Applejack is Best Pony

Thanks again to pro for a good round.Who's more caring? Yes, I know it's you, Dashy. You don't have to flaunt it like that."Caring" will be my shorthand for "putting others above yourself", aka Rainbow's element (as explicitly stated by Twilight).While Fluttershy and Applejack did also help at the same time as RD, Dashy started helping long before Applejack could do anything (which she was able to do thanks to her wings). Fluttershy only helped because RD told her to, and Applejack was probably inspired by RD and Fluttershy. However, the fact that RD had shown loyalty before Applejack had shown either honesty or loyalty proves that the root of her loyalty is not Applejack.Being called "Rainbow Dash" makes lacking humility more understandable but not acceptable. That's why Rainbow learnt her lesson and has been trying hard to be humble ever since. Rainbow is put into peril by several rescues in "The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well", proving her concern for others - including one that backfires, requiring HER to be saved from drowning by Mare-Do-Well.Lightning didn't make the tornado to win - that clearly was unnecessary - but to really push herself. Rainbow didn't know that she would be pushing herself further than she could handle, and so didn't think anypony would be in danger. Putting other ponies interests first does not mean never beating them. Still, Rainbow would not have done it if the Wonderbolts had not sanctioned it, as evidenced by the voice-over in Rainbow's head in that scene.While Rainbow is very fast with busting clouds, she also can get tired doing other weather work very quickly. In "Too Many Pinkie Pies", it is revealed that she has trouble busting fog, and that after a hard day's cloud busting she can't do much other than relax. It was nice of Rainbow to not just sleep on a cloud somewhere and actually help her friend out.RD was explicitly trying to help Fluttershy in "Cutie Mark Chronicles". That she also helped out all the other ponies - without her having anything to gain - was a bonus. Applejack's actions "Spike At Your Service" may have been well-intentioned, but they were only for the benefit of HER immediate family. RD helped despite having no stake in it. And "Applebuck Season"? Sure all five helped - proving that all five cared. Applejack isn't any MORE caring than the others. And the second yelling of stampede did give all the ponies enough time to run for cover. Only ONE pony became unconscious, and that's because she fainted at the news.Finally, my opponent is wrong about "the last roundup". Applejack tried to "run away from her problems", as she reported in the letter to Princess Celestia at the end. She lied to the town about the money, claiming that she was fine when she was not. Rainbow was the ONLY pony to have helped fix it in any way.Who's got better morals?ApplejackApplejack was mean by not making enough cider even when she later proved she was more than capable of doing so.Thinks other ponies should "go about their business" as pro puts it rather than help each other.Tries to run away from her family and her problems (as admitted in the letter at the end of "Last Roundup") - the very definition of "hiding".RainbowHumility does not mean ignoring discrimination. Rainbow felt she was treated unfairly, but was humble once she heard the explanation.RD is so important to Mane 6 group morals that her departure is what allows Discord to take over.Who's stronger?Dashy does all kinds of amazing tricks with her tail all the time. Here's one of those "blink and you'll miss it" moments, but at around 8:17 in "Fall Weather Friends" RD picks up Applejack with her tail, and throws her back several meters, as well as up a distance of around two and a half times her own height. It happens so fast that it's hard to get a clear screenshot - this is the best I could do: However - ruling out wings is unfair. Rainbow and Applejack both develop different parts of their bodies all the time. The difference is that while Rainbow is the undisputed world champion at her chosen event (being the only one to perform the most difficult trick - and if "A Canterlot Wedding Part 2" is anything to go by, apparently doing it effortlessly) Applejack cannot win at hers. The only thing we've ever seen her win is several past Rodeos in "The Last Roundup" - but she LOST the rodeo event to RD in "Fall Weather Friends".Who dreams bigger? My first remark was to show that Applejack doesn't really care for her "dream" of looking after her grandmother as much as she likes to think. In fact, Applejack has barely helped out her granny at all. Nor has she cared about the fact that her little sister puts herself into serious danger in pretty much every second episode she's in (believing she will find her destiny that way). Dashy, on the other hand, is always striving as hard as she can after her far more worthwhile dream.It's all a bit irrelevant though, because my opponent concedes that Applejack doesn't aim so high. My point is that aiming higher is better for a character because it leaves more scope for character development, and because it means the character has more reason to be there.That her special talent is so narrowly-conceived does not make her best pony. In fact, it makes RD better. After all, RD has shown herself to be more than capable of such feats as apple bucking and running a cider press at a much greater speed than the strongest worker on Applejack's farm. It's also irrelevant that Applejack's talent is so common - if anything, uncommon talents are better because they're scarce, so Applejack is quite replaceable.As for success in fulfilling dreams, Applejack only sells so much due to a gamble by her younger sister - of her own accord she would never have made enough cider to be able to sell so much, even though it is only apparently an hour's work to do so (thus at a slow pace it might have only taken a day or so).Who's cooler?Applejack and RD are both popular, but they are admired for different reasons. Applejack is admired for being a hard worker (unlike Rainbow, who has been known to be a bit of a slacker, including flunking out of flight school). Rainbow is admired because, in Twilight's words, "she is pretty awesome" (which for Twilight is the same thing as coolness - see Mysterious Mare Do-Well and May The Best Pet Win). Rainbow is clearly established as the "cool" character on the show.Quite aside from my attempts to justify this coolness, the fact is that it exists. I've already shown this to be recognized by ponies. Bronies themselves have also expressed their preferences clearly - RD beats Applejack in every "favorite character" poll, including the latest Herd Census, where Applejack isn't even in the top 6 (http://herdcensus.com...). This also plays out in other indicators - for example, fimfiction.net's top favorited story is RD-focused, while none of their top favorited stories are Applejack-focused (http://www.fimfiction.net...).Turning to my justifications, my opponent dismisses my dragon point and my trash point as an assumption. My opponent cannot just assume that RD is a liar. Furthermore, I backed up my trash point with some very clear evidence. About the other dragon point, the fact that something isn't a good idea doesn't mean it's not cool. Base jumping provides a good example of this. Bird-bringing may not be something Applejack can do, but I challenge my opponent to find a substitute cool action Applejack does. My hypothesis is that earth ponies just aren't as cool as pegasi.About my sources, the coolest definition of cool would seem to me to be the most reliable - not like some dictionary written by egg-heads (as Rainbow would say). Seeing as I'm not very cool I had to check what being cool means myself, and I cited the source to aid any like voters.Oh, and also, Rainbow is cool for being Gangnam style before Gangnam style. And for doing this: Good luck pro. You'll need it.