# Fall Weather Friends > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Fall_Weather_Friends > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Fall_Weather_Friends.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_Weather_Friends > Source revision: 1333015281 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 13th episode of the 1st season of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic "Fall Weather Friends" My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episode Twilight (left) joins the Running of the Leaves, much to Applejack's (right) and Rainbow Dash's (center) amusement. Episode no. Season 1 Episode 13 Directed by Jayson Thiessen James Wootton Written by Amy Keating Rogers Original air date January 28, 2011 (2011-01-28) Running time 22 minutes Episode chronology ← Previous "Call of the Cutie" Next → "Suited for Success" My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic season 1 List of episodes "**Fall Weather Friends**" is the thirteenth episode of the [first season](/source/My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic_season_1) of the [animated television series](/source/Animated_series) *[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic](/source/My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic)*. It originally aired on [The Hub](/source/Discovery_Family#As_Hub_Network_(2010–2014)) on January 28, 2011. The episode was written by [Amy Keating Rogers](/source/Amy_Keating_Rogers). In this episode, [Applejack](/source/Applejack_(My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic)) and [Rainbow Dash](/source/Rainbow_Dash) engage in a series of athletic competitions that escalates into a heated rivalry during [Ponyville](/source/Equestria#Ponyville)'s annual Running of the Leaves [marathon](/source/Marathon). ## Plot External videos Fall Weather Friends (full episode) — Official upload of the episode onto YouTube My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Equestria Toyline Cutie mark Elements of Harmony Pony Spin-offs My Little Pony: Equestria Girls (2013–2020)(List of animations) My Little Pony: Pony Life (2020–2021)(List of episodes) Characters Mane Six Twilight Sparkle Rainbow Dash Pinkie Pie Applejack Fluttershy Rarity Supporting Spike Princess Celestia Princess Luna Princess Cadance Shining Armor Discord Starlight Glimmer Trixie Zecora Antagonists Queen Chrysalis Lord Tirek Cozy Glow Minor Derpy Hooves Background Six Cheese Sandwich Quibble Pants The Wonderbolts Aunt Holiday and Auntie Lofty Equestria Girls Sunset Shimmer Seasons & episodes Season 1 (2010–2011) "Friendship Is Magic" "The Ticket Master" "Applebuck Season" "Griffon the Brush Off" "Boast Busters" "Dragonshy" "Look Before You Sleep" "Bridle Gossip" "Swarm of the Century" "Winter Wrap Up" "Call of the Cutie" "Fall Weather Friends" "Suited for Success" "Feeling Pinkie Keen" "Sonic Rainboom" "Stare Master" "The Show Stoppers" "A Dog and Pony Show" "Green Isn't Your Color" "Over a Barrel" "A Bird in the Hoof" "The Cutie Mark Chronicles" "Owl's Well That Ends Well" "Party of One" "The Best Night Ever" Season 2 (2011–2012) "The Return of Harmony" "Lesson Zero" "Luna Eclipsed" "Sisterhooves Social" "The Cutie Pox" "May the Best Pet Win!" "The Mysterious Mare Do Well" "Sweet and Elite" "Secret of My Excess" "Hearth's Warming Eve" "Family Appreciation Day" "Baby Cakes" "The Last Roundup" "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000" "Read It and Weep" "Hearts and Hooves Day" "A Friend in Deed" "Putting Your Hoof Down" "It's About Time" "Dragon Quest" "Hurricane Fluttershy" "Ponyville Confidential" "MMMystery on the Friendship Express" "A Canterlot Wedding" Season 3 (2012–2013) "The Crystal Empire" "Too Many Pinkie Pies" "One Bad Apple" "Magic Duel" "Sleepless in Ponyville" "Wonderbolts Academy" "Apple Family Reunion" "Spike at Your Service" "Keep Calm and Flutter On" "Just for Sidekicks" "Games Ponies Play" "Magical Mystery Cure" Season 4 (2013–2014) "Princess Twilight Sparkle" "Castle Mane-ia" "Daring Don't" "Flight to the Finish" "Power Ponies" "Bats!" "Rarity Takes Manehattan" "Pinkie Apple Pie" "Rainbow Falls" "Three's a Crowd" "Pinkie Pride" "Simple Ways" "Filli Vanilli" "Twilight Time" "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies" "Somepony to Watch Over Me" "Maud Pie" "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils" "Leap of Faith" "Testing Testing 1, 2, 3" "Trade Ya!" "Inspiration Manifestation" "Equestria Games" "Twilight's Kingdom" Season 5 (2015) "The Cutie Map" "Castle Sweet Castle" "Tanks for the Memories" "Slice of Life" "Amending Fences" "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?" "Made in Manehattan" "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" "The Hooffields and McColts" "The Cutie Re-Mark" Season 6 (2016) "A Hearth's Warming Tail" "The Times They Are a Changeling" Season 7 (2017) "The Perfect Pear" Season 8 (2018) "Grannies Gone Wild" Season 9 (2019) "The Last Crusade" Series finale Media Films & specials My Little Pony: The Movie (2017) My Little Pony: Best Gift Ever (2018) My Little Pony: Rainbow Roadtrip (2019) Music Theme song "This Day Aria" Movie Soundtrack "Rainbow" "Off to See the World" Games My Little Pony: Twilight Sparkle, Teacher for a Day Gameloft video game Collectible card game Other media Home video releases IDW comics Issues My Little Pony/Transformers Brony fandom Fan works (list) 15.ai Voiceverse NFT plagiarism scandal A Brony Tale Bronies (documentary) Derpibooru Equestria Daily Fimfiction Fallout: Equestria Friendship Is Witchcraft Legends of Equestria Love & Ponystep Ponysona PONY.MOV Them's Fightin' Herds Fandom people 15 hotdiggedydemon Jenny Nicholson Odyssey Eurobeat Sethisto The Living Tombstone Vylet Pony Fan culture Analysis Brony music Bronyspeak Charity Criticism Fan art Clop Ponysona Fan fiction Military bronies /mlp/ Online communities My Little Pony conventions BABSCon BronyCAN BronyCon Czequestria Everfree Northwest GalaCon Ponyville Ciderfest RuBronyCon TrotCon UK PonyCon Vanhoover Pony Expo v t e [Applejack](/source/Applejack_(My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic)) and [Rainbow Dash](/source/Rainbow_Dash) play a game of [horseshoes](/source/Horseshoes_(game)) at Sweet Apple Acres, and when Applejack wins, Rainbow challenges her to an [Iron Pony competition](/source/Ironman_Triathlon) to determine who is the better athlete. [Twilight Sparkle](/source/Twilight_Sparkle) agrees to judge as the two friends engage in a series of athletic contests, trading wins for the first eight events until Rainbow starts using her wings to gain an unfair advantage. Rainbow wins the remaining events and the overall competition through her flying ability, to which Applejack calls out the cheating and challenges her to race in the Running of the Leaves—an annual community [marathon](/source/Marathon) where ponies run through the forest to shake autumn leaves from the trees. Rainbow agrees and promises not to use her wings during the race. As the racers gather at the starting line, Applejack ensures Rainbow keeps her promise by tying her wings up, while Twilight joins them to experience the event herself. The marathon begins with Rainbow and Applejack taking the lead and running neck and neck, but when each competitor stumbles over natural obstacles, they begin suspecting the other of deliberate sabotage. As the two run through White Tail Woods, both ponies start actively trying to hinder each other. In the home stretch, Applejack and Rainbow escalate their antagonistic behavior by deliberately bumping into each other throughout the final portion of the race. When Rainbow's wings become untied during their tussling, Applejack tackles her to prevent her from flying and the two continue fighting all the way past the finish line while arguing over who finished first. [Pinkie Pie](/source/Pinkie_Pie) informs them that they tied for last place, and Twilight approaches wearing a fifth place medal, having outperformed both of them despite her inexperience. [Princess Celestia](/source/Princess_Celestia) arrives to celebrate the event, and Applejack and Rainbow apologize for their poor [sportsmanship](/source/Sportsmanship). Twilight reflects that friendship in competition is always more important than the competition itself, and the two friends immediately run off to race each other once more. ## Reception Sherilyn Connelly, the author of *Ponyville Confidential*, gave the episode a "C+" rating.[1] In her review of the episode in *[SF Weekly](/source/SF_Weekly)*, she wrote, "Remember how Applejack and Rainbow Dash are supposed to respectively represent the elements of Honesty and Loyalty? That doesn't make for nearly as interesting characters as the elements of competition and distrust. In the end, Twilight beats them both, though the episode avoids getting too [Aesopian](/source/Aesop's_Fables) by having her happily win fifth place."[2] In a critical analysis of the episode, author Jen A. Blue described "Fall Weather Friends" as "one of [Rogers](/source/Amy_Keating_Rogers)' better episodes this season—nothing particularly special, but watchable at least." Blue identified the main flaw as the way it depicts the conflict between Applejack and Rainbow Dash, writing that Applejack is portrayed as "calmer and a better sport" who accepts challenges fairly, while Rainbow Dash "uses every unfair move she can think of" within the rules and "rejecting its spirit." Blue wrote that Applejack only cheats when she believes Rainbow Dash is doing so, which she believed was "forgivable". Blue analyzed the episode within an [alchemical framework](/source/Alchemy), connecting the changing of the leaves to the ["yellowing" phase of transformation](/source/Citrinitas) and interpreting the characters' conflict as representing different approaches to the show itself: Applejack as "business as usual, a slow-paced, gentle, rather boring show" and Rainbow Dash as "fast, cool, fun, and utterly devoid of scruples or heart."[3] ## Home media The episode is part of the Season 1 DVD set, released by [Shout Factory](/source/Shout!_Factory), on December 4, 2012.[4] ## See also - [List of *My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic* episodes](/source/List_of_My_Little_Pony%3A_Friendship_Is_Magic_episodes) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Connelly (2017)](#CITEREFConnelly2017), p. 77 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Connelly, Sherilyn (2012-04-11). ["My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Season 1, Episodes 13 and 14"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120416144023/http://blogs.sfweekly.com/exhibitionist/2012/03/my_little_pony_recap_season_1_episodes_13_14.php). *[SF Weekly](/source/SF_Weekly)*. Archived from [the original](http://blogs.sfweekly.com/exhibitionist/2012/03/my_little_pony_recap_season_1_episodes_13_14.php) on 2012-04-16. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Blue-S1_3-0)** Blue, Jen A. (2013-08-31). "Everything is going to be just fine (Winter Wrap-Up, Call of the Cutie, Fall Weather Friends, Suited for Success)". *My Little Po-Mo: Unauthorized Critical Essays on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Season One*. pp. 127–150. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic: Season 1"](https://www.amazon.com/My-Little-Pony-Friendship-Magic/dp/B0096W47NO). [Amazon.com](/source/Amazon.com). 2012-12-04. Retrieved 2012-12-04. ### Bibliography - Connelly, Sherilyn (2017-04-01). [*Ponyville Confidential: The History and Culture of My Little Pony, 1981-2016*](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Ponyville_Confidential/E3VPDgAAQBAJ). McFarland. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4766-6209-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4766-6209-1). ## External links - ["Fall Weather Friends"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1832715/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) v t e My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes Seasons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Season 1 "Friendship Is Magic" "The Ticket Master" "Applebuck Season" "Griffon the Brush Off" "Boast Busters" "Dragonshy" "Look Before You Sleep" "Bridle Gossip" "Swarm of the Century" "Winter Wrap Up" "Call of the Cutie" "Fall Weather Friends" "Suited for Success" "Feeling Pinkie Keen" "Sonic Rainboom" "Stare Master" "The Show Stoppers" "A Dog and Pony Show" "Green Isn't Your Color" "Over a Barrel" "A Bird in the Hoof" "The Cutie Mark Chronicles" "Owl's Well That Ends Well" "Party of One" "The Best Night Ever" --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fall Weather Friends](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_Weather_Friends) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_Weather_Friends?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.