Full Name: Sebastian William Bauer
Age: 21
Sexuality: Probably bisexual, but he’s never put much thought into it
Pronouns: He/him
Role At Serenity: Competition Rider, happy to exercise/school horses as needed. He doesn’t fully understand that he’s likely to be asked to fill the gaps elsewhere as well, and will definitely complain about it.
Riding Experience: Varied and vast, but still quite green himself when it comes to upper-level competition. He funded much of his career by producing and flipping horses himself, as well as working as an exercise rider at a local racing stable in his latter teens. This gave him both a rock solid seat and a somewhat unconventional style.
Discipline(s): Showjumping, eventing.
Reputation: He’s not exactly renowned, but his reputation precedes him to those in the industry. A bit of a loner, prone to aggression, but loosens up enough for a party of two.
Appearance: Sebastian stands at around 5’9, but cuts a lanky rather than intimidating figure. Between his lithe, light build and his pale skin, he looks like he might’ve washed up on a shore somewhere. He’s fit, but not obviously brawny. His grey-green eyes are framed by sharp, cutting features, never with quite enough sun in his pallor. His short hair is messy at best, naturally blond but dyed even lighter ‘for the vibe’. He might look a bit wispy around the edges if it wasn’t for his arrogant posture and perpetual dubious gaze. Sebastian is someone who doesn’t put that much thought into his appearance, other than to ensure that it looks effortlessly put together.
Personality: He’s a bit of a dick, but at least he’s upfront about it. Sebastian always has a biting comment or two; some view this as humourous and others view it as savage. He’s not necessarily a cruel person, but is certainly capable of it, though most of his bluntness comes from a somewhat limited socialisation and a very German father rather than true ill intent. Don’t blame it all on ignorance, though – he also knows where to place the blade and twist it. He’s hardworking and dedicated, but be prepared for complaints (even as he fulfils instructions to the letter). This isn’t to say he’s genuinely an angry person – generally, he enjoys the push-back when someone matches his snark/jabs. Famously this has worked out poorly for him, though, as shown by his long string of petty physical fights. He likes riling people up, much as he likes it when they throw punches (physical or not) in return. Overall, Seb is a careless, aggravating person, but balances this with a rare straightforwardness and a carefree relaxation.
What brings them to Serenity?: His fresh start at Serenity follows a few too many fights in short succession. He’s here for the fresh air, quiet surroundings, and the chance that a bit of seeming charity work might improve his image. (Not wholly of his own will – Max’s owner stipulated it as part of the conditions for keeping the ride, which immediately silenced Seb’s protest.)
Backstory: Hold this space, highkey still deciding it myself. The vague premise is wealthy but distant parents, only child, spent his teen years hopping from boarding school to boarding school and was thrilled to finally be done with it so he’d have more time to focus on horses. Since then, he’s been on the British circuit competitively, with sponsors and exercise riding gigs to pay the bills. He hopes that Max could be his chance to break away from purely producing young horses and losing the ride once they reach a certain level, to competing at upper levels himself.
Affiliations (romantic/familial/etc, past/present): Open (would be v much down for some sort of a rivals/ragebaiters to lovers arc, maybe even someone who otherwise is quite peaceful but seb just specifically gets under their skin)
Horse: Maximilian
Registered Name: Maximilian
Barn Name: Max
Age: 6
Gender: Gelding
Breed: KWPN
Appearance: Max is a stately steel grey, standing at roughly 16.2hh (Seb hasn’t measured him since the most recent, and likely last, growth spurt, so suspects he’s closer to 16.3/17hh by now) Yet to properly grey out, his points are dark, while his body has begun to dapple and lighten, with a thin stripe on his forehead.
Strengths & Challenges: For Max, the challenge is not so much clearing the obstacle but rather maintaining control in between. His huge sweeping stride lends itself to the cross-country course but can be tricky to sit, and makes his last-minute aborts even more legendary. He has a phenomenal natural movement, both on the flat and over fences, but his anxiety is his greatest inhibitor. Consequently, he needs rider that is 100% with him and has no fears to cloud his own – Sebastian’s foolhardy nature lends itself perfectly to this. Both Seb and Max’s owner are insistent he has the potential to shine, but so far his show record is marred by eliminations and spooks.
Discipline: Showjumping; eventing, eventually. For now, though, Seb is focused on giving him as much varied exposure as possible, careful not to overface him despite his natural talent.
Experience: Very limited. Schooling comfortably at home through higher, more technical courses, but even his expeditions to local 0.90/1m comps have ended poorly. The focus is on gaining mileage and calming him down without any pressure to perform, so he’s been restricted to schooling shows at ridiculously low heights for now.
Turnout/Dietary Requirements (opt): Group turnout always. He gets quite buddy sour quite quickly, and usually needs a companion at competitions. Seb is working on getting him less herd-bound, but this, much like the rest of Max’s hijinks, is a work in progress.
Relationship With Rider: A relatively new partnership, but promising. Max is slightly withdrawn by nature, but once you have his trust, you have it entirely.
Sunny
