The One that Tested Me

I keep sitting down to re-start the blog - I start then delete the few sketchy lines I’ve drafted. I started this blog to be truthful, mostly to myself; on the adventures of my photo journey. The wins. The fails. The lessons learnt.

So with the last few hours of the year left, here goes…

2024 you been full of challenges

The final fling: Defender Blair - Wills Oakden & Keep It Cooley take the CCI4*L win at the final Blair, August 2024

And now I know that’s ok. I haven’t hated this year, but I’ve come close to falling out with you on several occasions. You’ve challenged me, changed me but I’ll admit it taught me things I needed to experience.  Life can change in the blink of an eye. Life is precious and fragile. Some losses are just unfathomable and have no reason. Yet I must thank my lucky stars that I have what I do.

This isn’t a whinge, this isn’t a moan or a self-pity party looking for the sympathetic vote - I just said I’d always be truthful on this blog. And I’m that kinda boring girl that does what she said she would do. This is an honest look back at the season from my little vantage point.

On face value, it was a great season; supporting all my awesome clients and riders, some new adventures and plenty of cake. There was also tears, mud, more mud and some big confidence wobbles.

The 26th May 2024 will forever be ingrained in my memory. Whilst we all know Eventing, alas all Equestrian sport is a risky business. I have seen some sights over the years and thought I’d seen nearly all of things, but witnessing that first hand left an imprint on my soul that won’t be faded by time. No inadequate words from me will ever do Georgie justice, but your warm smile will never be forgotten. But thank you to some amazingly supportive people that have held my hand as I have navigated those dark days. 🤍💜

It’s been rather many minutes since my last ramble. Mainly due to a lack of sparkle. Not just from the aforementioned, but in general I have found this season somewhat testing.

But all it takes is a spark, to light a fire.

In the gorgeous, majestic beauty of the Chateau de Versailles I found that spark and the fire started to burn again. Albeit not in as straightforward a way as you may first guess.

This season has been challenging to say the least and I almost cancelled my trip to Paris several times. I’d lost the spark.

As with all major sporting occasions for a spectator, there were niggles - not enough concession kiosks, lack of promised water refill stations, lengthy queues and weirdly you may say - a lack of consistency in permitted items to bring in. I played by the rules on camera equipment and lens length, but most others did not and cheated the system; this left a slightly sour taste of what might have been had I had my equipment of choice.

That being said the Allez Bleu ensured the most atmospheric of occasions. For each French rider the crowd went WILD - screaming, shouting, chanting and cheering them all the way from the announcement of them going towards the start box to their confirmed final score after they crossed the finish line.

Maybe I needed this reality check of being on the other side; to make me appreciate the privilege and camaraderie of the press room gang. Watched them all dashing about all week, instead of making me glad to be resting and enjoying the spectacle; made me yearn to be buzzing around with them.

I must say they all did an awesome job in reporting and documenting the greatest event in the world.

Oh Paris you have my heart…

There was a sense of soaking up all that Versailles was. For surely no one will go to this much effort and more importantly expense again. The cost of staging a green field event is well documented, but I doubt there was a spreadsheet big enough to calculate what Versailles cost. A world heritage site let alone one of the biggest tourist attractions in Europe - to allow access to many thousands of Eventing fans won’t have come cheap. Those lucky enough to walk through the Palace that day and out into the spectacle of Pierre Le Goupil’s cross country course will be forever grateful that that much effort was made.

With LA now looking at an existing venue to host the Eventing, if we are lucky to keep equestrian within the Olympic programme; it made me stop and take a moment to soak up and fully appreciate, the stunning venue of Versailles even more.

For anyone questioning the impact the Olympics can have - I stood next to a gentleman from the Philippines at the medal ceremony- he’d never watched equestrian, he just wanted to attend a medal ceremony during his Paris 2024 adventure. After a short chat, he is now looking up the next Asian Games, as he and his family had so much fun that day. That’s the power the Olympics can offer our sport. We really have to think outside our Equestrian bubble, if we are all to help the sport survive and thrive on the world stage.

As the rain starts to lash the window outside for the 76,547th this year, I’m mulling over memories from another jam-packed season done and dusted.

I’m the sort of boringly organised person that likes to learn from experience and this year’s Badminton gave me some good lessons: True friends (and new ones) that stop in their tracks to help you are just priceless; people who ask how you are and actually mean it are also priceless; imposter syndrome will never leave my brain and mud is the eternal ever-present theme that has haunted us at every event in 2024.

Mars Badminton 2024 Champions: Greenacres Special Cavalier & Caroline Powell, May 2024

For anyone wondering what a day on the road looks like, for those aspiring to know what it takes to cover the big ones and quite frankly, why I always look like a zombie most of the season, here is a quick run down of a day in the life of a Badminton press photographer, here’s cross country day from this year…

5.15am alarm up and at them as they say, hot shower to ease the muscles into action before a superb breakfast cooked by super host Bob (he’s a gem)

6.30am pack the car with all the gear, time to beat the traffic into Badminton

7am Arrive in the media centre, catch up on any withdrawals & update the plan of attack. Grab the camera and head down to the House to catch up with various Grooms for some lovely relaxed photos of those special quiet moments before the day gets going.

8.30am Back up to the Media Centre, time for a cuppa, catch up with colleagues, download photos and distribute to teams

9.15am Editing done, time to pop out and meet some clients in the tradestands that I haven’t seen so far this week - it’s so lovely to catch up in person, with people I spend all season emailing and calling.

10am The anticipation that has built all morning comes to a head, we all huddle round for the Photographers Briefing - here we get the final low down on photo locations that have been laid out at some of the key cross country fence locations, general health & safety briefing. We all queue up for our high vis jacket and one final check of the plan and load up the kit

Chloe Whitelam & Capel Hollows Drift share a quiet moment on Cross Country morning, Mars Badminton Horse Trials, May 2024

10.30am Time to load myself up like a pack horse and walk out to my first position on cross country. 3 cameras,, lenses, spare batteries, monopod, tripod, few snacks, times, map, radio of and a drink - this year I started at the Lake , fence 10 so needed to be quick out the blocks to get a good position in the small photographer pen on the inside of the track.

11.29am One final minute to wait till the plan of action starts. I’m so lucky to work with so many wonderful teams - and I get so invested in them having a good day; by this point I was nervous for them all.

11.33am Here comes the first horse, we’re off - now the dashing about begins. By this time the sunshine had made a welcome appearance so it was getting rather warm. I snaked from the Lake around the back half of the course out to the Vicarage fields and back again

Cross country day at Badminton is like nothing else, it’s a large track so usually I can anything from 9-14km of walking. Being one of the top sporting events in the U.K., there’s thousands of spectators to navigate through - I can’t miss a horse, so some swift walking/running is often required and I must say ‘excuse me please’ several hundred times whilst moving between fences.

4.30pm The final horse has gone past, almost all horses captured now to load up my gear and head back to Media Centre.

4.50pm A tired, long, but brisk, walk back to the Media Centre; time to download all the days images and get a drink before getting down to the real business of the day…

5.00pm The old saying ‘Time is money’ is so true in Freelance Sports Photography. Most of my clients need the images of the day, be that their clients, sponsored riders or press images. These need to be downloaded, captioned and exported to send to my publications and clients as soon as possible. I go through all 1,500 images from the day one by one, selecting the best for each client, edit then send. The more you do the faster you become; I’m fairly slick with my workflow fuelled by Jelly Tots, chocolate biscuits and Coke (all donations gratefully received at a 5*!)

7.30pm Myself and a colleague realise the time and panic that the on-site catering vans will be closing soon, so we head out to find some food - fast food of choice: Sweet & Sour Chicken Noodles today before some press room banter then back to work, still a decent chunk of editing and distributing to do.

9.15pm Final images edited and sent, time to pack up all my gear and head to the car.

9.45pm Walk back into my accommodation recalling the high drama takes of the day to my hosts, quick G&T to be sociable before starting the climb upstairs and the final shift of the day…

10.30pm climb into bed, laptop back open to answer some emails, edit some more images (why do I forget some…) and make a plan for the final day.

12pm Check final horse inspection time, set the phone alarm then lights out

All smiles, Badminton Done! - Andy, Miranda & Will Rawlin, Georgia Hattion-Brown & Siobhan Binns with Ballycoog Breaker Boy at their first Badminton, May 2024

The year wasn’t all gloomy though; through my wobbles, client loses, mud and tears; my loyal riders, clients, organisers and supporters kept me smiling and on the road.

A few highlights:

Caroline Harris & D Day make the most of conditions at Les 5 Toiles de Pau, October 2024

I got my day in the sun at Pau that I had wished and hoped for all year, albeit for a day before mud-mageddon got us all and I had to watch as Max & Ben rushed the hire car out of the swamp.

Defender Burghley Champions: Ros Canter & Lordships Graffalo on their victory lap, September 2024

Cheering on Walter & Ros during their Burghley victory lap was oh-so-satisfying - the horse is a freak and the rider is pretty damn special too.

Blair will always be special and I got to cover the final fling with the best team.

A quiet snuggle with Dan (Aka London 52) at his and Laura’s celebration party was special.

Gemma Stevens & Chilli Morning IV, 7YO World Champions, Mondial du Lion, October 2024

Capturing the Chilli-Clones at Mondial du Lion and well actually making it finally at the 4th attempt to Le Lion to watch Gorgeous George taking Reserve-Champion

Oh George, you are handsome - Kantango (aka George) & Kitty King, 7YO Reserve World Champions, Mondial du Lion, October 2024

Capturing Will & William’s Badminton debut was magical - sharing and capturing these memories with my teams will always be a pleasure and this one was special.

Will Rawlin & Ballycoog Breaker Boy take in the sights at their first Badminton, May 2024

Wowsers, if you have made it this far, I’m not sure if you need a medal and large glass of something on me! Or just a sanity-check?!Anyway, now I have all my season ramblings off my chest, a clean and tidy fresh page await to start again from tomorrow. New adventures to look forward to, usual faces to work with and

Hope you are all getting a chance to have some sort of rest and recharge and all the horses are happy and healthy returning from their winter holidays.

A massive thank you for all the support - from blog readers, press room colleagues, riders, owners, valued clients, organisers and friends - thank you for all your support, for keeping me going and here’s to a (hopefully drier, less muddy) 2025 for us all.

Happy New Year all x