sports – Decaseconds

Pony Finals 2022 Day 1

2023-Mar-01 adohertyh1 Comment

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!”

Pony Finals 2022 Day 1 XIII: Emily 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.”)

The Day Before Pony Finals

2023-Feb-132023-Feb-12 adohertyh1 Comment

Progressing through important summer horse show days finally brings us to the verge of Pony Finals. To whatever extent the event was subdued in 2020 and 2021, 2022 brought back the full experience.

Around Stonewall Farm, Pony Finals wouldn’t have been possible without the work of a whole team of young equestrians. Catching them in a rare group shot felt like a rare alignment of planets.

Naturally, that was because of the amount of time spent ferrying to and from the Rolex ring. As in past years, golf carts play a key role.

In the ring, young riders have time to school and explore the space before they return for scored trips beginning the next day. Behind this squad, the VIP sits empty.

There’s a mix of high stakes and informal context that makes this day before Pony Finals fascinating.

The formal riding clothes that will make up the next few days, the spectators in the stands, the judges, the jumps—all are absent.

There’s even time to stop for a snack…

…Or for a group photo.

The huge expanse of the Rolex’s footing makes for some remarkably neutral backgrounds. Details in horse and rider are all that stand out.

Back at the barn, pony after pony goes out for schooling or trials.

Will awaits a pony on the way back from the ring.

Megan gets Piper’s horse out of his stall…

And grooms him.

Piper heads off to ride.

The schooling ring is as busy as the Rolex.

In the warm-up, young riders focus on perfecting their rides.

Piper in the ring—with some good advertising.

“Maybe the real Pony Finals champions were the friends we made along the way.”

Baseball in the Spring

2020-Jan-202020-Jan-19 adohertyhLeave a comment

When foot upon foot of snow stacks up outside, looking back to pictures from springtime on St. Lawrence’s campus helps to remind me that this condition is not permanent.

Appleton Under Construction

2020-Jan-082020-Jan-07 adohertyhLeave a comment

St. Lawrence University is renovating its historic Apple Arena, home of the Skating Saints, and the project is entering its final phases. Back in May, however, the foundations were just being poured and the skeleton of the structure was laid bare. Can you spot the steeple of Gunnison Memorial Chapel on the horizon?

Football in the Snow

2019-Nov-252019-Nov-21 adohertyhLeave a comment

November snow means the football fields, like everything else in the North Country, need to be plowed.

Leaving the Game

2019-May-132019-May-12 adohertyhLeave a comment

Look at all those taillights! When it’s time to go, it’s time to go.

Secret Weapons

2018-Oct-29 adohertyh3 Comments

Walking through the side streets of Berkeley, all kinds of delightful sports cars are secreted away in the driveways of wood-shingled homes. This BMW 2002 looks like it’d be a hoot to drive.

This Alfa Romeo Spyder also looks (and this is a technical term) “the business.”

Sights from the Kentucky Horse Park

2018-Sep-032018-Sep-02 adohertyhLeave a comment

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.

Views from Derby Day

2017-Oct-092017-Oct-09 adohertyhLeave a comment

St. Lawrence University’s Derby Day finished out the summer horse show season, and I was on hand to get some shots. The day started dry with a dramatic sky, but quickly turned to rain.

Did you know that a group of vultures (of the turkey variety, in this case) in a tree are called a “committee”? I’ll not over-interpret that.

High-collared jackets are the perfect (badass) gear for when the weather turns stormy but you still need to warm up outside before heading into the ring.

Red Spinnaker

2017-Oct-06 adohertyhLeave a comment

Racing sailboats on San Francisco Bay is the sort of upper-class pastime that seems perfectly suited for a flawless blue evening in late spring. Placid water meets busy city meets bright sails.

In an Open Field

2017-Sep-29 adohertyhLeave a comment

Saturday morning, on horseback, in an open field!

Soft Landing

2017-Jul-24 adohertyhLeave a comment

Though images of horses jumping often focus on the apex, I like this shot of McKenna Norris jumping 1.2 meter at Woodside this spring. The sense of motion as her horse lands on the bright footing is gentle, in spite of appearing powerful.

Jumping at Woodside

2017-May-01 adohertyhLeave a comment

I spent Saturday at Horse Park at Woodside on the peninsula, photographing jumper events for The Plaid Horse. Sunburn aside, it was a productive weekend. I happened upon a particular angle near a jump where riders were forced to make a tight turn immediately after landing. That transition sideways meant some dramatic direction changes.

Some riders were even looking to the next jump around the bend while they were still in the air.

Dinner Time in Strawberry Canyon

2017-Mar-10 adohertyh1 Comment

The work day is ending and the eight-to-six employees are returning home. They meet in bars or at rec leagues or around the table or in front of the TV, but the hour is still too early to head out for a night’s adventure. In between work and nightlife is dinner time. We’re not tired enough to go to bed yet; the night is young and full of paths over which to integrate (to borrow Feynman’s view).

Unleash the Beast

2017-Mar-03 adohertyhLeave a comment

My neighbor parks his growling, thundering Audi S3 in a perfectly-sized space. He carefully backs it in and tucks down the corners of the Audi-emblem car cover. At night, this machine comes to life. LED headlamps flare and the walls of the garage form a resonant chamber for the warm-up revs of the turbo engine. Hydrocarbons are injected, explosively oxidized, and exhausted; the beast is unleashed!