Travels with Prophet

Mini Shows!

2009-07-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

If it's summertime, it's Mini Show time at Briggs Stable.

Additional Mini Show photos

June Heritage Dressage Show

2009-07-18T11:02:00.001-07:00

New England Wild West Fest

2009-07-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for the rodeo and it seems like lots of other folks are, too.

<

As usual, lots of folks from the local foxhunts are at the team penning. Ah, good times.

Additional photos from the New England Wild West Fest

South Shore Horseman's Council

2009-07-18T10:51:00.001-07:00

It was a rainy day for the SSHC show in Raynham, but I stopped by for a few photos.

There are always some great horses and riders here and it's well worth the trip if you're in the area.

Additional SSHC photos

77th Annual June Show

2009-07-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

Prophet would like to thank everyone who came out to see him at the Hanover Hunt and Riding Club's 77th Annual June Show at to see him take fifth in the Local Pleasure class.

Prophet would also like to note that the pink ribbon matches his tongue nicely.

Additional June Show photos

2009 Bryn Mawr Hound Show

2009-07-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while since I've updated here, but lots of things have been going on, including a trip to the Bryn Mawr Hound Show in Malvern, Pennsylvania with the Tanheath Hunt.

This was the first day out with my Nikon F4, which replaces my D70 backup camera which was filled with water on one of the later hunts this winter. I'm pretty happy with the F4, but it's going to take a bit of experimentation and practice to get everything dialed in with it. I'm looking forward to that, though.

Additional photos from Bryn Mawr

More Foxhunting in Cumberland

2009-02-15T17:14:00.000-08:00

Once again, we're hunting at Burnt Swamp in Cumberland, Rhode Island. The winter weather is still here, but we've had a few warm days so there's grass starting to poke through the snow.

The woods are still icy, so we stuck to the open fields. The hounds were moving well and a good time was had by all.

Hound Exercise

2009-02-09T06:58:00.000-08:00

The ground is still a bit bad for proper hunting, but we've had a bit of a February thaw, so it's off to Burnt Swamp in Cumberland, Rhode Island for a bit of hound exercise.

Levaland Farm

2008-12-19T14:13:00.000-08:00

Jen Goddard of Levaland Farm invited me down to photograph a winter horse show down at her place in Middleborough, Massachusetts. Normally I'm not a fan of shooting inside indoor schools, but I'm a sucker for barrel racing, so...

More photos from the show are available here.

The First Snow

2008-12-07T12:30:00.001-08:00

The first snow of the winter is always something special for Prophet and myself. There are few things better than a ride out in a light snow to lighten the mood and make one forget the cold and gloom of the winter months.

The movie version for those you like to hear us go clip-clop:

Birchwald

2008-11-29T19:28:00.000-08:00

I need to pay better attention in the woods. I must have walked an extra few miles (after putting my hip out. Ugh!) by following the circles in the woods more than once. Oops. Note to self: don't use abandoned refrigerators as landmarks. They're hardly unique out there...

Still, not a bad day, especially considering it couldn't have been much more than 20F when we first set off.

Raven Rock Farm

2008-11-29T19:15:00.001-08:00

The Tanheath was hunting for the first time from Raven Rock Farm in Scotland, Connecticut. The corn fields definitely made for a different looking backdrop from the usual hunt country.

The Blessing of the Hounds

2008-11-29T16:26:00.001-08:00

The Opening Meet of the formal season traditionally involves the Blessing of the Hounds. Special thanks to all the visiting riders from the Norfolk Hunt.

Montpelier Hunt Races

2008-11-29T16:03:00.000-08:00

The Montpelier Hunt Races at James Madison's home in Montpelier Station, Virginia remain one of my favorite race meets of the year. You've got all the tradition and beauty of Saratoga (and the crowds!) with a bit more room to move and a more relaxed pace. What's not to like?

Greene, Rhode Island

2008-10-27T01:49:00.001-07:00

More photos of the Tanheath Hunt whips at work. This time Donna Hannigan and Silver.

Whipping-in with the Tanheath

2008-10-23T02:10:00.000-07:00

It's fall foxhunting season. Here we have Mary Marks and Brock whipping-in with the Tanheath Hunt at Weston Nursery in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Please, no laughing at the photographer.

24th Annual Pomfret Hunter Pace

2008-10-23T00:48:00.000-07:00

Tyrone Farm, in Pomfret, Connecticut is one of the prettier riding spots around here and I want to thank Susan Boone for inviting me down to photograph the Pomfret Hunter Pace on October 11th.

More photos from the Pomfret Hunter Pace are available on Flickr

I'm looking forward to revisiting this location next week with the Tanheath Hunt.

Driving with Carol

2008-10-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

Carol LaRose and Holly were kind enough to take me for a spin through the woods in her cart after the folks at the Heritage Dressage Show took exception to driving on the show grounds.

Briggs Stable. Hanover, Massachusetts.

Cubhunting at Weston Nursery

2008-09-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

It was pleasant weather for fox hunting this weekend. Here's Susan Boone, MFH, working the hounds through Weston Nursery, Hopkinton, Massachusetts.

Highland Lass

2008-09-24T18:57:00.000-07:00

This photo’s a bit of an oddball. After a not very successful day of shooting at the New Hampshire Highland Games, I caught a glimpse of this girl playing in the water below the bridge leading out of the Loon Mountain Ski Area. I managed to get to the edge of the bridge and snap a few photos before she left the water and it was probably the best shot I got all day.

Big Apple Hunter Pace

2008-09-24T17:46:00.001-07:00

This year's Big Apple Hunter Pace was a big success.despite the wet weather. Turnout was strong at The Big Apple despite the rather wet weather.

Special kudos to Mary Marks and the others handling the after-ride cookout. I'm still amazed that you guys managed to get a fire going in that rain storm. :)

Morning Workouts

2008-09-11T00:36:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I never got around to posting the photos I shot last month at Saratoga. Morning workouts at Saratoga always strike me as the best time to be at the track. Things are quiet but there's plenty going on and you don't have the press of the crowd, which is so common at Saratoga.

I rather like how this shot turned out. A slow shutter gives it that bit of movement and I set up in front of a crew erecting an event tent for the afternoon's races which would explain the startled look on the horse's face. :)

Cub Hunting

2008-09-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

It's the first day of cub hunting for the Tanheath. The weather the night before was rather wet with the rains from tropical storm Hanna, but the morning was only overcast and the day itself was pleasant, if a bit hot once the sun came up over Burnt Swamp Road.

Lusitanos

2008-09-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of August is the open house that Jorge Gabriel puts together at Casa Lusitana each Labor Day. The horses are just amazing: gorgeous, talented and friendly, which is always a bit of a surprise considering the number of stallions they seem to have around.

This year they had Kathy Von Ertfelda and and her stallion Talento WR putting on a freestyle dressage demonstration and Jorge also put on an interesting piaffe lesson as well as a Pas de Deux demonstration. Nice.

New this year were a few Perlino Lusitanos for sale. I don't think I've seen any horses with that coloration before and it certainly looks good on a Lusitano. If this photo was in color, you could see how piercing those blue eyes are. :)

Hound Roading

2008-09-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

The official fox hunting season hasn't started yet, but the Tanheath Hunt has started roading the hounds to get the youngsters used to working with the horses.

Donna Hannigan and Silver getting ready to set off.