As my horse show season winds down in the hot and humid south it is just getting under way in other parts of the country. I’m headed out to shoot shows in Colorado, California, Oregon, and Massachusetts over the next three months. The beauty of this is I get too see more of our beautiful country and its diverse landscapes. Our nation is so large it’s difficult to see with small road trips. So today I fly into Dorango, Colorado and will drive with fellow photographer Cristy Cumberworth to the Colorado Horse Park. A beautiful drive!

After so many weeks of shooting horse shows, I was a bit burned out. The show was small, well run and laid back. Just what I needed to be honest. I was standing at a distance when I see this horse coming around the outside of the arena.. and I could envision this shot, so I got into position and waited for all the elements to appear in my lens… and there it was.

I drove up to the farm with a mixture of dread and anticipation in my heart. I was there to document the progress of a few survivors of a rescue of over 60 horses from a thoroughbred farm where they were starving to death, literally. Several groups stepped in to find temporary homes for these poor horses.  The Louisiana Horse Rescue Association was one of the groups and I offered to help.  I had not seen the horses in person yet and was dreading seeing these poor suffering creatures, knowing that many had perished even after they were picked up.  But there was also joy, as one of the mares was able to deliver a healthy, if small, foal just two days before.  This 40 pound filly was to be my subject today.

They led her out of the stall by her dams side , clad in a pink dog coat, as they were unable to locate a foal blanket small enough to fit her.  My heart was immediately smitten. This little girl was a pistol! Running around the  mare tossing her head, kicking up her heels. She came over to check me and that big camera out. Very bold and sure of herself for such a young foal and a miracle! She was the jewel hidden inside this tragedy.

So here she is, meet Jewel!

The World Dressage Masters returned to West Palm Beach Florida last week. Two with Louisiana roots were in the top 3 in the Grand Prix Special on Louisiana bred horses! Heather Blitz on Paragon, and Todd Flettrich on Otto. Both horses were born at Oak Hill Ranch in Folsom, Louisiana.I know Heather choose the stallion, the mare and was there to bring Paragon into the world. So exciting to see these talented riders living out their dream. Brought a lump to my throat. The venue was even better than last year’s, with the beautiful back lit screens and increased seating. Steffen Peters and Ravel won both the Grand Prix and the Freestyle again this year. I never tire of seeing this pair in the ring.  Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro of Great Britain were close on their hooves however, only a few tenths of a point separated the two.

It didn’t take long to figure out the door chain had to be adjusted to accommodate his size. Then it didn’t take long for the dogs to figure out they could squeeze into the door and raid the cat food and the litter box. It was back to square one. I tried several solutions to no avail. It wouldn’t take the dogs long to find a way into what was being called the cat room by now. I thought of a pet door, but if it was large enough for Pancho, it was also large enough for the cocker spaniels. Over the holiday I bought a baby gate. It sort of worked but again it didn’t take the dogs long to learn that they could push on it till they knocked it down.  I found a couple of L brackets in the garage that would fit in the doorway with the gate and alas I think I finally have a solution. It’s the combination of the gate, L brackets, and chain!  The chain keeps the door from opening very much, the gate blocks direct access, and the brackets keep the gate in place. The dogs are very inventive, so we’ll see how long this last, but for now peace reigns in the cat room.

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Here are a few of the fun things I photographed so far.