Today I sat on my upturned feed bucket.  For almost 2 hours.  And cried.   Freelance ate quietly next to me.  Finally I picked both myself and my bucket up, squared my shoulders, dusted myself off, and, vowing to hold my head high, resolved to move forward with my Spring. 

Well, there's just a lot of special birthdays today, aren't there!  1st August.  The Horse's Birthday!  I have always loved August the 1st! First and foremost, happy birthday Freelance!  She's enjoyed the top layer of a brand new box of sugar cubes this morning and is currently still eating her nice warm brekky.  She's also had a little beauty session as well, just for good measure! To the famous pony, ' Nelly ' (Black Caviar), Happy Birthday and I can't wait to see you soon!  Happy Birthday to my two other favourites girls, ' Lilly ' (Karuta Queen) and More Joyous.  Happy Birthday Hay List, I hope your leg is gradually getting better.  To ' my boys ', Redoute's, Spur, More Than Ready, Medaglia, Testa, Dan, Lonhro, Occy, Denman, Berni, Street Cry, and all the others, Happy Birthday and have a great day, wherever in the world you currently are.  I will see you in the last week of August!  And finally, to my other famous pony, the g...

I have chosen, over the past 15 years, to concentrate my photographic activities as a professional freelance photographer to the Australian Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding Industry.  I've been told, both directly and indirectly, that I'm one of the best out there.  That the images leap out at you, and can on occasions take people's breath away.  And that people can feel the connection I have with each horse I photograph, and that they love the way my love of the sport and the horse comes through in each image. So here's a tricky little issue. Question:  Say you, either as:  a member of the public that either liked racing in general, or had a real fondness for a particular horse, jockey or trainer; or a member of the industry, be it trainer, jockey, horse stud, etc; or the owner of a horse that you paid good money to race were  told that you were only allowed to purchase an image from one photographic source.  What would you feel about this? ...

The 2010-2011 Racing Season is rapidly drawing to a close.  Our racing seasons don't run July to June like the financial year calendar, rather it runs July to August, however for me, the season is over from a photographic perspective. My work of course covers two important components:  (1) of the racehorse at the track because, as Les Carlyon puts it, " the true arena is, has been, and always will be, the racecourse ", and (2) stallions at stud.  It is fair to say that on both fronts, the 2010-2011 season will for me be remembered for really special images of true thoroughbred superstars. On the track it's been world champions So You Think and Black Caviar.  And in addition to these two out and out champions, there's been More Joyous, Hay List and Hot Danish.  There was the 2yo juggernaut that was Darley Australia, who gave us Sepoy (Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper) and Helmet (AJC Sires, Champagne Stakes).  My little Queanbeyan filly Karuta Quen provide...