Folly Farm and Trinity College hosted an IHSA showjumping competition and allowed me to line up this perfect shot: jumping horse in the foreground, crowd and barn in the middle-distance, and foliage-encrusted hillside in the background
Tag: equestrian
Above It
At Trinity College’s IHSA show, the riders stood above the crowd (literally) while mounted for their class.
Jumping Action from the VIP
Though dramatic shots of jumping horses are ubiquitous in the equestrian world, I think ones that present them in the context of the setting, alongside the audience and with a real sense for the space, are somewhat rarer. Kim Thiry ring Quick Silver can het Farasohof was in the Jumping Mechelen CSI2* right next to the VIP audience who could have reached out and touched the last jump in the course.
Turn and Burn
This CSI5* speed class pushed riders to their limit; few managed the entire course with neither rail nor speed penalties. I was capturing photographs from the last turn in the course, where riders who were still jumping clean turning to blast down the final line to the finish. Watching them put on a final burst of massive speed was dramatic, as in this case with Hans-Dieter Dreher and his mount Jiniki.
Monitor Equestrian Inset
Our trip to Jumping Mechelen in Belgium provided me this opportunity to capture “Cheval Art en Scène” by Gilliane Senn from a most unexpected angle.
Geoff Case Coaching
At CSI Ommen, Geoff Case coaches through a warm-up for the jumpers.
Behold, Laury Tisseur
Saturday night at CSI Ommen was action-packed; before the Puissance, equestrian artist Laury Tisseur demonstrated feats of horsemanship including what I might best describe as horse-skiing.
Victory Galloper
Having won the CSI Ommen Grand Prix, Hessel Hoekstra and Comthago VDL took a victory gallop around the ring.
Winning the Puissance
This winning moment from CSI Ommen’s Saturday-night puissance (jumping an increasingly tall wall of hollow blocks) is impressive to me for two reasons. The most obvious is the incredible height this horse is successfully clearing. Just as amazing to this American is the huge turnout of spectators present in both the foreground and background—far beyond what is seen at most US events.
Rider with the Crest
Piper riding Sundae at Kent has provided some opportunities for charming shots, like this one that happened to align perfectly with the cross in the bottom of their school seal.
Piper & Sundae
Seeing Piper Klemm with her horse, Sundae, makes it easy to understand why she loves riding so much.
Thankful for Sundae
Sundae was the horse that brought Piper back to riding. He’s now semi-retired at the Kent School, but Piper still gets to visit and ride around the eventing fields every so often. They make quite the pair!
Kentucky Paddocks and the Sky Beyond
Smooth, gentle, green hills cover layers of limestone beneath; trees mark the grooves where creeks cut through the soft stone.
Pony Finals 2022 Day 3
After exploring the first two days of Pony Finals 2022, we’ve reached the last day of my coverage. The positive vibes are rolling…
But already, there are some sad faces as horses and ponies start to ship out.
The warm-up ring is filled no only with young equestrians pursuing its eponymous activity, but also trial rides for folks considering purchasing or leasing.
I really enjoy the “follow the leader” pattern of this image.
Over by the Rolex, a loner rider slowly walks back to the barn.
I love the energy of an excited rider, fresh out of the ring after a great ride. Hanging out by the Rolex’s in gate gives me the perfect opportunity to captures shots like these.
Overlooking the scene gives me some opportunity to make additions to a recent photographic trope I’ve favored: pictures of a grand scene with an obvious place from which a view can watch.
Can you see the pony jumping in the distance in each of these shots?
Pony Finals 2022 Day 1
After posts devoted to my photography on the days leading up to Pony Finals 2022, we’ve finally arrived at the main event.
Days start early and run long; this pair is already heading back from the ring in spite of the morning light behind them.
Nearby, this trainer waits to lunge a pony.
And this young rider hurries to groom.
This was my first summer working with Sony’s 70-200 mm f/2.8 lens; the narrow depth of field (with its buttery bokeh) in combination with the eye-detecting autofocus has taken all of the luck out of capturing shots like this one.
Speaking of luck, the passengers on this overloaded golf cart might be pushing theirs.
Some pictures seem like they’re emitting sound. This is one of those.
Warm-ups in the Rolex Ring were a high-traffic affair.
In spite of the traffic, moments emerge in which a single rider is isolated.
I love those moments in which horse and rider seem to share the same expression.
Though there are no events in which adults compete during Pony Finals, this wouldn’t be a Kentucky photoset without Piper and Reuben in the mix.
Emily Elek, one of Piper’s trainers, is always exceptionally busy during Pony Finals. This picture of Emily talking on the phone is rather special for folks who know her constant refrain: “Don’t call—text!”
Now for an amusing pair of shots: two head-on pictures of smiling riders—one with a somewhat larger mount than the other.
Lastly, a shot of Will during his last Pony Finals (he just aged out of the under-18 competition) riding alongside his father in the electric golf cart. (The cart is affectionately called “blueberry.”)
Decaseconds 