A true honour to be able to photograph Daisy and these two very special mares at their beautiful private yard in Kings Langley - Daya and Stella. I didn't think there was a bigger treat as an equine photographer than to photograph a super fancy, beautifully mannered, happy, shiny dressage horse... and then Daisy produced two of them, so naturally that meant twice the fun!

What a way to begin the autumn equine photoshoots for 2024. Grand Prix Dressage rider and UKCC Level 3 coaching extraordinaire Daisy trains and competes a number of very talented and gorgeous horses for her clients - what a wonderful career she has! We first met whilst I was photographing the British Dressage Inter County Challenge dressage test riding day at Dan Sheriff's yard, Bayford Hall Farm in Hertfordshire earlier in the year. We've been in contact since, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to photography Daisy at such a beautiful time of the year!

We were lucky enough to involve two beautiful mares during our autumnal photoshoot. The first being Daya - a mare Daisy has successfully ridden and competed up to GP for a number of years on behalf of her lovely owner and list 1 judge, Judy Firmston-Williams. Beautiful 17 year old KWPN mare Daya (Donnerhall bloodlines) is also known as Cleopatra II when she goes out dancing. Calm and serene, Daya was a complete saint during her parts of the photoshoot. Judy has owned Daya since a two year old, and after such a long time working together, Daisy, Judy and Daya have a beautiful partnership that was a pleasure to capture.

Our second horse of the day was 5 year old stunning bright bay Hanovarian mare, Stella. Stella, owned by Daisy in partnership with Judy Firmston-Williams towered over us both! She is at the very beginning of what looks to be a spectacular Dressage career and continues to prove how special she is at each of her recent outings. Being a fairly new addition for Daisy, we were unsure how Stella would deal with the things we were asking of her... Like I say to all of my clients, horses don't understand the importance of what we are asking of them so occasionally we need to bribe and find ways to make things as easy as possible - especially when they are young. As it turned out, we really needn't have wondered! Stella slotted perfectly into modelling as if her life depended on it. It became evident very quickly why they have incredibly high hopes for Stella's future Dressage success!

Upon my arrival...

I arrived with Daisy and her mares, greeted with a smile and a coffee - strong start! Both horses were ready to go so we spent time looking around the stable yard. I was instantly taken by a beautiful set of rustic timber stables. I absolutely love any stable yard with wooden buildings - they make for perfect backdrops for stable door shots and add lots of texture and character to photographs! The fields were beautiful - flat with mature tree lines and grassy tracks leading to paddocks and gateways. A total paradise for an equine photographer!

Outfit changes & locations...

Starting around the stable block with Daya, we went with our first outfit of the day. Daisy opted for a very smart and clean riding look with black Agaso breeches, her burgundy Celeris boots and a well-matched Zara padded burgundy coat! Practical, professional and very smart to warm us all up to get into the full flow of the shoot.

After an outfit change, Daisy selected a beautiful tweed jacket and skirt set from Mango. She chose to pair the look with tights, a burgundy fedora and a pair of brown Dubarry country boots - perfect for the time of year! Understated yet very classy and seasonal. I love hats for the variety and interest they can add to images. We used this look around the hedges and tree lines to really make the most of the autumnal feeling we were experiencing.

To finish, the outfit Daisy was initially a little unsure about ended up absolutely stealing the show! A gorgeous long embroidered dress with beautiful floral detailing and balloon sleeves that she had previously fallen in love with and purchased for a wedding. She had said she had been desperate to find another occasion to re-wear it - my goodness, wasn't this just the job for it! I'm so glad she was brave enough to try it - elegant long dresses during photoshoots aren't for everybody and that is completely ok. But when I meet a person who wants to go for it, I wholeheartedly encourage it! This dress was a stand out piece for me and brought all the elegance, sophistication and femininity lending itself perfectly to timeless and classic shots in the middle of the fields with both the girls.

At our viewing session, we toyed with a number of image options and finally settled on a beautiful 3 in 1 frame for Daisy. It was important that we included both special girls in the final frame and I think Daisy picked very wisely indeed! A real pleasure to host this experience for you Daisy, I couldn't have wished to meet a more lovely and kind person through work x

Links & information:

Dubarry Side Zip Country Boots

Mackenzie and George Burgundy Fedora

Celeris Burgundy Tall Boots

Agaso Black Breeches