Your Nickname: Natasha
Have you read and do you agree to the Code of Conduct?: Yes
Are you over thirteen? Yes
How did you find us and decide to write with us? Friend
If you have written other characters here: Yes
If Yes, list them all: Jason Marren
Felix Dagon
George Carter
Frank Pratt
Casper Bagman
Julian St. James
Thomas Vaillancourt
Lyov Molchenoff
Daniel Pratt
Is this a Primary or Secondary Character?: Primary

Full Character Name: Benjamin Jack Dover
Character Birthday & Age: 1 May, 1984 / 26 years old
City & Country of Birth: Clancy, Montana / USA
Blood Purity: Halfblood
Alma Mater: Wizarding School in Northwestern United States
Job/Position: Professional Bull Rider

Wand: An even ten inch supple and knobby ash wooded wand with Unicorn tail hair. It has almost needed the core replaced due to lack of use, but Ben has since learned better and takes great care of it, even if he doesn't use it as often as other wizards might.

Physical Description:
Baby blue eyes and dirty blonde hair give him the perfect American Boy look. Add in his bootcut jeans, belt with added buckle, riding boots, and a shirt, and he was the perfect poster boy for rodeos. Ben is most comfortable in two-day-old jeans and a well-worn pair of boots. Don’t worry, though, he changes his underwear daily.

He gets his freckles from his pops and his smile from his momma. He’s five-ten and stands a little taller than his oldest and youngest sister, but shorter than his brothers and Danielle.

His body is the product of growing up on a ranch with hard manual labor, years of riding horses and bull riding, a military background, and a willingness to keep up with it all. His upper body strength is what helps him in his quest to be the best in the business. His hands are callused and rough, but he gives a firm hand shake when he meets new people.

No matter what, he keeps his dog tags at hand. He has his best buds on his key ring, a form of good luck that he doesn’t go without no matter where he ends up. Add in his cowboy hat, and he still represents a cowboy even when he’s not on a bull. He has more belt buckles than a man out to have, and his nasty habit of tobacco has left a lasting reminder in his back jeans pocket. It’s a habit he picked up out of school before the military, and it’s one that he does when he has nothing to keep his hands busy.

Personality Description:
Ben would give you the shirt off his back to help you out, but he’d also make jokes about the fact you needed the help in the first place. He grew up with a lot of family; he’s very friendly and sociable, but also aware of a need to disengage sometimes. Ben will keep his thoughts to himself; while people think he opens up, it’s just carefully thought out parts of him that he lets people see.

He finds it difficult to pinpoint exactly what he wants out of life. He loves grabbing life by the horns and riding it for all its worth. At the same time, he can be very stubborn and bull-headed as well. Even though a lot of his life has not been in his hands, he does a lot better when he knows what is coming around the bend, whether it be the next championship to prepare for or family event to travel to.

The outdoors is where Ben feels right at home. There’s something about getting his hands dirty, working over a horse or calf to get everything right, that just feels good. He misses his family’s ranch; it was where he grew up and learned to be a man. He learned how to cook, how to be polite and say ‘yes ma’am.’ He learned that you treat your fellow human with respect, and you open doors for people. If he didn’t, his parents dulled out proper punishment so he did.

His determination is often his rock (and sometimes his downfall). It’s been what has gotten him through tough times in his life. Even when it’s obvious he’s wrong, he’ll stick by his guns. Ben works well with his hands, and he can fix almost anything if he sets his mind to it. Growing up in a rural part of the United States, he knows how to drive a truck (and a number of other farm equipment), and also because of this, he knows how to fix them when they act up.

Ultimately he’d be happy with a family and a ranch, just like he grew up. For now, though, he’s enjoying his life and living it for all it’s worth. He works on his small plot of land, working his most expensive prize (a colt by the name of Cheeky) to perfection. Ben’s easy eyes and polite words make a number of women swoon. He knows this, and he enjoys exploiting it when he can.


History:
Ben was born with a midwife at his parents ranch in rural Montana. It had been a wild ride since. He was the second oldest out of six; other than the youngest, they were all within a year or two of each other. The youngest, his little sister Annabelle (or ‘Bell,’ for short), was seven years younger than William. She was the surprise of the bunch; his parents, Don and Rebecca, had thought they had enough before the baby came along.

First was Jessica, the wise, older, bossy sister of the bunch. Then Benjamin, followed closely behind by Joshua, Andrew, and then Danielle. They all had their own chores to keep up with around the ranch, which was one reason Rebecca said she kept them all after they were born. They were cheaper than hired help!

Rebecca’s family had owned land in Montana since migrating over from New England back in the day. She’d known Don back in school, a reckless son of a rancher who knew too many tricks with a bridle and his bull rope to not draw her in. They were head over heels in love, and after Jessica was born, it was time to hang his spurs up for something a little more domesticated. They raised cattle and horses and children.

Even before he could walk, Ben was on a horse. His dad would hold him between himself and the horn of the saddle, knocking the poor little boys head around as Rebecca did the same with Jessica. Once his big sister could actually reach, they had her up on a horse by herself. With help from family and friends at nearby ranches, they bred top line bulls for professional riding as well as cattle for other profits.

There were plenty of times growing up where Ben made poor choices. They usually ended up with him hurt or hurting another sibling. Still, what was growing up without a few scars along the way? Rebecca had realized she was above her head with children by the time Andrew came along; three boys were going to be the death of her. She had told Don it was time for him to take some more responsibility. What that meant and what he interpreted it to mean were two different things. Still, they were a family that wanted for very little. Amongst the other children in the vicinity, they all attended a rural school that encompassed all grades.

Ben was a heartbreaker from the beginning. Don said it was from his side, but Rebecca easily pointed out that it was her blue eyes that had roped him in in the first place. All he had to do was smile and the older women were offering to show him around rodeos and auctions while his parents tried to maintain some order with his other little siblings.

Even though Don had had to hang up his bull rope to support his family, he was of the opinion that his kids should know the rodeo life as well as he had. Jessica got into barrel racing while Ben and his brothers tried different reckless activities, more intense as they all got older. Ben started off at the age of four competing in Mutton Bustin. He moved up to Calf Riding by the time he was seven, and slowly advanced up towards Steer and Peewee Bullriding.

After watching him eat dirt so much, Joshua and Andrew paired up and did junior team roping. They practiced on the ranch so much that their mom almost tied them up to see how they liked it. Even with all the arguing and yelling that happened around the ranch, it was still a great place to grow up, according to them.

Except for maybe the youngest of the closest in age siblings. Danielle was content to read books while they were paraded to rodeo after rodeo, preferring to play with her dolls to actually getting up on a horse. She whined a lot when it came to being dragged along, protesting that she would do just fine back at the ranch. Who was going to look after Rosy, her prized milking cow? Where the boys had to handle cattle and working the land, Jessica and Danielle had the luck of keeping after the other animals.

They had chickens, they milked cows, and they cleaned up after them all. Jessica would occasionally switch chores with one of her brothers to wash and clean after the horses, but Danielle was content with her tasks. Rebecca kept after the girls and the house while Don taught the boys how to repair anything on the ranch. There were many times he brought everyone along; what was the point in only having half the household know how to change the oil on the truck?

When it finally came time for Wizarding School letters, it was more sad than anything. Jessica left kicking and screaming; she didn’t want to go! She was just fine at the ranch. How was she going to practice and compete when she was only home for holidays and summer? It scared Ben; what if he had to do that too?

All in all, the only siblings to get out of Wizarding school were Joshua and Andrew. By then Bell was around (and she had a spitfire personality that left even the most rambunctious siblings watching their tongue), trailing after everyone and having way too much fun to have a care in the world. Ben only knew her as an infant before he joined Jessica at The Wizarding School, and he was almost as loud as his bigger sister when it came to complaining about heading away for schooling.

Jessica picked up a broom and never looked back. Ben, on the other hand, turned to magical creatures and got in enough trouble with detentions for trying to cinch them up for a ride that he had expulsion threatened at least once a month. It was harder when his bull rope was taken from him. His mum threatened to send a howler if he continued to get in trouble. Ben thought he would at least have his little brothers to help cause havoc (because Jessica started to enjoy school). When it turned out that neither of them had magic, and were squibs, it was like they were both celebrities in the household.

Ben was full of jealousy over it, but he kept up on his training when he could. By the time he was in his senior years, Jessica was a star Quodpot player and broom racing specialist, and Danielle was entering her first year. The only sibling who had yet to fully appreciate his schooling was Ben. He did equestrian sports as he was permitted, joining up with baseball when it didn’t conflict, and putting his effort into mostly the physical activities available.

When he finally finished his studies, Ben got back into life at the ranch. Jessica had joined Quodpot professionally and had been making a name for herself already. His younger brothers were already well-invested in the life on the ranch, and Danielle was acing her classes. Suddenly he didn’t fit in so well at home. He started partying hard when he wasn’t riding, and tried to get himself into every rodeo that he could.

It was his dad who gave him the ultimatum. Either move out or stop acting like a damn fool. He lost his last bull riding championship before he realized that he wasn’t being the brightest tool in the shed. When he was nineteen, at the behest of family and friends, he joined the United States Air Force. His uncle had been in the air force and his grandfather had been in the army. It wasn’t as if joining the military wasn’t in his blood, he just hadn’t thought about it before then.

And there began the hardest time of his life. He scored high enough on the ASVAB to get his choice of options; after growing up around a lot of tools and fix-it-yourself sort of problems, he was good with his hands. In the end he chose fire protection for his two years, and later moved into pararescue.

He enlisted for four years and saw his share of the world. Some of it, he really wanted to forget. When he wasn’t deployed, he was stationed in Germany. He hopped all over Europe with friends he made. Some friends he lost. When it came time to re-enlist or leave, he chose to leave. He felt he’d served his time, and as much as he loved his job and his friends, he couldn’t do it anymore. It was emotionally draining in a way that no one prepares you for.

Ben loved Europe, though, and had gotten into the European bull riding ring. With connections through his family, he was able to get into it. From Belgium to France he rode, losing some, winning more, all the while having a blast. He was more focused and dedicated than he had been out of school. By the time he turned 25, he had gotten into the BRCA (British Rodeo Cowboys Association) and the W-BRCA (Wizarding BRCA). Finally he was able to use some of his skills from school.

Now, a year later, he is climbing the ranks amongst both bull riding amongst muggles and Aethonan riding amongst the wizarding rodeos. He’s not as crazy as he once was, but he still knows how to party and have a good time.


Describe your job duties and how you go about them:
He gets up on an irritated bull (or Aethonan, if he's riding in the W-BRCA) and holds on tight. It's about how long you can last and the show you can make that gets the points.

In order to do that, however, he has to practice and work out and maintain his equipment. He has a few different bull ropes and saddles he uses, as well as chaps, boots, spurs, hats, and belt buckles, depending on the get-up.

When it's the season, he tours with the group; he has to make a lot of friends in this new world of European/British Rodeo circles, so he also has to play nice.

Elaborate on your expertise in your field:
He's been part of the rodeo since he was little, and has been riding since before he could walk (though that was with the assistance of his parents).

While at school in the northwest, he was able to start riding winged horses and other creatures.

Nearly twenty two years now of holding on to a rope and going for a ride, and he still enjoys the rush.

Writing Sample:


Sum up your character in one paragraph:
Ben is a young man full of ambition and determination. Anything he has set his mind on, he has conquered. Right now he'd like to try and become the best professional bull rider/winged horse rider in the European division. Until then it's a lot of hard work, bruises, and broken bones to get to the top.