BY LAUREN MAULDIN / PHOTOS © TORRENCE SULLIVAN
A clear round, a good effort. There are different marks for success when it comes to showing horses. Numbers on the screen and ribbons awarded only tell a small part of the picture.
Some of our favorite moments don’t usually as get as much attention as the shining ribbons, trophies and big checks. At every level of horse show, we can’t help but notice the huge smiles at the end of a good round. The affection rubs, hugs, and kisses to our beloved “ponies.” After all, they’re an equal part of the team. We can’t do it without them.
To showcase those special moments between horse and riders, we have our “Celebrating the Round” photo series. These are from HITS Coachella, and are taken by photography Tory Sullivan.
Tory Sullivan works for Google and photographs equestrian, lifestyle and wildlife. He started riding when he was 8, with a goal of becoming a famous jockey. A few years later, he was quickly over 6′, and now he leaves the competitive riding to his wife, Andrea and her Oldenburg mare, “Dark Rose.” They ride at Ashbrook Farm, Tucson, AZ, under Ashley Stannard and compete in the West. Tory loves Equestrian Photography because it’s, “By far, the hardest thing you can shoot. The horse, rider, jumps, background, crowd, sunlight, ALL need to be in harmony for a good photo to come together. So difficult. But when horse, rider and environment are in rhythm, it looks beautiful–and means something.” His work can be found on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/pixelstill
