8 March 2018

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Winter DreamsA Photo Essay of Morgans In The Snow

By Andy Illes • Introduced by Stephen Kinney

I grew up in Eastern Canada and, needless to say, snow was a big part of my life. Having horses to care for at that time you got familiar with the exuberance, the joy, the acting out that the white fluffy stuff inspires in our equine companions—

rolling face first, running, kicking up their heels. There’s more. There are sleigh rides. There’s the fact the horses are furry and unclipped. That steam pours forth from their nostrils. The list goes on. The point is this. Images of seeing horses in snow are familiar to horsemen in the snowbelt. But for some reason that very “familiar” thing has been underutilized in equine photography. Enter our “think-outside-the-box” friend Andy Illes. She is an innovative, creative force. And she thinks big! “Snow is such a wonderfully different medium to shoot in,” says the lens master. “I love a Morgan who is covered in layers of winter hair and furry ears. I love the off-season because so many in our breed truly enjoy the winter—trail rides, turn-out, and just being a horse. It’s so relaxed and fun.” This is her second “Morgans In The Snow” photo essay for the official breed journal (her first was in 2016). She traveled from Maine to Illinois to get her images. “Winter shooting is not for

the faint-hearted,” she observes. “It’s freezing cold out, windy, and with sun bouncing off the white snow acting as a reflector it can be tricky to get the lighting just right. There have been shoots where I am standing thigh-high in snow for six to eight hours. For me, the results are well worth the frostbite.” And the results, she says, can be something like this: “Some [Morgans] are like little kids—running, rolling, and playing in the snow. I love the spunk that you can see in most Morgans in the cold and snowy conditions! They love it as much as little kids do.” True that! But there is one more element not to be overlooked. They’re not just having fun; they’re performing for our extroverted, joyously infectious, high-spirited gal with the long lens. “I truly love what I do and when you mix the beauty of the Morgan horse with playing in the snow, magic is bound to happen. I live my life with wild abandon and that seems to lend itself to those in front of my lens to do the same. I feel that photography should never have boundaries. Your intent when shooting always comes through the lens.” And that statement was never more true than in the fun, frolicking, uninhibited photos which follow. PS—Enjoy this while you can. Spring is just around the corner!

Marissa Loon and Firewind Venetian.

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1. Meredithe Bodnar and Diana Flaire; 2. Katie Haberkorn and Merriehill Moonshine;

3. Whitney Bodnar and VDM Intense.

10 March 2018

PHOTO ESSAY u Winter Dreams

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1. Bogalusa; 2. Born To Boogie; 3. Timber Hill Stable; 4. DRF Picture Perfect; 5. Christine Nava Moulthrop and Bogalusa.

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1. LNT Cassanova; 2. Laing HIll Overture; 3. Equinox Bossanova GCH; 4. Ellie Stevens and Lucky Strike.

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12 March 2018

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1. Graycliff Caravaggio; 2. JWJ Lady Hawk; 3. DRF Ladies Night Out, DRF All Eyes On Me, and DRF Spice Girl.

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1. Kyle Sewing and Meadowmere Curiosity; 2. Hali Goodwin and CBMF Off The Charts; 3. Samantha Pellerin and Roselyn Superman;

4. Lori Bailey and Point Man; 5. Kristi Haines and Fenway Park.

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14 March 2018

PHOTO ESSAY u Winter Dreams

1. Sea-Vu Undeniable, Sea-Vu Just Imagine, and Society Maine Event;

2. Merriehill Carry On; 3. Maddie Wa-ters and Bay State Quizical; 4. Sabrina

Gagnon and Morgan Manor Casey; 5. Townshend Port Of Call.1

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1. Jackie Helle and Menomin Maine Yankee; 2. Paddington; 3. Whispering Aslan; 4. Paddington and Zurich.

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Winter Dreams u PHOTO ESSAY