Ok, There are too many things in here to comment on. You lost a castle and I lost an Earldom so I can relate.

As to the riding instructor, WTF? I don't know about horses being stupid. I had one that I could not control run into a barn in an attempt to knock me off its back by using the upper barn doors that were closed. The only way that I could keep from getting brained was to lie back on the horse. I swear that it looked at me with a look that said, "How the hell are you still up there"?

Finally, I had to look The University of North Texas up on the internet. You were enquiring about whether the radio call sign would be adjusted. That's right up there with the California University of Nuclear Technology.