Texas Revolution Team Roping in Seguin

August 17-23, 2015                             

Equine Photographer Genie Images San Antonio     

I headed out to Guadalupe County Coliseum in Seguin, Texas this last weekend to shoot Texas Revolution Team Roping event.  This was going to be a great opportunity to practice back button focusing.  These were going to be fast horses and cattle running every which way  . . . what a better time to fine tune my skills. 

Before heading out there, I thought I should brush up on the Rodeo Basics.  It is always a good idea to know where your subject is headed!  I was happy to find out that the routine ran pretty much as the article said.  The header (guy who ropes the head of the steer) and healer (guy who ropes the back legs of the steer) start running after the steer is let loose from the chute.   From there, the header ropes the steer as quickly as possible and pulls him to the left for the healer to swoop in and rope both back legs (or more often . . . one back leg).  If the header misses, it is pretty much game over.  If the healer misses both back legs but does rope one leg, they will at least get a recorded time.

It was all very exciting and by the end of the morning, I was cheering teams on to victory and felt the other's agony of defeat.  I loved the expression of the rider's faces as they throw their ropes in hopes of it falling exactly where it is intended.  I loved capturing all aspects of this sport.  Once you understand the routine, you can track the horses and cattle pretty routinely.  The back button focusing skill was conquered after the first hour and now I don't know how I ever got along without it.   Thank you Tom Turner for taking 15 minutes out of class to explain it to me!

Jeanne Harford

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An Evening at Retama Park Race Track in San Antonio

An Evening at Retama Park Race Track in San Antonio

August 3-9, 2015      

Equine Photographer Genie Images San Antonio 

Saturday night at the races has been a standard in many cities across the world;  San Antonio is no different.  This Saturday night was the last night of Quarter Horse racing for the summer.  I grabbed my camera and headed out to Retama Park to be there in time to see the horses in the paddock and catch the first race of the evening.

Before heading to the track, I wanted to refresh my betting knowledge and found this site to be helpful: Texas Horse Racing.  This site offers information for all the race tracks in Texas and betting tips.  Personally, I usually just get the dice out of my purse (yes, I always have dice in my purse . . . you just never know when you may need them) and through them.  Whichever two numbers come up is what I bet; one to win and one to place.  It is not much of a system, but has paid off many times to keep it interesting.

I digress . . . it was a beautiful night and the setting sun  illuminated the horses perfectly.  I hung out at the paddock during saddle time and then followed the ponies to the track for their short but fast run.  Fast is an understatement!  These horses are the fastest horse in the world at a quarter of a mile.  The race lasts approximately 18 seconds and most of the horses are in the pack the entire time.  It is truly a horse race!  I got some wonderful shots, but my favorite is the one above. It is not extremely sharp, but there is just something about it that shows the intensity of the moment.

The Thoroughbred meet starts up in a few weeks and will run through October.  Texas Thoroughbred Association is a good source of keeping up to date with their news.

Jeanne Harford

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The Saddlebred Saturday Night Series is Special

 July 27- August 2, 2015                       

Equine Photographer Genie Images San Antonio 

Every summer, around the first weekend of  August, Paul Cates Stables organizes a wonderful American Saddlebred show.  We all know how hot it is in August, so this show only runs in the evening.  These guys are a class act! 

American Saddlebred Association is the governing body for the breed.  Texas does not have a lot of Saddlebred horses, but the ones we do have are really good quality.  San Antonio has a wonderful club, the San Antonio Saddle Horse Association  and many of its' members were here to support the Saturday Night Series.

The evening sun gave a warm glow to these stunning horses.  Their coats were groomed to perfection and their long luxurious tails glimmered with shiny reflections.  These tall magnificent horses have quite a presences.  Some were saddled in western gear, while most were wearing their classic saddleseat attire. 

The warm up arena was buzzing with big trotting horses, trainers shouting out commands, and riders focused on their prize.  As they called for each class, the warm up arena stopped, the riders formed an effortless line, and picked up the trot to make their grand entrance.  Each class takes approximately 10 minutes and then the riders exit the arena.  This is a wonderful time to see the riders faces; the winners and the losers.  The horses seem to know what has happened too as some come walking out with their heads hanging while others come out bursting exuberance.  If you watch close enough you will notice four types of winners and losers: (1)the angry loser who could care less about their horse, (2) the happy loser how is just happy to able to show a horse, (3)the winner who has won so many times that they could care less, (4)the winner who is thrilled whether it is the first blue ribbon or the 100th.   Enjoy the moment . . . win or lose.

Jeanne Haroford

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