A Busy May

Last month was here and gone in the blink of an eye. In New York, May tends to be the beginning of the equestrian season. We’re less likely to have snow, the grass is green, and the flowers are beginning to really bloom. It stays light out longer. We can ride outdoors. We have all been isolated to indoor arenas during the winter waiting for the ground to thaw…and when it finally has it’s time to get out and about.

On the 12th we took Stanley to his first off-property outing of the year. A local show series, Show Off Equestrian Events. I didn’t bring tack, we simply loaded him up and brought him to the fairgrounds. He was fantastic. He was uncertain and looked around a bit, so having him on the ground without adding to his stress by riding was ideal. It was a great way for him to get out with minimal stress.

The following Sunday Suzanne and I took Tiger and Stanley to a local walking path for a trail ride. They were remarkable. We only walked and kept things calm.

The weekend following was a BIG one.

I was invited to be the photographer for the Boyd Martin clinic at Graphite Hill Farm on May 24th and 25th. If you recall I rode in this clinic in 2023, and I volunteered as jump crew when he returned in November.

This year instead of the jump crew I was behind the camera. To my surprise another photographer was there, Alex Zhang, whom I have the deepest respect and admiration for. If I had known more than 24 hours before the event I probably would have chickened out, his work is on a completely different level…it’s pure art. I can only hope to develop half of his skills. Still, I showed up. I can’t improve unless I get out there and do it.

With my recent upgrade to a better lens, I’m happy with my results. I still have a long way to go, and I’m considering an upgraded body. Even so, it is my best work yet, so I’m happy to be going in the right direction.

On Day 2 we were joined by our two friends from Massachusetts. Alex caught a great shot of us taking a selfie with Boyd.

photo courtesy of Alex Zhang Photography

The very next day we traveled to Connecticut to Treasure Hill Farm to cheer a friend on at the Dominic Schramm clinic. Sunday was cross country day and we made it to watch her and Atticus tackle jumps, water banks, and ditches. We also made a few new friends.

While in Connecticut we simply could not resist the ocean. We were only 30 minutes from Mystic so we drove down and walked through town. A very kind person from Treasure Hill offered to let us park in her driveway just outside of town. We walked to Red 36 where we enjoyed calamari and scallops with rossotto.