Back at the beginning of booking season I turned my focus to mostly equine sessions as after years of spreading myself to all genre’s I am finally feeling the need to specialize. Although specializing in just equine photography may be to niche for me as I enjoy shooting low light action/ events.
Anyways the captain of The Outlaw’s Drill Team reached out asking if I would attend a drill competition hosted in Kentucky by the Northern Kentucky Horse Network this May. I have never photographed a drill competition — I actually didn’t even know that was a thing— and I have only had some exposure to equestrian drill because of the Renegade Drill Team who worked a few rodeos I was a photographer/ Marketer for.
It was my connection to the Renegade’s former captain whom I do images for as she is now a horse trainer that connected me to the Outlaw’s. So the contract was made and it became a waiting game for May, and May rolls around with the most up and down weather possible making planning equine events tricky.
Due to weather the arena was soupy and unsafe for performance and riding so the NKHN moved the competition which was at the fairgrounds into the cattle barn— for those familiar with footing it was not arena quality by hard compact dirt that can be dangerous for fast hard turns with horses. This was especially concerning for the Outlaw’s as two had horses just healed or healing from injuries.
Thanks to another team they were able to borrow a few mounts and still perform in all but one for their entered categories. This saved them from having to scratch the entire day but made things tricky as they were riding unfamiliar horses who had also never seen or practiced the drill the way their usual mounts had.
Still the day went on, the light was tricky, and photos were made. The team took a first place, tied for first and had two tiebreakers that resulted in a second place.
While a challenging day I had a great time, got to make some cool photographs — many blind I had never seen the teams routines and was shooting from the hip essentially— and enjoy being with horse people again.
