Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2011/08/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]More photographs of horses. A followup on the Finger Lakes races. During our visit to my niece's tiny horse farm in Fairport, NY, my wife and I were asked to drive my niece, Margaret, to a training session for her two show horses. She had had a leg operation the previous week and was restricted to a walker for the remainder of the summer. Margaret, owns two show horses, a seven year old, Regally Blonde (Regal for short), and a three year old, Torino. Torino was the horse I photographed in "Two Beauties." <http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Two+beauties.JPG.html> While race horses start running at the age of three, show horses require much more training and usually reach their peak performance at eight or nine. Regally Blonde had been a race horse but she had a mind of her own and, to the despair of her trainer and jockey, didn't always want to run. But she enjoyed showing off and jumping. She is also a real beauty, a horsy 10. My niece decided to have her trained to show in jumps, steeple chases, and dressage. She took to it like a horse to oats. It is her true calling. Here is a picture of Regal running on grass: < http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Show_horse_training/Regal+loves+running+on+grass.JPG.html > Gail is Regal's rider in show events. She is a big girl for a show rider but an excellent horsewoman. < http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Show_horse_training/Portrait+of+Gail.JPG.html > Regal and Gail in a training session: < http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Show_horse_training/Regal+and+Gail+2.JPG.html > On this hot afternoon Regal's saddle blanket started to itch and she decided to roll to scratch her back. Gail handled it well. Remember a horse weighs almost as much as a small car and you don't want it rolling on top of you. < http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Show_horse_training/Regal+rolls.JPG.html > Anyway, to shorten a long story, in the actual competition, Regal jumped superbly and won her event. < http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Show_horse_training/Regal+jumps+to+win.jpg.html > Torino, their younger horse, is just at the beginning of her training. Here is Jenny, Torino's rider, getting coaching from a pro. < http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Show_horse_training/Show+training.JPG.html > A formal portrait of Torino and Jenny. The sort of thing a proud horse owner would hang over the fireplace. < http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Show_horse_training/Torino+and+Jenny2.JPG.html > And for comic relief, the trainer's daughter riding her personal painted pony, trying to emulate the bigger girls. < http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Show_horse_training/Painted+pony.JPG.html > Finally, a picture of Jennifer, the trainer and part owner of Torino, my niece Margaret, still in a cast, and my wife, also Margaret. My wife feels that it should be titled "Witches of Macbeth on a Summer Outing." http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Larry+Z/Show_horse_training/Trainer_+neice_+wife.JPG.html Larry Z