Hello all,
It’s been a busy few days but it’s time to update my new blog and add some wonderful equine portraiture. This particular post belongs to a lovely young lady called Emma and her wonderful horse, Ashley – Our Ashley when competing. Emma has owned Ash for just over 4 years.
I first met Emma back in June 2012 at a nearby livery yard where I had just moved my horse too. I wasn’t specialising in photography back then. I still am an avid filmmaker of weddings (and love that just as much as photography). Anyway, end of last year I launched my equine lifestyle photoshoots. During the summer, I was looking for a volunteer for an idea I had for a lifestyle shoot with horses that was a bit different to the usual. I opted for glam so nicknamed the photoshoots as ‘Divas with Horses‘. Us girls with horses, we know how to glam up when the occasion arises! Emma was kind enough to volunteer herself and Ash for the challenge. The challenge was for Emma’s feet not to get trodden on by a fidgeting Ash in her party heels! We succeeded, Emma’s feet were just fine! The Photoshoot went well and it was a blast on a very warm and sunny dayday!
A Little bit About Ashley
Ashley is sired by King’s Theatre who is sired out of Sadler’s Wells. He was bred by Martin Lightbody and trained by Heather Dalton as a youngster into the world of racing. As a young racehorse, Ash ran 3 times under rules, once over hurdles and twice over national hunt fences as a 4 and 5 year old. His best results were 7th, so as he didn’t have the makings of a top placed racehorse he didn’t make the grade for racing so his racing career was ended early.
King’s Theatre was an Irish bred Thoroughbred bred by Michael Poland who’s racing career span from July 1993 to June 1996. He is most famous for winning the King George VI and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes Cup in 1994. He made a successful Stallion at Stud, siring some great progeny who had good race careers both flat and jumping.
Wow, Our Ashley has a quite a famous father then, just poor Ash wasn’t unfortunately cut out for a career in racing. He does however make a good event horse as he is fast against the clock over XC. Emma has spent the last four years in retraining him from an ex-racer to the horse he is today. Retraining racehorses is not easy, it takes a lot of time, patience and commitment. These days, Emma competes Ashley at BE100 getting placed too on most of those occasions. Ash also competes regularly in dressage at Elementary Level and is again regularly placed in his outings. I asked Emma how old Ash was and she told me that he would be 11 next May. Long term goals for Emma and Ash? Emma hopes to compete him next season at BE Novice level… so with that in mind, Chatsworth Horse Trials may just be on the cards in the near future – it’s a great event and one that is virtually on our doorstep! My aim was to capture the bond between Emma and Ash. I believe I did and so much more. That is the essence of my storytelling with imagery. I can’t ever imagine an Ash without Emma and likewise.
Go Emma and Ash and I wish you every success for 2015 onwards!!
Without further ado… lets see the photos (since these were taken, I have changed my WM)!!
