Looking for the light in the Ynystawe woodland before going to photograph the dressage riders at the Clydach Riding Club show last weekend, I peeked out from the trees to the fields and the River Tawe and finally headed back to the show field through a tunnel of trees. The dressage show photos can be found at StillWalks Photography.
Tag Archives: Clydach Riding Club
Dark Woods and Dressage
Last weekend I found myself with time to spare as I waited for the Clydach Riding Club Dressage Show to start. Having turned up earlier than I needed to, I took the opportunity to have a short walk through the woodland next to the show field.
The weather had been pretty wet for several days but on Saturday the clouds at least had dried up, if not the ground, the plants and the undergrowth. The dry “crump” of my footsteps in snow (see yesterday’s post) was nowhere to be heard in the woodland landscape at Ynystawe near Swansea.
In amongst the trees the scene was dark as well as wet, making photography problematic. The dressage show photos can be found at StillWalks Photography.
Supreme Champions
Last Sunday was the Clydach Riding Club Annual Show and StillWalks Photography was covering all the ridden and in hand activity in rings 1 – 4 (not the jumping in ring 5).
I may be responsible for all the photography done by StillWalks but on this occasion I was not the only photographer. Hannah Duncan and James Rees were invaluable helpers and did the photography for rings 2 and 3. All the images can be seen here on the StillWalks Photography website.
Below are the two Supreme Champions from the day which also included the awarding of the Angarad Rees Memorial Trophy for the best exhibit in the show.
Riding in the Rain
And the rain came down! What more can I say. My equestrian photography at the weekend was shortened by the weather. The morning Dressage show was cancelled but they were able to go ahead with the jumping in the afternoon. Forunately it wasn’t like this for more than a few minutes but during that time, everyone got soaked!
Dappled Sunlight
The sun was shining for my equestrian photography at the Clydach Riding Club Working Hunter and Inter Hunt show at the weekend.
I often try to get a few shots in of the surroundings while I’m there – if there is the time. On this occasion there was and I wasn’t the only one hanging around and waiting the next event.
The images below are a just a few of what I found walking around the woods next to the show field. More to come in the next couple of days. All photos are available at the StillWalks PhotoShelter website – you’ll find these ones under Inter Hunt collection extras.
At C Turn Left – the sound of dressage
On Tuesday evening I was doing some equestrian photography of a small dressage show at Clydach Riding Club.
The judges of the dressage sit in their 4×4 to watch the riders and blow their horn to indicate that the rider should start. Every time they do this I jump out of my skin. On Tuesday evening I was recording some of the sounds of the show. These include the background sound of traffic from the A4067 but this could never drown out the birds.
I am sure the judges had a laugh when, with my headphones on as they beeped their horn, I very visibly jumped. I have toned it down in this recording.
And for the field recordists out there, you can hear more on SoundCloud.
The equestrian photography can be found on PhotoShelter.
Show Time
Actually it’s not show time yet, not for the Pontarddulais Show anyway – that happens at the end of August and we have the Carnival before that in June.
I have put up this StillWalks video and photos because it was the starting point for the equestrian photography which I am doing again this year for Clydach Riding Club.
Here’s looking forward to a good Summer with fingers crossed.
Waiting and Watching – Riding Club Extras
Doing photography almost invariably involves time spent waiting. If others are involved in any way, this is inevitably the case and even if they are not, you often have to wait for the conditions to be right – the wind to drop, the sun to come out or whatever.
The extra shots I took on Sunday morning at Clydach Riding Club show jumping reflect some of that time – I wasn’t the only one waiting for the next event!
My horse show photography, including extras, can be seen and is for sale on the StillWalks PhotoShelter site.

Watching Legs

Walking the course

Messing Around

Waiting their turn

Waiting their turn

Full Bloom