This morning, Ben Maher won gold riding Explosion W in the individual jumpers at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. I captured the pair in action at the Longines Global Champions League on Governors Island in 2019.
Tag: grand prix
Sights from the Kentucky Horse Park
A year onward from the 2017 Kentucky Summer Classic and Pony Finals, I’m looking back at many of the images I captured. Many of these only saw the light of day previously through my Instagram account, so I thought it’d be appropriate to give a complete spectrum of the the KHP experience. Some of these shots are the from the Rolex Stadium’s Grand Prix, others from the humble warm-up ring; all of them show people focused on the equine world.
Up, Up, and Away!
Grand Prix jumps are in the range of 2 meters. Horses jump over them. I can’t quite reconcile those two sentences in my brain, even while I’m watching it happen. The action is literally superhuman. I thought it was extra-appropriate that this horse had a saddle pad recognizing the fact.
Back to the Stables
When the Grand Prix is over and the crowds are heading for the exits, the good horses go back to the barns to sleep.
Meet Your Heroes
After a Grand Prix at the Rolex Arena in Lexington, Kentucky: some very excited young riders meet a very special horse.
Generation Gap
Two groups on the rail at Lake Placid Horse Show, each one crowding against their edge of the frame and leaving a notable gap between them. The subtle varieties of postures and accessories and facial expressions: Though I began with landscapes, I’ve grown to understand the appeal of photographing people.
All in the (Horse) Family
Though I don’t often show my photography from the people/photojournalism/street mode, I couldn’t resist this image of Mario Deslauriers and clan at the Lake Placid Grand Prix in Lake Placid, New York last summer. The dark greens and stark whites, with the bokeh’ed horse in the background, meld to a vibe that I would call “fresh.”
Knight
This frozen moment of energy and will and concentration captures Lillie Keenan in the Grand Prix at the 2013 Fairfield County Hunt Club June Benefit Horse Show. Though it’s the incredible 2-meter jumps that really capture the attention in these events, for my moment, it’s the rocket acceleration leading up to a jump that makes for far more drama.
Happy Mario
This past weekend, I photographed the grand prix event at the Lake Placid Horse Show. With a $75,000 pot, a lot of money was on the line. (You can see more of my photos of the competition and candids of the audience at the Plaid Horse.) This particular shot of Mario Deslauriers, one of the grand prix competitors, really caught my eye. Watching his competition, with that knowing smile, seems like the confident move of a seasoned pro. Jumper competitions are so fascinating, with competitors of all genders and ages.
Bontemps
Today’s photograph comes courtesy of Dr. Piper Klemm.
Alexander Bontemps shows Katie Riddle in the $50,000 Go Rentals Grand Prix at the Horse Shows in the Sun (HITS) Thermal Desert circuit near Indio, California. Katie Riddle is a 14 year old, 16.1 h gray mare who has competed at the international level for the United States in numerous competitions, including being a member of a winning Nations Cup team in Buenos Aires in 2010.
Spectators
Watching the Grand Prix tends to be the time when I shoot pictures of horses, not people, but this particular moment had a fascinating “broken symmetry” to it: the trellis and the ramp are organized perfectly, but the biological elements (the tree, the shrubs, the people) perturb that symmetry.
Over the Rainbow
We visited the Vermont Summer Festival this weekend and watched the Grand Prix with its 1.45 meter jumps. The physicality of horse jumping five feet into the air never gets old, but my favorite part has to be the facial expressions and the activities of the riders who muscle these equine missiles around the course.
Summer Horse Show
Bright and fresh and “Easter-colored,” a horse show in the summer reminds me of a Seurat painting: tall trees, broad trellises, vibrant flowers, and spectators in pastels.
Guest Post: Grand Prix All-American
Today’s post comes courtesy of Piper J. Klemm:
Two-time US Olympic Gold Medalist McLain Ward and Antares F jump in the AIG Million Dollar Grand Prix in Thermal, California on March 17, 2013. Ward and Antares F won the Million Dollar Grand Prix in Saugerties, NY in September 2012.
Decaseconds 