What a few days this has been!!
For those of you who know me, you know this has been a long time coming. I've taken a lot of flak as to why I'm so determined to shoot here, or why the battle project is so important to me, but hopefully I can answer that over the next few posts.
The short answer is- Handsome horses, Pretty Ladies and a world famous event.
OK, that requires a little elaboration, I know!
I've been really absent from this blog over the last month or so, mostly due to a commitment to the people over at Western Horse Review(they agreed to carry a blog that I was to put out that dealt with the battle project and I've had a few really good posts there. Actually, starting tomorrow, I'll be doing daily updates for that blog, so it seems only fitting that I take a few minutes tonight and update what's really happening with the project!)
My very good friend Lynn Johnson got this whole ball rolling a few years back, when I first shot her horse show in Rimbey. Since then we've been involved in many projects together and this battle idea has grown from our time together. "Get your credentials" she's been pestering me for some time now, and this year we finally got our poop in a pile and made it happen. And boy, what an eye-opener its been so far!
Being accredited at Spruce means you are afforded some pretty skookum privileges-in today's case, that means a course walk with Eric Lamaze. Of the Akita Cup...yup. And, to add a little cream to the day, I had a chance to meet and talk with Bob Langrish, probably the world's foremost Equestrian photographer. ( When I told him I was nervous about being here, he told me in his classic British Accent " dont worry-we're all just here to do our job") Easy for you to say, Bob, you've been at it for 40 years!
It was cool, though. To spend a few hours with a world-class athlete, and actually understand what he was saying. I think he lost a lot of the crowd after he stopped talking about the Olympics scandal, but for anyone who stuck with him, what an awesome insight into what goes through a champion rider's mind as he walks a Grand Prix course. Yes, I'm very lucky, and I know it!!
We saw Marge Southern as we came out of the media centre, chatting with the Rolex boys(Personally, I'm an Omega guy...)
I am so fortunate to have met the competitors for our battle project. Sure, we knew a bunch of the ladies prior to this (they're the reason its happening!!) but today was a day to finally put the last pieces of the puzzle together as I met the last of the "mystery" team members, Like Kathleen and Fabio (Best cooler ever!!)
Yes Laura-Gene, Tex is pretty (Appy people, whooftie.....)
So, during our media media luncheon we had a chance to hear
from Linda Southern, and she said lots of things that were all pretty cool, but to tell the truth, I was so emotionally wrapped-up in just being here that I missed most of what she said, but there was one thing that really stood out, and you can see evidence to that simple statement wherever you look around the grounds here. I think I'll make it my new motto..
"It's all about the horse..."
