Aldric was once just a breeder of horses, a better in the tournements, a man who combed the '7000 hoove' tracks with his friends and traded grain for horses, foals for grain. He traded pack horses for grain from gatherours, he traded with many and all.
One tournament he was competent in was the 'Staf'n'Spree' A small local forest (small, not a resource) is harvested for staffs. Then, forked staffs are planted in the ground while wooden rings are placed. The winner is the one with the most rings after the Judge Walkers, 3, reach the end of the track. He and his friends discovered to hit the rings in the center, they made saddles for the races. They had fun poking each other with the staffs.
Aldric was 14.
Then the raids came. The first came from a village escaping an expanding tribe from the south. Using similar staffs, they impedded stones and came in, desperate to capture the grain the people gathered and horses the few elite breeded. They succeeded in sacking the guard tower, but once an escapee told of the sharp stone, Aldric, Torkezan, and Jorz. Champions of the 'Staf'n'Spree' The charged the dozens of raiders and routed them. They realized the power of their mounts, and when they heard of the conquering armies that eat their victims, they bounded a pact to unite all horse riders. To be powerful, to resist any and all attacks.
Now 20, Aldric became the first representative of Horse Breeding, he know grain is important, and he knew where to get some...