I love doing horse show photography.  Partly because, like any sports photography subject, it can be challenging to nail the timing and the lighting and the angles to make a good image.  But mostly because I have so much admiration for the athletes, human and horse, who deliver incredible performances together.  On Sunday I had the opportunity to photograph riders at the Fall Show at Forest Edge Farm in Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey.  It was a beautiful fall day, which made for some great light and backgrounds.  And the riders and horses worked hard and performed well.

One of the highlights of the event – of all horse show photography – for me was watching the perseverance and grit of the riders.  On example that stayed with me was a young woman who took a head-over-heels tumble off of her horse when the horse stopped at a fence.  The crash was dramatic, and there was a collective gasp from the audience as we watched.  The young rider stood up, collected herself, gave her horse a few minutes to relax, and then jumped back in the saddle and rode the last three fences of her round perfectly!  I was so impressed with her fortitude.

I left with a memory card full of photos, a few of which are below.  Click on a thumbnail to see a larger gallery.

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