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Jody Schloss: ParaOlympian again
By GERRY POSNER There are not a lot of Jewish equestrians in Canada, female or male, at least not at a competitive level. Some have estimated there might be under ten. Now, if you add in the element of para-equestrian, it is likely there is but one Jewish female who has reached the status of Paralympian. She is Jody Schloss, formerly of Edmonton and now of Toronto. Her story is one of drive, determination and desire.
Jody, whose parents are Barry Schloss and Gail Schloss, was born and grew up in Edmonton, Alberta and had the good fortune to be exposed to the world of horseback riding at age eight when she was able to take lessons on a weekly basis. At 13, after she moved with her mother to Toronto following her parents’ divorce, she bought her first horse and engaged in some dressage, cross country, and jumping routines. Thus began the love of horses. That love was a significant factor in a truly remarkable story.
During her days at the University of British Columbia, Jody continued to ride – sometimes four times a week. It was after graduation in 1996 when she was returing from a holiday in Central America that Jody was in California with a friend. Owing to exceptionally high winds, the car Jody was in flipped and catapulted down the highway. Her friend was instantly killed and Jody was seriously injured. After three weeks in ICU in San Bernadino, California, she was flown to Toronto and lay in a coma for four months. She also suffered from post-traumatic amnesia for six months.
Jody was sent to a rehabilitation hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania for over two and a half years. The question was: What would and could Jody do? When Jody said what she wanted most to do was ride a horse, the medical team laughed at her. After all, she could not even sit up on her own. But after returning to Toronto, she progressed to a point where she went to the Community Association for Riders With Disabilities ( CARD), a therapeutic riding facility, to ride once a week, with a hydraulic lift to get her up on the horse and with two side walkers to prevent her from falling off.
Jody had a long road to recovery, although she will never recover completely and uses a wheelchair. In addition, she suffered a severe head injury, mainly in the brain stem. The end result is that she has what is known as Ataxia and Ataxic Dysarthria, causing major difficulties speaking and in coordination. Yet, in spite of these handicaps, she was able, with the assistance of her parents and with her own determination, to continue with her involvement with horse riding.
In 2010, she participated in her first ever international show in Kentucky. She later went to Florida to train in the winter and, at that time, she brought her “wonderful horse”, Inspector Rebus, which gave her career an added impetus.
Her next stop was Ottawa, in order to work with an experienced coach. In Ottawa, Jody then did something out of the box by taking up residence in a retirement home as the facility allowed her to have a free wheelchair accessible room and to keep her cats there when she spent the winter in Florida. Suddenly, Jody had an influx of grandparents looking out for her every step and jump. They must have helped more than a little as in June 2012, Jody was selected to the Canadian Par-alympic Equestrian team on her horse, Inspector Rebus. And that was not all that the seniors at the retirement home did for Jody. They were instrumental in the establishment of the Jody Schloss Trust at an Ottawa Hospital to help, in a monetary way, individuals who suffer speech problems, as Jody does, to purchase speech assistance devices.
Jody says competing in the London games in 2012 was a huge thrill for her and she was happy with her results, but not satisfied, and her drive kept her on the path to the 2016 Paralympican games in Brazil. She had the great joy to be a torchbearer for the opening of the Pan American Games in Toronto in 2015, and even was in a play about her life chronicling her struggles to reach the level of international competition from her previous situation where she could not even sit up after the accident.
That Jody has achieved so much speaks volumes about her desire to recover. She says, “What helped me was my strong will… not letting anyone tell me what I could not do. This helped with everything. It makes me more determined to prove everyone wrong. At the beginning, I wanted to prove to them that my life would be wonderful no matter what they did to try to destroy it.”
But, life can and does play some cruel twists – as Jody well knows. After all her training and preparation, she was in fact qualified to represent Canada in the 2016 Paralympic games in Rio de Janeiro in Equestrian Dressage. But unfortunately, her horse, Inspector Rebus, developed Cushing’s Disease, and the medication needed to treat this problem was banned in competition. The result was that Jody could not go to the 2016 games after all that preparation. Although Jody was ready, her horse was not. In the equestrian world, it takes two to tango or in this case, two to trot. Still, given that for most Jews, the relationship to a horse is to bet on one in a race, or possibly own one or perhaps ride one recreationally, Jody Schloss added another and most significant dimension to the Jewish connection to horses.
Now, with all of that said, most people would abandon their Olympic dream, but not Jody Schloss. Five years later – including another delay of a year because of the pandemic, there she was, prepared to compete. The picture on this page shows Jody, age 48, on her new horse, Lieutenant Lobin, and that is the way she looked as she competed recenty in Tokyo at the Paralympic Games. To get there, Jody spent the last five years creating a strong bond with her new horse at the stables at Millgrove, Ontario, about an hour away from Toronto where Jody resides.
This determination to succeed against huge obstacles is really a remarkable story. It is true her grandfather Al Schloss, who grew up in Winnipeg, had to overcome great odds as a youngster when, at age 12, his mother died, he was sent off to live with an aunt, and had to fend for himself at an early age. Maybe his spirit is a part of Jory’s unyielding will to overcome real handicaps. Her father, Barry Schloss of Edmonton, quotes Jody’s coach, Karis Van Essen, who stated unreservedly that Jody “is the most determined person she has ever met and she has made immense progress in her development, both in terms of her continued physical recovery from her accident and as a rider.”
By the time this article appears, the games will have ended. However Jody Schloss will have done in her dressage events, I say that she has won gold, silver and bronze.
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Volatility, Hit Frequency, and RTP: Why the Number Casinos Advertise Is the Least Useful One
The return to player percentage looks clean as a casino data point. It gives players a neat number, usually around 94% to 97% for many online slots, and that number feels easy to compare. A 96.5% game appears better than a 95.2% game. The problem starts when players treat RTP as a forecast for their next 50 spins or one evening.
You may find the RTP listed on slot pages on a leading online casino in Ontario, but the number only tells part of the story. Two games can share the same RTP and create different sessions: one may return small wins often, while the other may drain a balance before one bonus round changes everything.
The RTP Trap
Return to player (RTP) measures the theoretical share of total wagers a game returns across a very large number of rounds. In plain terms, a 96% RTP slot returns about $96 for every $100 wagered in the long run. That does not mean one player who deposits $100 should expect $96 back.
The trap sits in the word “theoretical.” RTP comes from the game’s math model. It works across huge samples, not personal sessions. A player can finish far above that percentage, far below it, or with nothing left after a short run of poor results.
Is it useless then? No, RTP can still help. It gives a baseline cost of play. Lower-RTP games cost more on average than higher-RTP games. Still, once a game passes a reasonable threshold, the next question matters more: how does it distribute that return?
Hit Frequency: The Number That Shapes Session Feel
Hit frequency tells you how often a game produces a winning outcome. This often misleads players because any win can count. A spin that returns $0.10 on a $1 bet may still count as a hit, even though the player lost $0.90 in real terms.
A game can feel active because symbols connect often, sounds play, and the screen keeps celebrating small returns. The balance may still fall. In many modern slots, “win” does not always mean profit on the spin.
Hit frequency answers one practical question: how much silence can you tolerate? Some players dislike long dry spells. Others accept quieter sessions because they chase bonus rounds or larger payouts.
The educational site Get Gambling Facts gives a useful distinction: RTP concerns the percentage of money returned over time, while hit frequency concerns how often a machine stops on a winning combination.
Volatility: The Risk Label Players Need More Often
Volatility, also called variance, describes how unevenly a game pays. Low-volatility games tend to return smaller amounts more often. High-volatility games hold more value in rare events: bonus rounds, premium symbols, multipliers, or jackpots.
Here is where RTP becomes less useful on its own:
- A 96% low-volatility slot may give modest returns and longer play from the same balance.
- A 96% high-volatility slot may burn through funds quickly unless the player hits a strong feature.
- A progressive jackpot game may look exciting, but it often places more value on rare top prizes.
The same RTP can hide very different risk profiles. Players who ignore volatility often blame the casino or the game when the session follows its math design.
Why the Same RTP Can Feel So Different
Picture two slots with 96% RTP. Slot A pays small wins on many spins, has a modest top prize, and rarely creates dramatic balance swings. Slot B pays less often but offers a large max win and volatile bonus rounds. The advertised return matches, but the experience does not.
Slot A may suit a player who wants a slower bankroll drop and more regular feedback. Slot B suits someone who accepts sharper losses in exchange for a shot at a heavier payout.
A Better Way to Read a Slot Page
Most slot pages give players more clues than they notice. The trick is to read the details together rather than chase the highest percentage.
Start with RTP. If two games look similar, the higher number has better long-term value. Then check volatility. If the game uses terms such as high, very high, or extreme variance, lower your bet size or expect shorter sessions. Next, look at the paytable. A huge max win usually means the game saves a lot of its value for rare outcomes.
A sensible pre-play check looks like this:
- RTP: What is the average long-term return?
- Volatility: How rough can the session become?
- Hit frequency: How often will the game show any wins?
- Paytable: Where does most value sit?
To Conclude
Casinos advertise RTP because it looks objective, tidy, and easy to rank. Players should read it, but they should not give it more authority than it deserves. For long sessions, volatility may matter more than a small RTP difference. For comfort, hit frequency may explain the feel better than the payback rate.
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The Popularity of Simpler Slot Games in 2026: Review From Casino Online CrazyTower Experts
Online casinos now fill their libraries with numerous video slots that have dozens of functions, long bonus rounds, complex mechanics, and so on. Interestingly, despite this huge range of modern options, many Canadian visitors at sites like Casino Online CrazyTower here https://crazytower.com/ca/ no longer want complicated gameplay that requires constant attention and long explanations.
Simpler slots now attract a wider audience because they save time and create faster sessions. So, let’s figure out why this change happened and reasons for the popularity of simpler machines.
Why Many Players Are Returning to Basic Gameplay
Modern websites like Casino Online CrazyTower pushed complex video slots for years, but many people now prefer classic formats again. Simple gameplay has fewer interruptions and is simpler in terms of budgeting, which is important when you gamble for fun.
These are a few potential reasons explain why simpler slots became popular again in 2026:
- Faster rounds. Symbols appear quickly, and rounds continue without long animations or extended bonus sequences.
- Easier controls. Most classic slots have simple menus and familiar layouts that don’t confuse new visitors.
- Smaller feature lists. Simple slots usually have standard wilds, scatters, and multipliers instead of dozens of random mechanics.
- Better session flow. People spend more time on gameplay instead of reading explanations about symbols and special functions.
- Lower visual pressure. Simpler slots use calmer designs and shorter effects that don’t overload attention.
Classic gameplay also suits mobile devices better because shorter rounds work well on smaller screens. Plus, many visitors now prefer games that start instantly and explain their mechanics within seconds.
Features That Make Simpler Slots Appealing
Simple machines at Casino Online CrazyTower and similar websites continue to attract attention because they have a high gameplay speed. Many classic titles also replicate older casino machines that people already know from physical casinos.
However, these aren’t the only factors that attract gamblers. So, check out this list:
- Short bonus rounds. Free spins and multipliers finish quickly instead of interrupting gameplay for several minutes.
- Common and standard paylines. Traditional layouts help people understand payouts without long explanations.
- Faster loading times. Simpler graphics reduce waiting time on phones, tablets, and older computers.
- Stable gameplay pace. Long cutscenes and constant pop-up notifications don’t interrupt the session.
- Traditional themes. Fruit symbols, bars, sevens, and classic casino designs still attract large audiences.
- Smaller menus. Important information appears immediately without complicated tabs or hidden sections.
Modern video slots often contain too many mechanics in a single game. Developers now combine expanding reels, random modifiers, mission systems, tournaments, and multiple bonus levels in one title. Many visitors lose interest because gameplay turns repetitive and overloaded with constant interruptions.
Compare this to a session when you get results immediately and aren’t interrupted. These still have free spins and even mini risk games, but not as loaded as innovative titles.
Conclusion
Simple slots usually create better replay value because people understand the mechanics immediately. Common and standard gameplay doesn’t cause frustration and allows faster decisions during casino sessions.
Many classic slots also function better during short breaks because rounds finish quickly without long bonus interruptions. That’s why simpler slots became popular again at many casinos, including Casino Online CrazyTower and such.
