We are honored to have obtained the opportunity to interview Craig Laughton, CEO of GoGallop Studios, regarding their hit mobile horse game, Equestriad World Tour.

1. Great horse games aren’t exactly a dime a dozen, even on the highly-saturated mobile platform. What, or who inspired the creation of Equestriad World Tour?

[CL] - After developing the world’s first equestrian game “Mary King’s Riding Star” back in 1996 and then “Equestriad 2001” over the years we had been approached on numerous occasions by horse fans to come up with a sequel. In late 2019 we felt the timing was right to bring the “Equestriad” brand back but this time on mobile platforms with a potentially huge global audience of horse lovers.

2. One of the main highlights of the game, I’d say, is the incredibly-realistic atmosphere, complete with commentary, during the eventing competition. Will there be a horse racing mode or a free-riding mode in the future?

[CL] - Our focus from the outset is to help promote equestrian sports namely 3-day eventing - dressage, cross-country, and show-jumping. The Equestriad World Tour game will continue to evolve and we have big plans for next year including a licensed training academy, more licensed events from around the world and we will have a “free roam” mode in early 2021.

3. It’s really nice to have teams. Are there plans to add more team-based events where lower-ranked teams can participate and perhaps even excel in?

[CL] - Yes, we plan to expand the whole “Teams” structure with lots more competitions to participate in from 1* star all the way up to compete with the world’s best at 5* events with Badminton, Burghley, Kentuck & Adelaide only the start. We will introduce game matchmaking functionality so you can compete with other teams at your level all working hard to reach those 5* star events to become world champions. We will soon introduce Team colors so you can further customize your team to stand out from the crowd.

4. Despite having a lot of fun playing and reviewing your game, I can’t say I’m not disappointed that I couldn’t customize my own rider in a more in-depth manner, such as changing the clothes and riding gear. Is this something that’s in the pipeline? If not, would you consider adding some more avatar customization features for players to play around with?

[CL] - Great question! At GoGallop we are all hard at work on a new Avatar/Horse customisation tool not only for the riders but also for the horses who are the real stars of the show. From December onwards we will be introducing literally dozens of new rider and horse apparel and equipment to fully equip your stable of riders and horses so you can compete at the highest level.

5. Currently, I’ve also noticed that players can’t remove a horse they already own, and there are cases where they might want to replace the one they have with another horse that have better potential, such as premium horses they buy from the in-game store. I’m just curious – Do premium horses come with their own free stable slot?

[CL] - In the latest update of the Equestriad World Tour game we are introducing the ability for you to not only buy horses but sell them. The value of the horse is set by how well it has been trained, cared for, and performed in competition. We have also expanded your stables to now accommodate up to six horses and that will continue to grow the more you become successful in running your stables. Also owning premium horses demands more work but also greater rewards, more on that soon!

6. Christmas is just around the corner. Will there be special seasonal events (and rewards) in the game to celebrate such occasions?

[CL] - You are right with the holidays just around the corner we will be introducing some festive content including the “Reindeer” horse bundle and more. We also have some surprises in store around the major 5* events at Badminton, Burghley, Kentucky, and Adelaide who weren’t able to have live events this year for obvious reasons.

7. Besides prepping for an Android release, what’s the plan moving forward? Will the game be coming to PCs and consoles?

[CL] - Another great question, the officially licensed Android version of Equestriad World Tour game is now very close and in the final testing phase. We do plan to expand into other game platforms when it makes sense but our priority right now is to build a successful mobile game franchise and above all, a global digital horse-loving community, and this in itself will create opportunities for us to expand in the future.

8. Last but not least, would you like to add anything; anything at all that you’d like to say to our readers?

[CL] - First of all thanks for the opportunity to talk to you about the Equestriad World Tour game as it was a real challenge getting it out during the world’s longest lockdown period here in Australia. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the equestrian community as a whole who have been extremely supportive in helping us get the game released. There are too many people to thank here but the professional riders, event organisers, course designers, equine companies, and of course, the equestrian sports fans have just been amazing to help us get to this stage. At GoGallop we are confident that we can reward them with a great equestrian game that will continue to evolve over the coming years. Happy Holidays to all and let’s all hope for a better 2021!