Home » Horses » Events » Sales » Office » Facilities » Contact

These pages are part of a sim-game called Riata and all content is fictional

GAMBLER

16hh Black Thoroughbred Gelding
1st August, 1985
Unknown Breeding
Advanced/CCI**** Eventing
MANE, PONY, HOCK

Image "Gambler" © 2005 Susan G, photo by Susan G.

Gambler may at first seem like an unassuming horse, and possibly not the sort of horse one would expect to find in a hall of fame. But Gambler is the most special horse of my entire sim-game career, even today, because he is the sim-version of a real life horsey love.

I met Gambler in about 1994 or 1995 at my riding school, which was then called Pine Lodge but is now called Heritage Riding Academy. It was quite love at first site... such perfection! Well, perfection in my mind anyway. Sure he had his faults... but to me they were just endearing idiosyncracies. He was an incredible sweetheart, who *loved* treats! And a creature of habit - the first thing he liked to do when put back out in the paddock after a day of riding was face you and do a big pee! And he was a firm believer of the 'I cannot poo and move at the same time' philosiphy so many horses seem to adopt. As a budding your dressage rider, there were much more suitable horses I could have been riding, but Gambler was my choice. He was a lot of work, being a bit lazy, reluctant to round and even more reluctant to collect up in his hind legs. But to my delight I eventually got him going round and looking every inch the dressage star! It is still one of my finest accomplishments I think. And when people used to actually tell me that they couldn't believe that was Gambler going around because he looked so good and that they hadn't seen anyone ride him like that, I glowed! Shows what a bit of dedication and hard work can do!

The sim-game Gambler was a champion of champions... and I'm not over-stating anything. He won an incredible amount of ribbons, awards and accolades in MANE. He was a member of the MET Eventing Squad, went to the 1998 HC Olympics and was approved by the MANE Equine Commendation Society (MECS). But perhaps his most special achievement was when the members of MANE voted him as the joint-winner of MANE Eventer of The Year along with Skip N School (MECS)!

In the world that is sim, this horse is enjoying an incrediblly well deserved retirement. In the real world, the last time I saw Gambler was in 2002 (my first year of vet school). As I am in Sydney most of my time I haven't been back to my old riding school for a few years. To be honest I am a little scared to ask about him in case there is news I don't want to here, even though he is only just pushing 20. Still, I like to think of him as enjoying time in the paddock, still plodding around the arena bringing joy into rider's lives and eating as many treats as he can possibly get his hands on!