Competitions

Among riders and pilots, there's an irresistable urge to show off at every opportunity - or make fun of the ones that show off. (See? Everybody wins.) Over time, some of these "show off" activites became widespread, and so universal that official events were staged around them. Such events might include:


 * Short Burst Races
 * Long Haul Races
 * Pilot Duels
 * Ringer Circuits
 * Hauling
 * Calling
 * Herd-splitting

Every island has its own twist on these activities, but there's a consistent way to handle them from one place to another. Usually, a pilot will sign themself up to compete on a given day, often with the hope of winning a fat prize purse or even a new Mark. Many of these competitions are used as a way to gain more prestige, proving that they and their peg are good enough for the job.

Races, Long and Short
The simplest of these competitions is the race, in which six to ten pilots will take off from a predetermined point, fetch a flag or scarf from their destination, and bring it back. Whether they all fly at once, or take turns being timed by the judge will vary from one island to the next. The longer the race, the more likely it is that the winner has a signifcant amount to gain from winning.

Long-haul races are all about endurance and stamina, and generally require the pilot to be in the saddle for multiple hours. Short-burst races, on the other hand, are something like our modern drag races - the first to get airborne is often the first to cross the finish line.

Pilot Duels
This event is similar to capture the flag, only played in the air on the backs of pegasi. Each pilot will try to take the other's pilot scarf, thus ending (and winning) the duel. It's all about being able to out-maneuver your opponent. Pilot Duels are frequently used on the larger islands to settle disputes in a non-violent way.

Ringer Circuits
A "ringer" is a time-based obstacle course. Something like the there-and-back races, the goal of each ringer pilot is to grab as many of the rings from their hooks and ribbons along their route as possible. The standard time-limit for a ringer circuit is 3 minutes, though there is at least one particularly long circuit running through Coal Canyon with a time limit of 5 minutes.

Each color of hoop is worth a specific number of points. When a Pilot finishes their run, their points are scored and compared to the other pilots there for the event. The highest score wins.


 * Green Rings - 1 point
 * Yellow Rings - 3 points
 * Red Rings - 10 points
 * Blue Rings - 25 points

Hauling and Calling
Both of these events are performed without a pilot or rider aboard. This is meant to test the trust between pilot and peg, giving them only verbal commands to complete a given task.

"Calling" is the name of the competition where a peg (generally a shortwing) is hitched to a heavy load, then asked to return to their human, who would be stationed about a quarter-mile away.

"Hauling" is the name for the competition wherein a peg is asked to fly cargo from one site (usually a storefront or bunk house) to another, often a stable or homestead. This requires the peg not only to obey the commands, but also to be able to navigate on their own. Bringing a green peg to a haul is asking for them to fly off and never come back.

Herd Splitting
As with herding events in the modern day, herd-splitting tests the ability of a pilot and their peg to work together, sometimes without any verbal commands at all. Nymbak herds used for these events are usually at least partly feral, and prone to scatter if the pilot is too loud.