Saturday dawned warm and humid, but that doesn’t stop a horse show from happening.
Just outside the #TownofHampton, the Hampton Riding Centre hosted its annual Cross Country Event. Similar to the situation at the Peekaboo Corner Horse Trial last weekend, the number of competitors was small. Nevertheless, they were enthusiastic as they performed their dressage tests, cross-country jumping course, and stadium jumping challenge.
The work that goes into organizing a horse show is enormous, whether there is one competitor or a hundred. There’s a lot of paperwork involved, building, placing and flagging all the jumps for various levels, rounding up volunteers to act as jump judges out on the cross country course, tallying the results of each phase for each rider to determine the winner in each category or level of competition, finding sponsors to help with prizes and so on.
Safety for both horses and riders is paramount, so it is essential that those jump judges/spotters are equipped to handle any mishaps that may occur, such as a rider falling off or a horse sustaining an injury. Fortunately, yesterday, there were no such occurrences, but the show organizers have to be prepared, just in case.
For the show photographer, it means standing in the hot sun for an hour or more. No matter how carefully one prepares, something always gets forgotten. I remembered to wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt and to spray myself liberally against unwelcome critters (think voracious mosquitoes, ticks etc.) Unfortunately, although I remembered to bring water for sips between riders to stay hydrated, I forgot my hat as my aching head testified after the cross-country round. C’est la vie. I enjoy capturing horses and riders enjoying themselves.
Capturing Cherished Memories 