Silver Wrappers was welcomed into the Hall of Fame. A stunning grey mare, Wrappers was the first undefeated World Champion, and the first homebred inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Congratulations to Shone and Wrappers.

The Boerperd has been divided into two distinct breeds. The existing Boerperds have been renamed the Kaapse Boerperd. Additionally the SA Boerperd has been added to the registry.

The sun broke through the dreary grey of winter, welcoming spring to the valley. Overnight the valley was full of birds singing their songs of love and happiness in the warm spring breeze. The rain of recent weeks, now a memory with lush green grass to mark its passing, left the valley rejuvinated.

The herds have come back to the valley, in fairly fit condition despite the hard winter. The hands worked tirelessly to vaccinate, trim hooves, and brand horses. The roundup went smoothly, and the hands brought home a nice number of horses to sell to the local breeders.

The day dawned crisp with a brisk chill in the air. As the sun broke through the clouds, warming the faces of the gathering spectators, a field of hopefuls took to the track for the prestigious CoD Racing Event.

Amidst such tough competition as A Star Is Born, Fuinrando, Gone Rotten, and Swift Domination, Senor Noche made history.

The undefeated hopeful, Trip emerged at the end of the day with a record of 126/0/0 out of 126 races. A stunning victory that undoubtedly had his owner, trainer, and breeder jumping for joy.

Congratulations to Melanschool6 and Trip!

A sudden cold snap forced the herds back south of the valley, and resulted in a smaller than average round up.

E-R Event Officials announced big changes to the eventing system today.

In light of the rampant abuse by show hosts, the following changes were made.

Points, horses defeated, and win/place/show records will only be counted in events that have entry fees that are 5% or less of the added payout.

Shows that have an entry fee larger than 5% of the added purse will not count toward earning titles.

Called a bold move by some, it was necessitated by the absurd, and growing, number of hosts that were monopolizing the event circuit with events that offered little to no reward to the winners. It was felt that this was extremely unfair to those shelling out hard earned cash in their efforts to title their horses.

These changes will take effect beginning with events running Month 472.

Unseasonably warm temperatures brought the local herds far to the north. A record sized herd greeted the hands as they entered the valley for the biannual roundup. Never had the hands seen the valley so full, and felt it best to thin the herds more than normal before they overgrazed the area.

As the sun began melting the heavy snows that had fallen over the previous days, people gathered from far and wide to witness The ER Customs Of Distinction Endurance Event today. One hundred and sixty-seven hopeful entries gathered for their shot at the big prize.

So many amazing horses in one spot, gathered to give their all in hopes of taking home the coveted BHIS was quite an awe inspiring sight.

As the event played out, four names surfaced as the dominant force. Lucky Accident, an American Quarter Horse bred and owned by Mitch, gave a strong showing of herself in two classes with finishing scores over 465 in both.

Partita, an exceptional Eriskay mare bred by quodilin and owned by Atalaya4 proved herself very worthy with four top five finishes, two of which were strong seconds, and a high score of over 465.

Don't Pass Me By, an imported mare owned by Caelum looked like a shoe in. Taking four firsts, she had a high score of 466.795. It didn't look like anyone could catch this stunning American Warmblood mare. Overcoming the disadvantage of her breed, this mare gave her all, and then a little more.

In the end however, Lady was edged out by a pretty little Anglo-Arab gelding called simply, Adonai. Owned and bred by lorna, this colorful little gelding managed to take home victory in the 25 Miles class, narrowly defeating Lady's high score by a fraction. A hard earned score of 466.92 earned Adonai BHIS, and a place in E-R history.

Congratulations to Adonai and lorna!

E-R Registry Officials announced today that they are now allowing the use of frozen semen to artificially inseminate mares.

The following limitations apply:
Each ranch may own one storage tank.
Each tank will hold six canisters.
Each stallion's semen must be stored in its own canister.
Each stallion may have a maximum of one canister.
Each canister holds a maximum of 50 0.5 ml straws.
Each AI breeding requires 2 straws.

Ownership of the semen belongs to whomever owned the stallion at the time of collection.

Frozen semen can be excellent insurance that you will be able to breed from your stallion in case he ever becomes infertile unexpectedly.

The hard winter broke to mild weather as the hands headed out to the valley for the biannual roundup.

The air was warm and the rains light as they rounded up a moderate number of horses from the Local herd. The herd was healthy and fit, though the majority were still far past the south end of the valley.

More Q & A with Admin

Recently a lot of people have asked me what surefoot is.

Well more correctly it is surefooted.

From the dictionary we learn:
surefooted
One entry found for surefooted.
Main Entry: sure·foot·ed
Pronunciation: -'fu-t&d
Function: adjective
: not liable to stumble, fall, or err
- sure·foot·ed·ly adverb
- sure·foot·ed·ness noun

So how surefooted a horse is means how likely they are to stumble, trip, fall, misstep. A very surefooted horse is one that is not clumsy whereas one that is not very surefooted "has four left feet."

Remember the old saying, "He's as surefooted as a mule."

Q & A with Admin

Q How do you get their training to be rated good or great because i have trained my horse 3 times in the same section and it is still rated poor.

A Each session is equal to about 20 minutes time. You can't expect a horse to learn something in just one hour, or just 3 days.

Each horse learns at its own rate, some fast, some slow. Many things affect how fast a horse can learn. Its genetics, how it is raised, its temperament, its age, its condition, how well it was trained the basic things in life are but a few things that can have an effect on how fast a horse learns.

Patience and persistance are paramount to training a horse!

Today marks the end of the career of a little smoky black gelding.

HW Black Lies first set hoof on the E-R world on Game Month 87. Tomorrow we roll to Game Month 400 and Black Lies will turn 25.

A peek at him may leave you wondering why I am writing this. A reasonably impressive win record of 377/48/8 out of 436 classes, 59 BHIS wins out of 80 events, a healthy $683,657 in earnings to his credit, and a handful of get mark his time here.

What truly set Black Lies apart from the other good show horses here was an accomplishment no other had achieved.

Black Lies defeated Silver Wrappers, the undefeated World Champion. He was her "Upset."

Unlike Upset who could never again best Man O' War however, he proved it wasn't a fluke and defeated her again, defeating her in a total of 21 classes/3 events.

He proved that it isn't just how good you are, it is where your strengths lie that matters most. He reminded us all that it is the whole package that counts, and sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Here's to Black Lies. May he have a wonderful retirement!

Unusually heavy snows blanketed the valley where the E-R local herd summers, forcing the horses to migrate farther south to their wintering land. The hands ventured far down to the south end of the valley, but were only able to locate a small band of stragglers.

The morning broke rainy and dreary but that didn't put a damper on The ER Customs Of Distinction Western Event!

It was tough competition in the arena and on the track as top horses vied for the Red, White and Blue ribbon.

At the end of the day a quiet and unassuming little blue roan Paint mare had given a tremendous performance in Trail, and edged out the competition to claim BHIS.

Congratulations to Obi Wan Kenobi and their pretty little mare *ŤĆ* Rain Girl. Apparently the rain suits her.

The ER Customs of Distinction Western Event is now open to entries. It will run on November 15th. Remember only Red and Blue Ribbon ranches may enter this event.

Good luck to those who enter.

E-R Imports has shipped in a whole new load of import stock for the local breeders! A rare occurance, this is a golden opportunity for many to bring in fresh blood to their barns.

Breaking news!

E-R Event Officials announced that all levels of events are now judged on the new system! Look for some really tough competition in the higher brackets!

The biannual roundup is now complete. With the coming winter, most of the local herds had moved out of the valley but the hands were able to bring in a good number of horses for sale to the area breeders.

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Congratulations to TooSweet and their simply stunning grey Arabian mare •sSs• Leylian.

Leylian proves the saying that no good horse comes in a bad color. She continued her undefeated streak, dominating The ER Customs of Distinction English Event, taking first in all 7 classes and a stunning BHIS over 244 horses and winning her owner a respectable sum of $1,524,808.

Leylian is currently 89/0/0 of 89 classes with 14 BHIS wins in 14 events.

The ER Customs of Distinction English Event is the largest in E-R history with 251 total entries.

Congratulations to Viper and Overclocked for being the first two inductees into the Hall of Fame!

E-R Event Officials announced today that the Expert bracket judges have also completed their retraining and will begin using the new judging system on month 353.

Competition will really be heating up in the lower level brackets now!

Expect the upper brackets to begin using the new judging system very soon.

Breaking News!

E-R Event Officials announced that the Advanced bracket judges have completed training on the new judging system and will begin using it effective immediately. Expect stiffer competition in that bracket starting month 352!

E-R Event Officials announced today that the Novice bracket events will now be judged according to the new judging system beginning with events scheduled for game month 348.

E-R Officials would like to announce the Customs Of Distinction Series.

The ER Customs Of Distinction English Event will be the first in a series of special Grand Champion level events open to Red and Blue Ribbon members only.

There will be a single event held each real month, tentatively on the 15th. There will be only one event per real year per discipline. Entry fees are $9,999 per class with an added purse of $999,999 but the big money isn't the real reward of winning these prestigious events.

A special custom import mare will be awarded to the owner of the BHIS winner of each event.

What makes these custom import mares so special you are wondering? Well just take a peek at the parents the winner gets to choose from...

Introducing the Foreign Stock II lines. You can view these gorgeous horses on ranch #3. These horses will only be used for the CoD horses.

Only twelve of these customs will be awarded in a single real year. Eleven lucky winners of the Customs Of Distinction events and at the end of the year one will be awarded to the Horse of the Year.

Get training, get showing and get ready. CoD is coming.

The biannual roundup was great this year. The hands found the herd in good health and they were able to bring in several horses for sale to the area breeders.

Local officials announced today that a tax on sales and income has been levied.

This money will go to the upkeep and improvement of the area roads, employee salaries, local herds, showgrounds and racetracks.

Sales tax is a fixed 7% rate.

Income tax varies by tax bracket, from 7% up to 10%.

Officials stated that the sales and income taxes will be applied to horse sales and stud fees at this time. If they will be applied to other forms of income remains to be seen.

The biannual roundup was nothing short of spectacular this year. The hands found the herds in good health in spite of recent droughts. They were able to bring in a record number of locally bred stock from the native herds!

IF YOU ARE IN DEBT...

The Local Feed Store has decided to no longer extend credit to in debt ranches. If you run out of money you will no longer be able to feed your horses.

Unfed horses lose condition, strength, coat, muscle tone, speed, and all the other trained stats as well as health very rapidly.

Avoid having the Local Law Enforcement possibly fine you for neglect and confiscate your horses!

Get out of debt today!

Admin Acres released a statement today saying they have retired their famous The Admin's line of stallions.

The Admin Acres' spokesperson said, "These stallions have provided a great service to the local horse community over their 14 years at public stud. They are now aged stallions coming 17 and we felt they deserved to live out their remaining years with loving families."

When asked if there would be replacements for the stallion line known the world round, the spokesperson declined to comment saying "One never knows what move Admin Acres will make next."

Recent temperatures have hovered in the mid nineties to the low 100's causing the local water holes to dry up. The local herds have moved out of the valley in search of water. The biannual roundup took a month longer than normal as the hands combed the area for horses.

In the end they came back with precious few Local Stock to sell to the area breeders.

The local government of E-R has built a new Courthouse on the Commons. Look for announcements of new 'laws' and judicial process soon.

The bi-annual roundup of Local Stock went well today. The herds were in the lower valley grazing on the lush grasses granting the cowboys easy access to them. Not wanting to overly deplete the Native herds they rounded up a moderate number for sale to the area's breeders.

Congratulations to Zoe and her Thoroughbred mare, ±Z°e± Bella Giorna, on their win of the Equine Ranch Cup! Thanks to all who participated in this year's E-R Triple Crown series-- looking forward to next year!

Also, congratulations are in order for the Belmont Stakes winner, Afleet Alex!

This season brought a slightly more bountiful roundup as the herds moved down to the lower valley where the grazing is good thanks to the earlier rains.

Congratulations to Boomer and their Paint mare, KK Gambling Fool, on their Equine Ranch Stakes win Saturday!

Thank you to all who ran, and best of luck to you in the future!

The Breeding FAQ has been updated. http://equine-ranch.com/commons/viewtopic.php?p=10#10

Don't forget that the second leg of the Equine Ranch Triple Crown is running this Saturday, May 21st-- The Equine Ranch Stakes! Get those Grand Champ racehorses entered and ready for the big race, and catch all the information about and continuing coverage of the E-R Triple Crown in the Commons!

Q & A with Branik

Thought it might be fun if I shared some of the frequently asked or interesting questions and their answers from support with the rest of the players.

Today's question is:
I have a Lethal White Overo stallion, and when I tried to breed him it said that Lethal White Overo stallions could not be bred. Is there a reason for this?

Answer:
Yes. It is because in real life all Lethal White foals die within 1-3 days of being born. In the game Lethal Whites are "cyber dead." They cannot enter shows or breed.

Nikki

To those that actually complied and accepted my bids, you two are good players man. To those that didn't but did at least change the way you were pricing, y'all are alright. I'll let you stay.

Seriously remember please do not 'falsely advertise' by putting low prices you won't accept for the horse. If you put $0 you better be giving the horse away.

And no I didn't keep anybody's horses. :P

Nikki

A word about advertising.

When you list a horse for sale you need to list it for the price you are willing to sell it for.

When you place a horse for sale for approval you MAY NOT put them for sale for $0 unless you are willing to take $0 for them. This is bad business my friends. That price is to be the 'buy now' price that you are willing to accept.

Now I am going to go offer on every horse for sale for $0 and I EXPECT them to be ON MY RANCH as soon as you log in since there is no reason on this earth you would consider the game owner to be a bad owner to sell to now would you?

I will continue to do this to every horse placed for sale for $0 until you all get the idea that it is WRONG to do that and then tell players they must offer more than you asked for. I did not give you approval only sales so you could play games with them and then send nasty notes to the players that make offers for the price you asked.

Nikki

Also, a big congratulations to the winner of the 131st Kentucky Derby, Giacomo, pulling off a big upset and conquering a tough field!

Congratulations to Meg and her amazing mare, QLª Jaleh, on their Equine Ranch Derby win! Best wishes to them both should they run in the Stakes on the 21st of May.

Thank you to all who ran, and best of luck to you in the future!

A late snow cut off access to the local herds resulting in a second small roundup.

This is a heads up for owners and trainers of fine racehorses the world over! Announcing the Equine-Ranch Triple Crown, a series of three Grand Champion class races run in tandem with their American counterparts. The Equine Ranch Derby (mirroring the Kentucky Derby) is the first leg of the E-R Triple Crown and will be running on May 7th, the first Saturday of May. The other two races, the Equine Ranch Stakes (the Preakness Stakes) and the Equine Ranch Cup (The Belmont Stakes) will follow, running on their respective days. Each of these races has an added purse of *one million* ($999,999) playcash.
Any one horse to win all three of these races will not only claim the honored title of E-R Triple Crown Champion, but will also secure one year of premium status for their owner. This is an opportunity not to be missed, but train your horses carefully--- only Grand Champion class horses may compete in these events, so those who wish to compete in all of them, be sure not to shoot past Grand Champ and into National or you may find yourself out of the running!
Good luck to all contenders, and see you on Derby Day!

The E-R Employment Agency is giving a bonus to its premium workers!

During the month of May all Blue Ribbon Ranches will receive 13,000 sim cash salary!