This was originally drawn for the 2023 Newbie Artist Training Grounds.

Day 6: Draw a pony playing a sport / Draw a pony experiencing the bliss of triumph or the agony of defeat.

One of my favorite things to come out of Season 6 of Friendship is Magic, and which carried over into later episodes, is the formation of Ponyville’s own buckball team, consisting of Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Snails: an unexpected trio who soon become an undefeatable sports team, and all because they simply enjoy having fun at the game. The fact that their skill managed to spark a nation-wide craze and enthusiasm for buckball, to the point of having an official buckball tournament, stadium, and hall of fame in Appleloosa, is incredible.

For this prompt, then, I decided to draw our Ponyville team preparing to take on Tough Cookie, Syntax, and Blazewing in a friendly game. As Cookie’s a unicorn, she’s put on a magic dampening ring to prevent herself from using her horn. Of course, she put her mane back with a headband, but Syntax couldn’t be bothered to wear anything to replace his favorite hat. =P