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Look up stable in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The interior of a stable built for horses

A horse in a box stall, inside a stable

Stables of the Einsiedeln Abbey in Switzerland

A horse stable, over 100 years old, still in use

Traditional style barn, built 1802, still used as a horse stable

A modest stable with a few stalls

A shed row-style stable at a riding club in Panama.

A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals. There are many different types of stables in use today such as the American barn which is a large barn with a door each end and individual stalls inside or free standing stables with the classic top and bottom opening doors. The term "stable" is also used to describe a group of animals kept by one owner, regardless of housing or location.

The exterior design of a stable can vary widely, based on climate, building materials, historical period, and cultural styles of architecture. A wide range of building materials can be used, including masonry (bricks or stone), wood, and steel. Stables can range widely in size, from a small building to house only one or two animals, to facilities used at agricultural shows or at race tracks, which can house hundreds of animals.

History[link]

The stable is typically historically the second oldest building type on the farm. Free-standing stables began to be built from the 16th century. They were well built and placed near the house due to the value that the horses had as draught animals. High-status examples could have plastered ceilings to prevent dust falling through into the horses’ eyes. Complete interiors – with stalls, mangers and feed racks – of the 19th century and earlier are rare.^[1][2]

Historical stables in Great Britain had a hayloft on the first floor and a pitching door at the front. Doors and windows were symmetrically arranged. Interior was divided into stalls - a large stall was for a foaling mare or sick horse. The floors were cobbled, and later of brick, with drainage channels laid across the floors. Outside steps to the first floor were common for farm hands to live in the building.^[3]

Horses[link]

For horses, stables are often part of a larger complex which includes trainers, vets and blacksmiths.

Other uses[link]

Historically, the headquarters of a unit of cavalry, not simply their horses' accommodation, would be called a stable.

Used metaphorically from this origin, a stable is a collection of people (e.g. professional wrestlers or sumotori) working under a single manager.

See also[link]

Media related to stables at Wikimedia Commons

• Barn
• Barns and stables
• Glossary of equestrian terms
• Horse care
• Nativity
• Pen

References[link]

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (November 2009)

This article relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Please add citations from reliable sources. (February 2008)

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and raised in Philadelphia, Isakov later moved to Colorado. ^[1] Isakov's voice and guitar style leave a humble presence that has spawned a burgeoning fan base. He has shared the stage with numerous touring artists such as Ani Difranco, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Alexi Murdoch, Brandi Carlile and Fiona Apple. Isakov has performed throughout North America and Europe; and has appeared at music festivals such as South by Southwest, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, and Telluride Bluegrass Festival.^[2]In 2011, Isakov's songs were featured in film and television productions, including his track "If I Go, I'm Goin'", which was heard in the fourth season of television show Californication on Showtime; and "Big Black Car", which was featured in McDonald's Christmas commercial in Canada.

Discography[link]

• Rust Colored Stones (2003)
• Songs for October (2005)
• That Sea, The Gambler (2007)
• This Empty Northern Hemisphere (2009)

Awards[link]

• 2007: Best Singer/Songwriter 2007, Westword
• 2007: winner, Telluride Troubador Competition

Notes[link]

1. ^ http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/08/best-of-whats-next-2009-gregory-alan-isakov-musician.html
2. ^ http://www.flaglive.com/flagstafflive_story.cfm?storyID=208132&sid=122

External links[link]

• Official website
• Gregory Alan Isakov on Myspace
• Folk Radio UK Session

Chris O'Dowd (born 9 October 1979)^[1] is an Irish comedian and actor best known for playing Roy Trenneman in British sitcom The IT Crowd. He has also appeared in several Hollywood films, including Gulliver's Travels and Bridesmaids, the latter of which, according to IFTN, "has thrown him into the position as one of Hollywood's leading men almost overnight with the film making over $100 million dollars at the US box office."^[2]

Early life[link]

O'Dowd was born in Sligo and raised in Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland. His mother, Denise, is a counsellor and psychotherapist, and his father, Sean O'Dowd, is a graphic designer.^[3][4][5] He studied politics and sociology in University College, Dublin, and subsequently attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. O'Dowd did not obtain a degree from UCD, telling the UCD student newspaper the Tribune in 2011, "I didn't finish my degree. The politics part of it was fine, but I was doing sociology as-well and I could never bring myself to find an interest in it."^[6] He contributed to The University Observer and was active in UCD Dramsoc and the Literary and Historical Society.^[7]

Career[link]

O'Dowd has starred in Britain in Channel 4's comedy The IT Crowd, BBC 2's Roman's Empire, Red Cap and the award-winning documentary-drama The Year London Blew Up. He has also appeared on Irish television, having starred in the RTÉ One drama The Clinic and the drama Showbands alongside Kerry Katona. O'Dowd has appeared in How to Lose Friends & Alienate People in a minor role. O'Dowd has also had roles in a number of films, including the 2005 film Festival where he played stand-up comedian Tommy O'Dwyer, a role for which he won a Scottish BAFTA award, and a small role in Vera Drake. O'Dowd appears in Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel, a comedy sci-fiction film with Marc Wootton, Dean Lennox Kelly and Anna Faris. He played Liam in the 2007 German film Hotel Very Welcome.

He starred in the 2009 film The Boat That Rocked, released in Canada and the U.S. as Pirate Radio. The film is inspired by the story of offshore pirate broadcasters Radio Caroline. O'Dowd plays Simon, the station's breakfast DJ."The breakfast jock on Radio Caroline at the time was Tony Blackburn, so there's definitely an element of him in it,"^[8] says O'Dowd of his character. "And then I called in different Irish DJs that would have been contemporaries of Tony Blackburn at the time, a guy called Larry Gogan and a couple of other people."^[8]

O'Dowd also starred opposite Sienna Miller in the film Hippie Hippie Shake, which is about the groundbreaking '60s magazine, Oz. The publication was the precursor to a whole generation of lad mags. O'Dowd plays Felix Dennis, who would later become the publisher of Maxim. The story centers on the landmark indecency trial. In real-life, O'Dowd's character was defended by John Mortimer who went on to write Rumpole of the Bailey. In preparation for the role, O'Dowd met up with Dennis. "He was an incredibly charismatic man," O'Dowd stated."^[8]

In April 2009 it was announced that O'Dowd has been cast in a remake of Gulliver's Travels as General Edward. "It's shooting in Pinewood from the end of April,"^[8] said O'Dowd, shortly after his participation was announced. "I'm just going back to England to learn how to ride a horse... I'm a general in the army, so there's going to be a little bit of horse riding. I think it's going to be really fun though, we're all kind of learning together."^[8]

O'Dowd appeared in the 2010 film Dinner for Schmucks, an American version of a French farce called Le Dîner de Cons.^[9] He also appeared on panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks (Season 21, episode 11), and starred in an ITV2 comedy series entitled FM. In 2010, O'Dowd took part in Little Crackers, writing and directing a short film loosely based on his own childhood and Christmas in his family home from 1984 to 1988. In April 2011, he starred in the BBC adaptation of The Crimson Petal and the White as William Rackham, and appeared in the May 2011 release Bridesmaids as Officer Nathan Rhodes.

O'Dowd has been announced as a cast member in the Knocked Up sequel This Is 40.^[10][11][12] He based his character on people in Hoxton who "wear skinny jeans and hate the world, which comes from an inability to deal with women."^[13] He described "fighting over Megan Fox in a pool" during filming as "one of the most fun things I've ever done".^[14]

O'Dowd recently wrapped production on Wayne Blair's debut feature, Australian musical The Sapphires.^[15] The musical powerhouse, based on a popular stage show, was shot across Australia and Vietnam and produced by Goalpost Australia.^[16][17] He is to write and executive produce a new American comedy series called Big Men.^[18], after NBC won the bidding war for it.^[19] He wrote a series based on his childhood called Moone Boy for Sky One.^[20] Segments of the series, which will be aired on Sky 1 in June, were filmed in his hometown of Boyle.

Personal life[link]

O'Dowd is engaged to writer and television presenter Dawn Porter.^[4] He is Catholic.^[21]

Filmography[link]

Film[link]

Television[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Chris O'Dowd at the Internet Movie Database
• When Liberation Frequency met Chris O'Dowd
• Chris O'Dowd speaks to his old university newspaper, the College Tribune