What’s this? Ah, a letter!

After unloading your horse from the trailer, you both take in the scenery. The trees are already beginning to boast their colorful fall foliage, and leaves crunch with each foot (and hoof!) step as you approach the stables. The delicious smells of cinnamon and cider fill the air, and all around you, the yard is bustling with activity. Some familiar faces carry their freshly-picked pumpkins and line up at the drink stand, while others find their seats as they prepare for a hay ride.

Before joining in on the festivities, you head to the barn to get your horse settled in. Just as you step back outside, a sudden gust of wind whips through the yard. You sense a chill in the air, and you can’t help but notice the horizon darkening. It seems a storm’s a-brewing…

📌 Inspo Board: https://www.pinterest.com/skulldoggery/fall-harvest-festival/ 
Applewood Orchards is based in the New England area. It is a fairly well-off business with nice facilities, but still has a lot of classic New England charm with its sand arenas, wooden fencing, and other rustic elements. If you have any questions about the setting, feel free to ask!

The following day, you awaken to a crash, and don’t bother checking the time before rushing outside, where all you find is chaos. The storm is upon Applewood Orchards!

Judging by the frantic pace of those around you, it seems all is not well. Looking to help in any way you can, you finally find someone who can explain what has happened. Amidst the commotion, they tell you: "It came so quickly—we knew it was coming, but it wasn’t supposed to be here yet! We managed to get three of the mares and their babies inside safely but—oh, it’s horrible—the back fence of the pasture was smashed, and the other three pairs are lost in the storm. Please, help us find them!"

⏰ All mares, foals, and stallions below will close for entries on September 30th at 11:59pm site time.

Apple Bobbing: 
Step right up and try your luck at bobbing for apples. Each day, you'll get 3 chances - each successful bob earns you an Apple Slice item!

Pumpkin Patch:
Looking for a pumpkin to take home and carve? Each day, you can check up to 3 pumpkins in the patch in search of a Perfect Pumpkin!

⏰ Apple Bobbing ends on September 16th at 11:59pm site time. Pumpkin Patch starts on September 16th and ends September 30th at 11:59pm site time.

We hope you’re having a fantastic time celebrating the fall harvest with us! As the year slowly approaches its end, things tend to wind down. We invite you to join us for a few fun, laid-back events, and if you’re lucky, you might even win a few ribbons! In the outdoor arena, you can try your hand at mounted archery - don’t worry, we’ve got plenty of bows and arrows that you can borrow. For our obstacle course, you can take your pick of either our indoor or outdoor arena - and yes, you can borrow our obstacles too. As evening settles in, we hope to see you and your fellow competitors around the farm showing off your creativity for our costume contest.

Guidelines:

• All entries must meet the following minimum requirements (your choice of art or lit - both is fine, too!):
  • Art: Simple fullbody with props/details that clearly depict the event, and handler/rider (silhouette/stick figure min) if required
  • Lit: 600 word story clearly depicting the event in question, and handler/rider present if applicable to the specific event
• All entries must adhere to the usual Art/Lit Guidelines. Please keep gallery quality in mind even if choosing simple fulls/stick figure handlers/etc.
• Tack used is up to you, as long as the horse has some form of headstall and is clearly kept under control. Saddles and fall-themed accessories are optional.
• You may enter up to 3 horses in each class. You are not required to use the same horse in multiple classes, but Grand/Reserve Champion titles will only go to horses who entered all three!
• Using our Group Horses or borrowing a horse from a friend is fine, as long as you have permission for the latter (none needed for Group ponies!).
• How to Submit: All submissions should be sent to this folder. In the description, please note the class you are entering. All entries qualify for the +10 Sponsored Show Entry bonus as well!

Classes:

• Mounted Archery: Ready to see how well you aim? We've set up a few different targets around the outdoor arena, and if you want to win the most points before the timer runs out, make sure you look high and low, and maybe even out in the treeline. [Rider required]
• Obstacle Course: Is your equine companion brave enough to face our set of obstacles? You might find scarecrows, water jumps filled with apples, or even pumpkin stacks to weave through. You must depict at least one obstacle, and any obstacles must be on theme. [Rider required unless hand-led]
• Costume Contest: Let’s see how creative you can get! With Halloween approaching, we’re eager to see what kind of costumes you can come up with for your horse. We have horse-safe paint and all kinds of props available, if you didn’t bring your own. [No rider required]

Judging & Prizes:

• Each individual event will have a 1st-3rd place, judged by staff based on effort shown and staying on theme. Grand Champion and Reserve Champion will be community judged and both categories are only eligible to be won by those who completed all three classes with the same horse.
  
• Grand Champion: x2 Fall Accessory of Choice, x1 Exclusive Item of Choice, 2000 coins
• Reserve Champion: x2 Fall Accessory of Choice, x1 Exclusive Item of Choice, 1000 coins
• 1st Place: x1 Random Fall Accessory, x1 Rare Item of Choice, 500 coins
• 2nd Place: x1 Random Fall Accessory, x1 Uncommon Item of Choice, 500 coins
• 3rd Place: x1 Random Fall Accessory, x1 Common Item of Choice, 500 coins

⏰ The Fall Fun Show closes on October 31st at 11:59pm site time.