SA Eventing Championships 2017
- Bridget Ford
- Aug 23, 2017
- 2 min read
I was hired as one of several photographers for the South African Pony Rider and Junior Championships in June 2017. The event luckily took place during my mid semester holiday, which meant I was back home in Port Elizabeth to be able to photograph at the event. It was my first time as an official photographer at an Eventing competition. For those of you who do not know much or anything at all about horses here is a brief explanation of what this competition includes and how one goes about winning it.
​
Eventing is made up of three separate phases, or sections, called Dressage, ShowJumping and Cross Country. Dressage is mostly known as horse and rider "dancing" together. They perform a certain number of movements ranging in complexity in a set out sequence. Dependent on the level the combination is competing at, these movements can range from fairly simple to quite extravagant. Most of the time, those competing in lower levels are new to the sport, discipline or have a young horse or pony beneath them. This makes even the simplest of moves extremely testing to many combinations.
​The Second phase is the Cross Country. Much like school/university athletic cross country, except that the horse and rider combinations are moving at good speeds, over long distances, between big, solid and decidedly scary looking obstacles such as logs, tabletops, banks, ditches and water complexes. For many combinations this phase is the most difficult yet the most interesting and fun phase.
The third and final phase is the Showjumping phase. This is where the combinations get back into the fenced in arena and tackle far lighter, easier to knock and gain penalty type obstacles. Most combinations are tired by this time, horses are feisty from the freedom of the cross country beforehand and riders can often struggle to get their horses to listen and focus again. So in order to come out on top, one has to have a horse capable of being relaxed, balanced and graceful in the Dressage, Bold, brave and fit for the Cross Country and disciplined, careful and trained enough for the Showjumping. The rider needs to have a good relationships of trust, love and commitment with their horse as many obstacles will test even the strongest of partnerships.
​
I truly loved this experience and learnt a lot more about a discipline I hadn't ridden much in myself. The skills and partnerships I saw were astounding and the experience for myself as a photographer in fast pace subject photography and low lighting control was very useful.
Comments