Chillington Hall Horse Trials - Fiona Moore Photography
CHILLINGTON HALL HORSE TRIALS
- FIONA MOORE PHOTOGRAPHY -
Just last week, I was carefully packing up our Horsebox and heading out to the stunning Chillington Hall, filled with nerves & excitement...because this wasn’t just any outing...it was my very first major Tradestand!
The four weeks leading up to it were a whirlwind of planning, designing and trying to bring a vision to life.
I wanted a soft, calming & neutral theme, so I went for a cream, beige and white colour pallete; timeless and elegant. To add a little warmth and joy to the overall picture, I included some vibrant flowers and invested in two large statement pieces of artwork to sit proudly at the front of the stand.
Seeing it all come together was honestly an amazing feeling.
I had the pleasure of exhibiting on the Saturday, during the BE80 Championships Cross country & Showjumping day.
Meeting so many of you, fellow horse owners, supporters, friends and family & getting to hear your stories & talk all things equestrian was a really great experience.
And getting to talk Icelandic horses was just the cherry on the top!
To everyone who stopped by to say hello, ask questions, admire my work, or even just offer a passing smile – thank you. As a photographer stepping into the world of tradestands for the very first time, it felt daunting at moments. But you made me feel truly welcome and reminded me exactly why I love what I do.
- THANK YOU -
Alongside having my Tradestand at the event, I was also incredibly lucky to be granted permission to host Mini-Photoshoot Sessions in front of the stunning Hall.
Let me introduce you to the wonderful partnerships I had the pleasure of Photographing:
EMELIE & OLLIE:
First up is Emelie and her gorgous 16 year old piebald cob Ollie (great name!) whom she has owned for 8 years, competing at the BE80 Championships was a major milestone for this duo.
'This was our first Championships for us both, as well as managing to qualify in our first year of doing British Eventing. To say I am proud of us is an understatement, it's taken a lot of hard work & dressage practise to get to where we are today. So to finish the event on a double clear is incredible, only 20 competitors went double clear our of almost 90 starters! The event was beautifully ran with lovely volunteers, we can't wait to come back next year!'
MEGAN & CHAMPAGNE:
On Friday afternoon, Megan and her lovely 15 year old gelding, Champagne, spent some time in front of my lens.
Megan explained that their journey has not always been smooth sailing:
'He's a very anxious horse, due to being a rescue. And on top of that he was diagnosed with Navicular during 2020, which in turn caused a DDFT injury, and he was retired from ridden work. It's taken years of rehab & a strict care plan to get him here. Including re-teaching him how to jump & how to properly re-use his body again.
So, as you can imagine, to be placed in the top 20 & take home a Team 3rd this weekend was an amazing privilege!'
RAFE & RUDI:
And the final models were the youngest of the weekend - 12 year old's Rafe & his gorgeous grey pony, Rudi!
Rafe's mum, Olivia, filled us in on how they got on competing in the BE80 Championship Class:
'They had a fabulous day, a double clear with no time penalties, so they finished on their Dressage score!
The run up to the Championships has been a bit of a rollercoaster, we didn't know if Rudi would be sound enough to compete, so it was just lovely to see Rudi feeling good and the boys doing what they both love'.
What a fantastic achievement for such a young duo! Rafe's quiet confidence & Rudi's spark was amazing to capture.
THE BIG GIVEAWAY:
And as if all that wasn't enough excitement t for the weekend, I also hosted my biggest giveaway yet!
An Equine Photoshoot Bundle worth over £350, supported by the wonderful teams at RowenBarbary Horse Feeds, Mad Mucker & EcoGreen Equestrian LTD. I was so thrilled to partner with these amazing brands to bring something special to my community & supporters.
The giveaway has now concluded, with the winner announced via my Facebook Page last week. Congratulations to our lucky winner, Laura! I look forwards to meeting you & your horse for our Photoshoot Session!
This weekend was more than I could've imagined it to be.
Exhausting? Yes! Emotional? Slightly! But most of all it has been totally inspiring.
It has solidified why I do what I do; capturing the connection, bond & friendship between horses & their humans.
Here's to many more adventures, new faces & beautiful connections told through the lens!
And I hope to do it all again in September!
Ⓒ Fiona Moore Photography
West Midlands Based Specialist Equine Photographer
Award Winning Equine Photographer available for Equine Photoshoot Sessions & Equestrian Brand/Business Photography.
