Honoured to be named a finalist at the World Sports Photography Awards 2026 in the Equestrian category, selected from over 23,000 images by 4,100 photographers across 123 countries.
This image was captured on the final day of Royal Ascot ๐๐ฌ๐ง — moments after Lazzat ๐ซ๐ท triumphed in the prestigious Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes. Spooked by the winner’s blanket, he shied away and unseated jockey James Doyle during the celebrations — a split second where glory and gravity collide.
The finalists represent the top images in each category worldwide, and it’s a real privilege to see this moment recognised among them.
Winners will be announced on 15 January 2026.
Thank you @worldsportsphotographyawards for the recognition. ๐
Two electric days at the HSBC SVNS Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช — speed, power and pure sevens drama.
New Zealand ๐ณ๐ฟ swept both the men’s and women’s finals against Australia ๐ฆ๐บ๐๐, while Fiji ๐ซ๐ฏ and Japan ๐ฏ๐ต completed the podiums with standout performances.
Enjoy a few highlights from one of the most exciting weekends on the SVNS calendar. Shot for Getty Images.
See more on HSBC SVNS Dubai 2025 ๐๐
What a spectacular setting for Fujairah jumping ๐ฆ๐ช!
Shady Ghrayeb ๐ธ๐พ on Cabernet De Mars flew around a tight course beneath the ancient Fujairah Fort to win the CSI3* Grand Prix over 150cm ๐ฅ. Abdurakhmon Abdullaev ๐บ๐ฟ on Caballone took ๐ฅ ahead of ๐ฅ Ali Aziznia ๐ฎ๐ท on Aonia Domain.
With origins dating back to around 1500, the former military stronghold is the oldest in the northern emirate of Fujairah. Constructed from mud bricks, gravel, stones and palm trunks, the fortress was heavily damaged by a British naval bombardment in 1925. A major restoration project before the start of the new millennium rebuilt collapsed sections using traditional materials and techniques.
A perfect spot for watching the sun set behind the towering Hajar mountains. ๐
Epic battle awaits!
Sexy Lord ๐จ๐ฟ — last year’s Velká Pardubická co-champion — will face his old rival Chelmsford ๐ซ๐ท this Sunday, eager for revenge after a narrow defeat in the third qualifier back in August.
Last year, the nine-year-old gelding by Egerton ๐ฉ๐ช, trained by Martina Rลฏลพiฤková, shared victory in the toughest test of Czech racing with Godfrey ๐ซ๐ท in a historic dead heat.
Now, with that rival sidelined by injury, Chelmsford ๐ซ๐ท, trained by legendary Pardubická jockey and trainer Josef Váลa, returns after missing last year’s edition through injury himself.
The nine-year-old, sired by top-class miler Sunday Break ๐ฏ๐ต (ใตใณใใผใใฌใคใฏ), will challenge Sexy Lord ๐จ๐ฟ and 13 other runners in the 135th running of the gruelling 6,900 m (34.5 furlongs) steeplechase — a course of 31 obstacles and ploughed ground that has earned its fearsome nickname: The Devil’s Race.
Wishing a safe run to all horses & jockeys! ๐
Team Great Britain ๐ฌ๐ง celebrated their first Longines League of Nations win in St. Tropez – Haras de Gassin ๐ซ๐ท, after a true rollercoaster of a competition that saw teams rising and falling with almost every round.
Just a single penalty point separated the top four nations. Germany ๐ฉ๐ช looked set for victory until the final rider, when Sandra Auffarth & Quirici H lowered a rail, dropping them to fourth.
Britain ๐ฌ๐ง seized the moment, finishing on 15 penalties to edge ๐ฅ Italy ๐ฎ๐น on 16 and ๐ฅ Belgium ๐ง๐ช on 17.
The result lifts Britain ๐ฌ๐ง to second place in the overall standings, behind France ๐ซ๐ท, setting up a dramatic showdown at the Final in Barcelona.
Pleased to have captured this thrilling contest for the FEI.
See images here →https://www.martinsimages.com/p26258196
Full story here → https://leagueofnations.fei.org/news/brilliant-brits-secure-first-lln-win
© FEI / Martin Dokoupil
Karl Cook ๐บ๐ธ & Caracole de la Roque were unstoppable last night, taking the CSIO5* Grand Prix in St. Tropez – Gassin ๐ซ๐ท with a blazing 41.06 sec in round two.
The mighty mare has scored five-star wins in Falsterbo ๐ธ๐ช and Rotterdam ๐ณ๐ฑ this summer and also boasts a team ๐ฅ from the Paris Olympics ๐ซ๐ท.
It looked as though Stephan De Freitas Barcha ๐ง๐ท on Dinozo Imperio Egipcio might hold the lead with 41.59 sec, after edging past Laura Kraut ๐บ๐ธ on Bisquetta (41.76 sec), but he had to settle for ๐ฅ when the final pair delivered a flawless round. ๐
Jockey Lukáš Matuský grinned aboard Dulcar De Sivola ๐ซ๐ท after cruising to an eight-length victory in the final qualifier for October’s Velká Pardubická Steeplechase — 5,800m (29 furlongs) of testing ground softened by overnight rain.
The 12-year-old gelding, by top stayer Assessor ๐ฎ๐ช (Prix Royal Oak, Prix du Cadran), and trained by Luboš Urbánek, finished third in last year’s Pardubická, won jointly by Sexy Lord ๐จ๐ฟ and Godfrey ๐ซ๐ท. A veteran of every edition since 2019, Dulcar De Sivola ๐ซ๐ท now has three career wins from 33 starts. Araucarias ๐ซ๐ท, with Josef Bartoš in the saddle, claimed second place. ๐
Polyan ๐ซ๐ท, ridden by jockey Petr Foret, stormed home to win the 80th running of the St Leger at Chuchle Racecourse in Prague ๐จ๐ฟ by two and a half lengths — the final and longest leg of the Czech Triple Crown ๐ over 2,800m (14 furlongs). It was the biggest of his three career victories for the three-year-old son of The Grey Gatsby ๐ฎ๐ช, the 2014 Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club winner. Trained by Dalibor Török, Polyan ๐ซ๐ท had finished fifth in the Czech Derby ๐จ๐ฟ in June and third in the Slovak Derby ๐ธ๐ฐ in July, both run over two furlongs shorter. ๐
What drama at the FEI Eventing European Championship in Strzegom ๐ต๐ฑ!
With the results in, France ๐ซ๐ท celebrated a golden team double ๐ — winning both Juniors and Young Riders after the final jumping test.
In Juniors, Ella Howard ๐ฌ๐ง & Marchwood clinched ๐ฅ ahead of Pia Sophie Schreiber ๐ฉ๐ช & Cliemann ๐ฅ, and Matis Cogniet ๐ซ๐ท & Vivendi Hero ๐ฅ. In the team standings, France ๐ซ๐ท took ๐ฅ, Belgium ๐ง๐ช ๐ฅ, and Spain ๐ช๐ธ ๐ฅ.
In Young Riders, Hannah Busch ๐ฉ๐ช & Crystal-Annabell, who had led from the start, had just one down in jumping to secure ๐ฅ. Valentin Quittet Eslan ๐ซ๐ท & Casanova d’Ems stepped up for ๐ฅ, while Sophie Weening ๐ณ๐ฑ & Konan claimed ๐ฅ. In the team competition, France ๐ซ๐ท was ๐ฅ, Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช ๐ฅ, and Britain ๐ฌ๐ง ๐ฅ.
Jockey Jan Kratochvíl gave Chelmsford ๐ซ๐ท a well-deserved pat after holding off Sexy Lord ๐จ๐ฟ and Jaroslav Myška to win the third Velká pardubická steeplechase qualifier over 5,800m of rain-soaked ground.
The 9-year-old, trained by legend Josef Váลa and sired by Sunday Break ๐ฏ๐ต (ใตใณใใผใใฌใคใฏ), hadn’t raced in a year due to injury, missing last year’s epic dead heat won by Sexy Lord ๐จ๐ฟ and Godfrey ๐ซ๐ท.
Chelmsford ๐ซ๐ท also won this qualifier in 2024 and now has eight career victories. His high-class sire placed third in the 2002 Belmont Stakes and Wood Memorial ๐บ๐ธ. ๐
Talent ๐จ๐ฟ, retired winner of the 2021 Velká Pardubická steeplechase and runner-up in 2022 and 2023, took a familiar spin over the jumps he knows by heart — this time with work rider Jiลí Glacner aboard. The veteran led with quiet confidence, showing the way to Red Cliff ๐ซ๐ท, a stablemate half his age.
Home-bred and trained by Hana Kabelková, the 14-year-old gelding by Egerton ๐ฉ๐ช made his final appearance in the so-called Devil’s Race in 2024, finishing fifth — his sixth and last crack at Pardubice’s iconic challenge.
Overcoming arthritis through water training, Talent powered to glory in the toughest test in Czech cross-country racing. He won 9 of his 40 starts, including a shared victory in the Grande Steeplechase di Roma, earning $258,609 in a remarkable career. ๐ฅ๐๐๐
Sexy Lord ๐จ๐ฟ, joint winner of the 2024 Velká Pardubická Steeplechase, had a spin this morning at his favourite racecourse with jockey Jaroslav Myška, ahead of an upcoming qualifier.
The nine-year-old son of Egerton ๐ฉ๐ช, trained by Martina Rลฏลพiฤková, flew around the course in style—popping a couple of jumps with ease before thundering down the home straight to finish off his exercise.
Last year, he shared the so-called Devil’s Race victory with Godfrey ๐ซ๐ท, ridden by Jan Faltejsek, in a historic dead heat after a nerve-racking finish.
Coincidentally, this cloudy morning Sexy Lord ๐จ๐ฟ shared the track with his half-brother Talent ๐จ๐ฟ, winner of the 2021 Pardubická and runner-up in 2022 and 2023. ๐ฅ ๐๐๐
Sexy Lord Pardubicka qualifier prepSEXY LORD, joint winner of the 2024 Velka Pardubicka Steeplechase, gallops with jockey JAROSLAV MYSKA in preparation for an upcoming qualifier at Pardubice Racecourse in Pardubice, the Czech Republic, July 17, 2025.
Sexy Lord Pardubicka qualifier prepSEXY LORD, joint winner of the 2024 Velka Pardubicka Steeplechase, tackles a jump with jockey JAROSLAV MYSKA in preparation for an upcoming qualifier at Pardubice Racecourse in Pardubice, the Czech Republic, July 17, 2025.
Sexy Lord Pardubicka qualifier prepSEXY LORD, joint winner of the 2024 Velka Pardubicka Steeplechase, gallops with jockey JAROSLAV MYSKA in preparation for an upcoming qualifier at Pardubice Racecourse in Pardubice, the Czech Republic, July 17, 2025.
What a finale to the World Equestrian Festival in Aachen ๐ฉ๐ช!
Martin Fuchs ๐จ๐ญ delivered a masterclass in precision and speed aboard Leone Jei, conquering the rain-soaked arena to win the CSIO5* Rolex Grand Prix at CHIO Aachen 2025 ๐. Three flawless rounds — including a lightning-fast jump-off in 50.29 sec — sealed the victory.
Hot on his heels, Laura Kraut ๐บ๐ธ and Baloutinue secured second place with a time of 52.41 sec, just ahead of fellow Swiss rider Steve Guerdat ๐จ๐ญ on Dynamix de Belheme, who finished in 52.59 sec. ๐
CHIO Aachen World Equestrian FestivalMARTIN FUCHS of Switzerland on LEONE JEI tackles a jump to win the CSIO5* Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen during the CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany, July 6, 2025.
CHIO Aachen World Equestrian FestivalMARTIN FUCHS of Switzerland on LEONE JEI reacts after winning the CSIO5* Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen during the CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany, July 6, 2025.
Team USA ๐บ๐ธ was unstoppable last night, winning the Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup ๐ at CHIO Aachen ๐ฉ๐ช with just 4 penalties! ๐ฅ Belgium ๐ง๐ช finished on 8, ๐ฅ Britain ๐ฌ๐ง on 10 faults.
Earlier, Isabell Werth ๐ฉ๐ช scored 79.761% on Wendy de Fontaine to win the Prize of Family Tesch Dressage Grand Prix. In driving, world No.1 Boyd Exell ๐ฆ๐บ and his team – Celviro, Checkmate, Hero & Mister Bono van 't Hooge – led the dressage with 31.73 penalties. US Team celebration photo by Adela Dokoupilova. ๐
CHIO Aachen World Equestrian FestivalKENT FARRINGTON of the United States on TOULAYNA tackles a jump on the way to the team win in the CSIO5* Mercedes-Benz Nations' Cup during the CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany, July 3, 2025.
CHIO Aachen World Equestrian FestivalLILLIE KEENAN (R) of the United States celebrates the team win in the CSIO5* Mercedes-Benz Nations' Cup during the CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany, July 3, 2025.
CHIO Aachen World Equestrian FestivalBOYD EXELL of Australia with CELVIRO, CHECKMATE, HERO and MISTER BONO VAN'T HOOGE warms up before the CAIO4* Dressage test for four-in-hand drivers during the CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany, July 3, 2025.
CHIO Aachen World Equestrian FestivalISABELL WERTH of Germany reacts on WENDY DE FONTAINE after competing in the Prize of Family Tesch Dressage Grand Prix during the CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany, July 3, 2025.
What a way to wrap up an unforgettable week at Royal Ascot! ๐๐๐ฌ๐ง
In the feature race, Lazzat ๐ซ๐ท held off favourite Satono Reve ๐ฏ๐ต (ใตใใใฌใผใด) to win the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, before shying away and unseating celebrating jockey James Doyle, who had to walk into the winner’s enclosure alone. It was the eighth career victory from 11 starts for the four-year-old gelding trained by Jérôme Reynier.
Meanwhile, Rebel’s Romance ๐ฎ๐ช thundered home under William Buick to capture the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes—an 18th win for the seven-year-old gelding, sired by the exceptional Dubawi ๐ฎ๐ช and trained by Charlie Appleby.
Had an amazing week at Royal Ascot—really enjoyed all the creative possibilities and the friendly atmosphere this exceptional event offers. Many thanks to the Ascot media team, colleagues, and security for making it such a breeze! ๐
Royal AscotJockey JAMES DOYLE falls off LAZZAT after winning the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes over 6 furlongs (1,200m) during Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse, Britain, June 21, 2025.
Royal AscotLAZZATโs jockey JAMES DOYLE reacts in the winnerโs enclosure after falling following his victory in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes over 6 furlongs (1,200m) during Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse, Britain, June 21, 2025.
#RoyalAscot ๐๐ฌ๐ง Day 4
Outsider Cercene ๐ฎ๐ช captured the Coronation Stakes, defeating favourite Zarigana ๐ฌ๐ง by half a length — a first Group 1 triumph for trainer Joe Murphy and jockey Gary Carroll. ๐
Royal AscotCERCENE (L), ridden by jockey GARY CARROLL, battles with ZARIGANA, with MICKAEL BARZALONA aboard, to win the Group 1 Coronation Stakes Fillies over 1 mile (1,600m) during Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse, Britain, June 20, 2025.
Royal AscotSpectators watch horses gallop to the finish line in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes Handicap over 5 furlongs (1,000m) during Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse, Britain, June 20, 2025.
#RoyalAscot ๐๐ฌ๐ง Day 3
Trawlerman ๐ฎ๐ช dominated the Gold Cup ๐๐ฌ๐ง, delivering jockey William Buick his first win in the prestigious staying race. Meanwhile, Ryan Moore celebrated his 90th Royal Ascot victory with a treble on a hot, sunny day. ๐
Royal AscotTRAWLERMAN, ridden by jockey WILLIAM BUICK, wins the Group 1 Gold Cup in track record time over 2 miles 4 furlongs (4,000m) during Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse, Britain, June 19, 2025.
Royal AscotThe royal carriage, with King CHARLES III and Queen CAMILLA, arrives for Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse, Britain, June 19, 2025.
Action and glamour on Day 2 of Royal Ascot ๐๐ฌ๐ง. Ombudsman ๐ฎ๐ช, with jockey William Buick in the saddle, thundered to the finish line to win the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes over 1 mile 2 furlongs (2,000 metres), delivering trainer John Gosden his 70th Royal Ascot victory. ๐
Royal AscotOMBUDSMAN, ridden by jockey WILLIAM BUICK, wins the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes over 1 mile 2 furlongs (2,000 metres) during Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse, Britain, June 18, 2025.
Royal AscotThe royal carriage carrying King CHARLES III, Queen CAMILLA, and Prince WILLIAM, the Prince of Wales, arrives at the parade ring during Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse, Britain, June 18, 2025.
What an opening day at Royal Ascot! ๐ American Affair ๐ฌ๐ง, ridden by jockey Paul Mulrennan, battled Frost At Dawn ๐บ๐ธ, with Mickael Barzalona aboard, to win the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes over 5 furlongs (1,000 metres) by a neck at Ascot Racecourse. ๐
Royal AscotAMERICAN AFFAIR, ridden by jockey PAUL MULRENNAN, wins the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes over 5 furlongs (1,000 metres) on the opening day of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse, Britain, June 17, 2025.
Royal AscotKing CHARLES III of Britain reacts in a carriage next to Queen CAMILLA during the royal procession on the opening day of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse, Britain, June 17, 2025.
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to speak with Jezdci.cz, the leading Czech equestrian portal, about what it's like to photograph horses at full speed, how I got into sports photography, and the stories behind some of my most memorable images.
Since the interview was originally published in Czech, I’ve translated the full version into English for my international readers — and anyone interested in the craft and challenges of equestrian photography. Scroll down to read the full story.
๐ฐ Read the original Czech version on Jezdci.cz ๐จ๐ฟ๐
Horses exercise during a sunrise track work at Keeneland's racecourse, April 27, 2019.
A Thoroughbred at full gallop is pure poetry in motion, says photographer Martin Dokoupil
By Josef Malinovský
Photographer Martin Dokoupil is, without exaggeration, among the global elite in his field. In this interview, he shares what drew him to horses, how he found his way into professional sports photography, and presents some of the images closest to his heart.
When passion meets talent, something truly unique can emerge. Martin has loved horses since early childhood and developed a fascination with photography under the guidance of his father and grandfather.
He began shooting sports professionally while working as a treasury reporter for Reuters. While he has extensive experience capturing a wide range of sports, his background in the saddle gives him a particular edge when it comes to equestrian disciplines—he knows instinctively what matters and where to focus.
How did you start photographing equestrian sports? Was it love for photography, horses—or both?
I’ve loved horses since I was a child. I used to save coins in an envelope labelled “For a Horse,” glued newspaper clippings about the Velká pardubická steeplechase into a notebook, and read Dick Francis’s The Sport of Queens probably twenty times. I even considered becoming a jockey. I was fascinated by racing, and when my parents took me to a small Slušovice racecourse, I was in heaven. I even picked the winner of one race and won what was a pretty decent amount at the time.
By then, I was already experimenting with film photography using a simple Beirette camera. Horses naturally became my favourite subject. Developing negatives and prints in a makeshift darkroom at home was something I loved. My father and grandfather supported me technically—my grandfather was a painter and photographer who taught me the basics of exposure, composition, and how to make a strong image.
I came to sports photography later, while working for Reuters as a treasury reporter for the Gulf and Yemen, based in Dubai. I owe a lot to Ahmed Jadallah, a head of photography for the Middle East. When I showed him my images from a showjumping Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, he told me I should shoot more sports and offered me access to agency gear whenever something interesting was happening. That was a huge motivator. He introduced me to techniques for shooting various sports and started sending me to events across the UAE on weekends. His support was crucial in shaping the photographer I am today.
“Just watching a Thoroughbred in full gallop is pure poetry in motion.”
Dubai World CupHIT SHOW (L) with jockey FLORENT GEROUX wins $12 million Group 1 Dubai World Cup over 2000m (10 furlongs) at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Saturday, April 5, 2025. MIXTO with FRANKIE DETTORI finishes second.
Which equestrian disciplines do you most enjoy photographing—and why?
I love shooting horse racing most of all, because I’m fascinated by Thoroughbreds—their speed, heart, intelligence, and character. Just watching a Thoroughbred in full gallop is pure poetry in motion. And experiencing it from the saddle is something else entirely. When you move through space as one, feeling the power coming from their “engine,” it’s indescribable.
That said, I enjoy photographing all equestrian disciplines. Some of my other favourites include eventing, showjumping, carriage driving, and vaulting, which I’ve covered for the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) for several years. I also regularly document events for Longines, a global partner of racing and equestrian sports.
Horses break from the gate in Race 2 over 1 1/2 miles during the Keeneland Spring Meet, April 24, 2019.
How do you approach photographing different equestrian disciplines? Which one is the hardest?
Each discipline is unique and comes with its own challenges. They all require deep understanding and careful planning—you can’t get great photos without that. It’s not just about capturing the action, but also the tension and emotion. You need to understand how the horse moves, which angles and phases best represent the discipline, and position yourself accordingly—or set up remote cameras in the right spots. Anticipation is key.
In showjumping, for example, you need to know where the final jump is, where the rider might turn, and how quickly they’ll realise they’ve won. In racing, you have to be ready for a horse to come flying from behind and win by a nose. And if it’s Frankie Dettori? Then I need to be ready for his signature flying dismount.
Dressage, on the other hand, demands absolute precision and perfect timing. I treat it as a creative challenge.
It helps immensely when you’ve done the sport yourself — I’m very lucky to ride and own an off-the-track Thoroughbred with exceptional character. You understand what matters and how it feels, and that gives you a real advantage behind the lens.
SHARPIN with jockey JOEL ROSARIO gallops to the wire to win Race 10 over 6 furlongs at the Keeneland racecourse, April 26, 2019.
What do you see as the biggest challenge when photographing horses?
A good photo should tell a story and evoke emotion. I treat sports photography like reportage, but with a creative edge. I always consider who the client is—whether it's a news agency, event organiser, sponsor, rider, owner, or stud farm—and tailor the output to their expectations.
Dubai Sheema ClassicJockey WILLIAM BUICK celebrates on Godolphin's HAWKBILL victory in the $6 million Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic over 2410m in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, March 31, 2018.
Do you have a photo that means the most to you? What makes it special?
I don’t have one absolute favourite—there are several, each with a great story behind it.
One is a black-and-white image of a falling horse looking straight into a remote camera during a Nations Cup event in Avenches, Switzerland. It won silver at the 2025 World Sports Photography Awards and captures the drama and risk of equestrian sport. Fortunately, the horse was uninjured, and the rider walked away with only bruises and a headache.
Another is Chalou with Emanuel Gaudiano soaring over a water jump in La Baule, France. It was shot wide-angle on remote and won bronze in the same awards four years earlier thanks to Chalou’s unique style.
A deeply emotional one for me is Henrik von Eckermann from the 2024 Olympics in Paris, apologising to King Edward after an unlucky fall in the showjumping final. The same horse had led Sweden to gold in Tokyo, its first since 1924.
Also from Paris: Martin Fuchs on Leone Jei, clearing an Eiffel Tower-themed jump despite losing a stirrup.
One technically challenging project was for Team Z7 in Dubai, photographing Danubio De Galvez performing a capriole at sunrise in the desert. I used a Profoto B1X strobe —which I usually use for motorsports — to add drama. We tested the horse’s reaction to the flash in advance, and when he showed no concern, I knew it was safe. I lay on the ground at a safe distance, having observed his warmup before. The move lasts just two seconds. With a strobe recycle time only a fraction faster, you get just one shot per attempt — and no more than four attempts due to the physical strain. We also shot the same move against the skyscraper backdrop of the Dubai International Financial Centre.
FEI Eventing Nations CupMATILDE PIOVANI of Italy on BORN WEST falls in the cross-country test of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup of Switzerland in Avenches, Switzerland, June 8, 2024.
EMANUELLE GAUDIANO of Italy on CHALOU is flying over a water jump in the Grand Prix Longines de La Ville Baule in La Baule, France, May 19, 2019.
Olympic Games Paris 2024HENRIK VON ECKERMANN of Sweden apologises to KING EDWARD after an unfortunate fall in the Jumping Individual Final during Olympic Games Paris 2024, Chateau de Versailles, France, August 6, 2024.
Olympic Games Paris 2024MARTIN FUCHS of Switzerland on LEONE JEI tackles an Eiffel Tower jump after losing his iron in the Jumping Individual Final during Olympic Games Paris 2024, Chateau de Versailles, France, August 6, 2024.
Team Z7DANUBIO DE GALVEZ of the Team Z7 performs capriole in the desert at sunrise, Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, May 2, 2021.
Team Z7DANUBIO DE GALVEZ of the Team Z7 performs capriole in front of the Dubai International Financial Centre in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, April 16, 2021.
What gear do you typically use when shooting equestrian sports?
It depends on the event and client needs, but I usually work with two or three camera bodies—one with a 400mm, another with a 70–200mm, and possibly a third with a 24–70mm lens. This setup allows me to adapt quickly without getting delayed by changing lenses.
I also use remote cameras, triggered by radio or a track vibration sensor, to get unique angles from places that are off-limits for safety. I rather see them as a bonus as they are not always reliable for reasons beyond your control, especially at major events like the Paris Olympics, where signal interference was a big issue.
“The best photo is the one that doesn’t need editing.”
Olympic Games Paris 2024CHRISTIAN KUKUK of Germany on CHECKER 47 tackles a jump to win Olympic gold in the Jumping Individual Final during Olympic Games Paris 2024, Chateau de Versailles, France, August 6, 2024.
Do you prefer heavy editing or a natural look?
The best photo is the one that needs little or no editing. Cropping, adjusting light and shadows—that’s usually it. Working with news agencies trains you to be fast and faithful to reality.
Sometimes I convert images to black and white if it better reflects the mood or if colour distracts. Black and white simplifies the scene and naturally draws focus to the subject.
How do you collaborate with riders, owners, or event organisers? Can people recognise your visual style?
Every photographer has a distinct visual signature. Even at major events with dozens of colleagues, no two shots from the same spot look alike. That variety is what makes photography exciting.
The key is to deliver what the client needs—whether it’s a rider, sponsor, organiser, or media outlet. People hire me because they like my style and trust my expertise. That style stays consistent.
When photographing horses, what do you focus on most?
I aim to capture the full scope of the discipline—not just action, emotion, and atmosphere, but also unexpected angles (like remote shots) and behind-the-scenes moments.
It’s not just about the rider and horse. The entire team—grooms, trainers, farriers, vets, owners, and family—play a key role. Their presence and reactions add depth to the story.
How has equestrian photography evolved in recent years? Are there new trends?
While photographers’ perception of individual disciplines hasn’t changed drastically, the technology has. Mirrorless cameras, fast sensors, and autofocus systems have opened up new possibilities that were unthinkable just a few years ago.
Social media has also had a big impact—changing how images are shared and increasing the pressure for both speed and visual impact.
At the same time, there’s growing public awareness around horse welfare. This puts pressure on organisers, riders—and photographers—to think carefully about what and how they show. For example, jockey Junior Alvarado was recently fined $62,000 and suspended for two days for overuse of the whip on Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby winner. The U.S. only introduced a six-strike rule three years ago, and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) was created in 2020 in response to public outcry over doping and racehorse deaths.
Do you work outside equestrian photography as well? Where do horses rank for you?
Besides equestrian sports and racing, I also shoot other sports like rugby, football, golf, tennis, enduro cross, and traditional dhow sailing races. The last two also earned me awards at the World Sports Photography Awards.
Working for agencies like Reuters, AP, and Getty Images has taught me how to be adaptable and fast—to handle anything under deadline pressure, whether news or images.
But horses? They’ve always had—and always will have—a special place for me.
ETIBAAR, ridden by MARTIN DOKOUPIL, exercises on a forest track, Pohori, the Czech Republic, December 31, 2023.
Photo by Adela Dokoupilova
What would you say to someone who wants to start photographing equestrian sports?
Don’t be discouraged by not having the latest gear—and don’t be afraid to try. What matters most is commitment, patience, and a constant drive to improve and learn. Without those three, you won’t get far—in photography or in anything else.
MARTIN DOKOUPIL shoots during Super Saturday at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, March 4, 2023.
Photo by Amani Saeed
What a dramatic finish to Al Gaffal! โต๏ธ Dhow No. 25 Zilzal, skippered by Marwan Abdullah Al Marzouqi, chased down the leader, No. 279 Al-Aryam, helmed by Ahmed Salem Al Hammadi, to win the annual long-distance sailing race of 60ft traditional wooden boats to Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab hotel. ๐ฆ๐ช
Al-Aryam led for most of the 51-nautical mile race from Sir Bu Nuayr Island, but the slightly faster Zilzal steadily chipped away at its advantage, finally catching up with around 14 miles to go. The two dhows then sailed side-by-side, shedding ballast in an effort to gain the edge, before Zilzal pulled ahead to finish in 4 hours, 51 minutes and 14 seconds — an average speed of around 10.5 knots. No. 9 Al-Taf, skippered by Yousef Ahmed Al Hammadi, finished third.
Now in its 34th edition, the race across the warm waters of the Gulf commemorates the return of pearling dhows in the olden days, when they would gather at the island after months at sea. Around 118 dhows — each with up to 30 sailors aboard — took part in this year’s race, a sharp rise from the 53 that competed in the inaugural edition in 1991. โต๏ธ
Heartbreaking news about the remarkable mare Liberty Island ๐ฏ๐ต (ใชใใใฃใขใคใฉใณใ), who stumbled and broke down while galloping into the final stretch of the Group 1 QEII Cup ๐๐ in Hong Kong ๐ญ๐ฐ.
In that tragic moment, jockey Yuga Kawada pulled up and dismounted immediately, gently placing his hand and head on the face of his partner, with whom he had ridden in all 12 of her starts. She suffered catastrophic injuries, including ruptures of both the medial and lateral sesamoidean ligaments in her left foreleg, along with a subluxation of the fetlock joint.
Bred by Northern Farm and trained by Mitsumasa Nakauchida—who is known for treating each horse as an individual—the five-year-old daughter of Duramente ๐ฏ๐ต (ใใฅใฉใกใณใ), an impressive winner of the Japanese 2,000 Guineas and Derby, won five races during her celebrated career.
Renowned for her explosive turn of foot and devastating late charge, she became the seventh filly in Japanese racing history to claim the Triple Tiara ๐ฏ๐ต๐ in 2023 by winning the Group 1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas), Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), and Shuka Sho. She also finished second to Japan’s turf phenom Equinox ๐ฏ๐ต (ใคใฏใคใใใฏใน) in the 2023 Japan Cup ๐ฏ๐ต๐, and was runner-up in the 2024 Hong Kong Cup ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ after placing third in the Dubai Sheema Classic ๐ฆ๐ช earlier the same year.
I always enjoyed watching her during early morning workouts at Meydan Racecourse, where she returned this year to try her luck in the Dubai Turf ๐ฆ๐ช. The images are from her prep and successful run in Dubai last year.
My heart goes out to all who loved and cared for her. Run free, champion. You will be missed. ๐๐
Locked in a pitched battle, Believing ๐ฎ๐ช, ridden by jockey William Buick, dug deep for a late burst of speed to win by ¾ of a length in the $1.5 million Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint over 1200m (6 furlongs) at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช.
It marked the first Group 1 victory for the five-year-old daughter of the precocious Mehmas ๐ฎ๐ช, who retired as a high-class juvenile to become a leading sire of Group 1 winners.
Win Carnelian ๐ฏ๐ต (ใฆใคใณใซใผใใชใขใณ), under Kosei Miura, looked set for victory with two furlongs to go but held on for second, just a short head in front of Regional ๐ฌ๐ง, ridden by Callum Rodriguez.
Trained by George Boughey, the tough mare has now secured her seventh career win from 25 starts, with earnings of £1.3 million ($1.7 million). ๐
In a dazzling display of front-running power, Raging Torrent ๐บ๐ธ stormed to victory in the $1 million Group 2 Godolphin Mile at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช, leading from the jump and never looking back.
The four-year-old colt, ridden by legendary jockey Frankie Dettori, accelerated in the home stretch of the 1600m (8-furlong) contest, leaving his nearest rival, King Gold ๐ซ๐ท, under Adrie de Vries, 3½ lengths adrift. Kazu Petrin ๐ฏ๐ต (ใซใบใใใทใผใณ), partnered by Cristian Demuro, finished third, trailing by another half-length.
Sealing the win with his signature flying dismount, it was Dettori’s eighth Godolphin Mile triumph and his 24th victory on Dubai World Cup ๐๐ฆ๐ช night. For trainer Doug O’Neill, the win marked his third title in the race.
Raging Torrent ๐บ๐ธ is by Maximus Mischief ๐บ๐ธ, a precocious son of Into Mischief ๐บ๐ธ who is quickly establishing himself as a sire of speed and class. With this commanding win, the powerful miler pushes his career earnings past $1.2 million—an impressive feat for a colt who only debuted in mid-2023. ๐
Dark Saffron ๐บ๐ธ, with jockey Connor Beasley in the irons, surged from the outside stall, taking a lead he never relinquished to win the $2 million Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen over 1200m (6 furlongs) at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช.
Making history as the first three-year-old to win the dirt sprint since its inception in 1996, the 40/1 outsider ended the reign of last year’s winner Tuz ๐บ๐ธ, under Tadhg O’Shea. The second favourite behind Straight No Chaser ๐บ๐ธ was looking to slip through a gap on the rail, but Beasley was quick to slam it shut.
Flying to the wire, he also managed to hold off fast-closing Nakatomi ๐บ๐ธ, a 20/1 chance ridden by jockey Emisael Jaramillo, who came second by a quarter length after finishing third a year ago. Tuz ๐บ๐ธ had to settle for third after dominating the season with five consecutive wins.
With just the third win of his career, Dark Saffron ๐บ๐ธ, trained by Ahmad bin Harmash, has now become the most successful son of Flameaway ๐จ๐ฆ, a multiple graded stakes winner.
It was the second win of the night for Beasley, who earlier captured the opening $1 million Group 1 Dubai Kahayla Classic for Purebred Arabians aboard First Classs. ๐
One for the old boy! Silvestre De Sousa grinned, patting Dubai Future ๐ฌ๐ง as they flew across the wire to win in style the $1 million Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup over 3200m (16 furlongs) at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช.
Godolphin's nine-year-old veteran was kept at the back for most of the race before stunning his rivals with an unstoppable charge on the outside, leaving runner-up Double Major ๐ฎ๐ช, under Maxime Guyon, trailing by 2¼ lengths. Epic Poet ๐ฎ๐ช, ridden by Danny Tudhope, took third.
Sired by the exceptional Dubawi ๐ฎ๐ช and trained by Saeed bin Suroor, the bay gelding returned to racing in February after a 427-day break due to soundness issues, easily landing the Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy.
The operation’s longest-serving trainer, who has been running a much smaller string this season, has saddled 13 British Classic champions and nine Dubai World Cup ๐๐ฆ๐ช winners, including Thunder Snow ๐ฎ๐ช—the only horse to secure the DWC double. ๐
In another incredibly tight race, Admire Daytona ๐ฏ๐ต (ใขใใใคใคใใคใใ), with jockey Christophe Lemaire in the irons, fought off a determined challenge by Heart Of Honor ๐ฌ๐ง under Saffie Osborne, winning by a mere nose in the $1 million Group 2 UAE Derby over 1900m (9.5 furlongs) at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช.
Trained by Yukihiro Kato, the three-year-old son of Drefong ๐บ๐ธ — a champion U.S. sprinter — held the lead for most of the race before fending off both Heart Of Honor ๐ฌ๐ง and Don in the Mood ๐ฏ๐ต (ใใณใคใณใถใ ใผใ), under Ryusei Sakai, who eventually faded to third.
The Dubai photo-finish win marks the fourth consecutive victory by a Japanese-trained horse in the UAE Derby and secures the colt’s place in the upcoming Kentucky Derby ๐บ๐ธ — the opening race of the prestigious Triple Crown ๐๐บ๐ธ series — on May 3.
Heart Of Honor ๐ฌ๐ง went too wide to make it into the remote camera frame, but I shot both of the top two horses handheld with a 400mm lens, as it was too close a call to determine the winner. ๐
Danon Decile ๐ฏ๐ต (ใใใณใใตใคใซ), ridden by Keita Tosaki, exploded from mid-pack to steamroll last year’s winner, Rebel’s Romance ๐ฎ๐ช, under William Buick, and claimed a commanding victory in the $6 million Group 1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic over 2410m (12.05 furlongs) at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช.
Fast-closing Calandagan ๐ฎ๐ช, piloted by Mickael Barzalona, took second place, while another Japanese runner, Durezza ๐ฏ๐ต (ใใฅใฌใใใก), with Christophe Soumillon aboard, also passed the royal blue star, who had taken the lead around the mile marker but had nothing left in the tank.
Last year’s Group 1 Japanese Derby winner, Danon Decile ๐ฏ๐ต, now boasts a perfect record this year, having won both starts, including January’s Group 2 American Jockey Club Cup at Nakayama.
His latest triumph brings his career tally to five wins from nine starts and marks the sixth time a Japanese-trained horse has captured this prestigious Dubai turf staying race — the first since the phenom Equinox ๐ฏ๐ต (ใคใฏใคใใใฏใน) left his rivals in the dust two years ago.
The four-year-old chestnut son of Epiphaneia ๐ฏ๐ต (ใจใใใกใใคใข), a Japan St. Leger and Japan Cup ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ winner, is trained by prominent handler Shogo Yasuda, son of Takayuki Yasuda, the renowned trainer of champion sprinter Lord Kanaloa ๐ฏ๐ต (ใญใผใใซใใญใข). Danon Decile’s Derby win made Shogo the youngest trainer in history to capture that prestigious title. ๐
So who won? That’s the question jockeys Cristian Demuro on Soul Rush ๐ฏ๐ต (ใฝใฆใซใฉใใทใฅ) and James McDonald on Romantic Warrior ๐ฎ๐ช seemed to be pondering as they flew together across the wire after an epic duel in the $5 million Group 1 Dubai Turf over 1800m (9 furlongs) at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช.
After being fastest out of the stalls, Hong Kong’s star and 2/5 favourite settled behind the leaders before shifting into a higher gear and taking the lead two furlongs out, aiming for another major victory.
But Japan’s 14/1 hopeful always stayed in touch behind, eventually running down his formidable rival by a nose in the final stride—after a thrilling head-to-head battle. It was the first overseas Group 1 victory for the seven-year-old son of top-class runner Rulership ๐ฏ๐ต (ใซใผใฉใผใทใใ), trained by Yasutoshi Ikee.
It also represented the seventh win in the Dubai Turf for a Japanese-trained horse—and the first since Panthalassa’s ๐ฏ๐ต (ใใณใตใฉใใต) memorable dead-heat with Lord North ๐ฎ๐ช in 2022.
Romantic Warrior ๐ฎ๐ช, the seven-year-old gelding and highest-earning son of high-class sprinter Acclamation ๐ฌ๐ง, had lost by a neck to Forever Young ๐ฏ๐ต (ใใฉใผใจใใผใคใณใฐ) in the Saudi Cup ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ in February—his only run on dirt.
Trained by Danny Shum, the globetrotting turf specialist has secured ten Group 1 victories, including trebles in both the Hong Kong Cup ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ and Queen Elizabeth II Cup ๐ญ๐ฐ, as well as wins in the Yasuda Kinen ๐ฏ๐ต and Cox Plate ๐ฆ๐บ. ๐
Rear-running Hit Show ๐บ๐ธ, ridden by jockey Florent Geroux, sliced through the field and chased down confident leader Mixto ๐บ๐ธ, under Frankie Dettori, to win the $12 million Dubai World Cup ๐ฆ๐ช๐ by half a length.
The race favourite, Forever Young ๐ฏ๐ต (ใใฉใผใจใใผใคใณใฐ), with Ryusei Sakai in the saddle, couldn’t match the turn of foot of the 66/1 longshot and had to settle for third.
In the lead-up to his remarkable Dubai victory, the five-year-old grey son of Candy Ride ๐ฆ๐ท, a top-class dirt runner, placed third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in early March, following a win in the Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes in January.
Thanks to his Dubai win, Hit Show ๐บ๐ธ, trained by Brad H. Cox and owned by Wathnan Racing, has now qualified for the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November. ๐
A Dubai World Cup favourite, Forever Young ๐ฏ๐ต (ใใฉใผใจใใผใคใณใฐ), set off bucking during his final prep ahead of a historic bid to become the first horse to win both the $20 million Saudi Cup ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ and the $12 million Dubai World Cup ๐ฆ๐ช๐ in the same season.
A victory would place Japan’s racing star alongside dual Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow ๐ฎ๐ช as the only horses to have won both the Group 2 UAE Derby and the Group 1 Dubai World Cup.
Ridden by jockey Ryusei Sakai, the gutsy colt has won eight of his ten starts. Japan last clinched the Dubai World Cup in 2023 with Ushba Tesoro ๐ฏ๐ต (ใฆใทใฅใใใฝใผใญ), who is attempting a comeback on Saturday.
Forever Young ๐ฏ๐ต, the four-year-old son of top-class runner Real Steel ๐ฏ๐ต(ใชใขใซในใใฃใผใซ), walked home calmly alongside Shin Emperor ๐ซ๐ท — a Group 1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic hopeful — and American Stage ๐บ๐ธ, a Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen runner ridden by #jockey Oisin Murphy.
The trio is trained by renowned handler Yoshito Yahagi, best known for winning the prestigious Japanese Triple Crown ๐ฏ๐ต๐ with Contrail ๐ฏ๐ต (ใณใณใใฌใคใซ), becoming the first Japanese trainer to secure victory at the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf with Loves Only You ๐ฏ๐ต(ใฉใดใบใชใณใชใผใฆใผ), and for his distinctive, colourful hats. ๐
#DWC2025 #DubaiWorldCup ๐๐ฆ๐ช #horseracing #racehorse #racehorses #horse #horses #horsephotography #sports #sportsphotography #photography #nikonphotography #Nikon #NikonMEA #martinsimages #japan #dubai #mydubai #uae
I am humbled to see my equestrian work win silver ๐ฅ in the World Sports Photography Awards 2025 ๐!
The black and white image, captured using a remotely triggered camera, shows the dramatic fall of Born West and Matilde Piovani ๐ฎ๐น during the cross-country test at the FEI Eventing Nations Cup in Switzerland ๐จ๐ญ๐, held in Avenches last year. Thankfully, Born was perfectly fine after the rolltop tumble—"which is the most important thing for me," Matilde said. She escaped with just a few bruises and a headache. ๐
Many thanks to everyone who has supported me on this challenging and exciting journey! Wishing all horses and riders a safe and successful 2025! ๐๐๐
What a year it has been! From the deserts of Arabia to the Olympic arenas of the splendid Château de Versailles, there was no shortage of action, drama, and emotion. Thousands of kilometers traveled by road and air, countless hours planning, shooting, and processing—all to capture the very best this beautiful madness called sport has to offer.
Thank you for your invaluable support on this adventurous journey. Stay tuned for another year filled with top-notch action and creative photography coming your way!
Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful and successful 2025. Happy New Year, everyone! ๐๐ฅ
Best regards,
Martin ๐
Friends, I am happy to see my equestrian work advance once again to the finals of World Sports Photography Awards 2025 ๐!
Many thanks for all your support on this exciting journey! ๐๐๐
Here are the shortlisted shots:
1 Jockey William Buick reacts on Rebel's Romance after winning Group 1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic over 2410m (12 furlongs) during Dubai World Cup ๐ฆ๐ช๐ at Meydan Racecourse ๐
2 Matilde Piovani ๐ฎ๐น on Born West falls in cross-country test of the FEI Eventing Nations Cup of Switzerland ๐จ๐ญ๐ in Avenches ๐
Happy to see my equestrian work advance again to the finals of World Sports Photography Awards 2024 ๐! Many thanks to all of you who have been supporting me on this journey! ๐๐๐
Michael Duffy ๐ฎ๐ช is flying on Cinca over a water jump in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Ireland ๐๐ฎ๐ช. Shot with a remotely triggered camera in a silencer hidden in between flowers on the edge of the obstacle, which many horses find challenging. Wish me luck! โ๏ธ๐
Here’s a short video wrap on Al Gaffal, a long distance sailing race of traditional wooden dhows from Sir Bu Nuayr Island to Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช
In its 33rd edition, the race over 51 miles of the Gulf warm waters marks the return of pearling dhows home in the olden days when they used to gather at the small island after months at sea.
Some 123 of 60ft dhows, each with up to around 30 sailors aboard, took part in this year’s race, well up from 53 in the inaugural one in 1991.
This year, a dhow No. 199 came out of nowhere to snatch victory from leading No. 96 in a dramatic finish. No. 96 had been long fighting for the win with No. 21, with both shedding ballast mid-way through the race to sail faster. Another challenger, No. 57, closed in near the finish line at Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab hotel before the late precise charge by the winner steered by the skipper Hassan Abdullah Al Marzouqi. Slowed by having to flip its sails just before the finish line, No.96 crew had to settle for the second place, ahead of No. 57 with No. 21 coming fourth.
The pearling industry that relied on 3-tonne dhows with sails and heavy oars was the backbone of Gulf economies before discovery of oil. Some 4,500 boats and as many as 74,000 men sailed the Gulf at the industry’s peak in the early 1900s.
An economic slump in the 1930s and the ascent of the cultured pearl industry left many dhows decaying on beaches, depriving Gulf tribes of a key source of income.
For example, the pearl income of Bahrain, one of the main pearling centers, fell to a mere $200,000 per harvest by 1949 from $1.5 million in 1896, according to a research paper by British archaeologist Robert Carter.
Compared to heavy old pearling boats, modern racing dhows are about two thirds lighter as new materials such as carbon fibre are allowed for mast and booms and sails are also lightweight. Shark liver oil was replaced with lamination and cotton with epoxy.
Lacking the keel of modern racing yachts, dhows have to carry dozens of sand bags as well as water barrels as stabilizers, allowing to make adjustments depending on sea and wind conditions. Seafaring local families still build their dhows at home with skills passed down the generations and designs a closely guarded secret.
Dhow sailing became my favourite sport to shoot in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai since covering my first Al Gaffal back in 2012 โต๏ธ๐
Martin’s Olympic Tour is coming up!
Get ready for action from top equestrian events on the road to Paris ๐ซ๐ท๐๐
May 30-June 2 - Longines League of Nations, St Gallen ๐จ๐ญ
June 6-9 - FEI Eventing Nations Cup, Avenches ๐จ๐ญ
June 28-July 7 - CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival ๐ฉ๐ช
July 15-21 - FEI Vaulting World Championship, Bern ๐จ๐ญ
July 27-Aug 6 - Olympic Games Paris ๐ซ๐ท
Image bookings available! ๐
With calm precision, Bram Chardon ๐ณ๐ฑ led his horses Generaal, Idool N, James Bond and Juventus through a demanding cones course to win gold in the FEI European Four-in-Hand Driving Championships ๐ in Exloo, the Netherlands ๐ณ๐ฑ. Instead of pushing his horse team to dash home in the final strides, he punched the air with confidence of a winner to the cheers of the home crowd. Koos De Ronde ๐ณ๐ฑ secured ๐ฅwith another clear drive, while yesterday’s marathon winner Michael Brauchle ๐ฉ๐ช had to settle for ๐ฅ after one fault. The Netherlands ๐ณ๐ฑ won the team contest ahead of ๐ฅ Germany ๐ฉ๐ช and ๐ฅBelgium ๐ง๐ช © FEI/Martin Dokoupil ๐
For more images see FEI European Driving Championships Exloo 2023!
And it’s another win for Team Switzerland ๐จ๐ญ! With zero penalties after the first round, it took just another clear ride from Martin Fuchs on Leone Jei to secure victory in Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup ๐ of Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช. The home team ๐ฎ๐ช finished๐ฅwith 12 penalties after a win last year, followed by๐ฅMexico ๐ฒ๐ฝ on 16. © FEI/Martin Dokoupil ๐
See more images on Irish Nations Cup 2023! ๐
I am happy to share that my aerial dhow sailing shot won a Special Merit award in the Water category of World Sports Photography Awards 2023! Over 700 photographers from more than 70 countries took part in this year’s edition. The image shows sailors balancing their dhow in a 60ft sailing race of traditional wooden boats to Abu Dhabi ๐ฆ๐ช Shot from ๐, many thanks to Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club & all supporters of my work!โต๏ธ
See the awarded images on WSPA 2023 results ๐
Helicopter shots are my favourite for sailing as they provide a unique perspective of the action below.
The doors have to be obviously open and safety harness for both you and your cameras is a must for such shots. Anything that could fall off has to be secured or stowed away.
For nice overhead shots, it is good to sit on the floor with your legs out braced against the landing skids but it is a bit challenging for extended periods as there is a lot of wind drag out there. Steadying a longer lens when out is a constant struggle. Shooting from the side-door bench works well in most circumstances, and you can always lean a bit over the edge in the harness to get a good shot.
It is the best to show to the pilot ahead of the flight exactly what images you are looking for and then keep communicating through the headset when in the air to get the angles you need. I always had to share the helicopter with the live TV, which makes it even more complex and demanding as the videographers tend to have different plans and ideas So the communication is key to get the result you are looking for.
Since the helicopter needs to keep well above the dhows in order not to disrupt the race, using two Nikon D5s, one with a 200-400mm f4 lens and the other with a 70-200mm f2.8 lens, proved to work the best for me. โต๏ธ
That looks like a busy summer:
JULY 30 - CSIO4* Prague Cup ๐๐จ๐ฟ๐
AUG 9 - 13 - FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Ireland ๐ Dublin ๐ฎ๐ช ๐
AUG 23 - 27 - FEI Driving European Championship ๐ Exloo ๐ณ๐ฑ๐
AUG 30 - FEI Driving World Championship Ponies ๐Oirschot ๐ณ๐ฑ๐
SEPT 2 - FEI Endurance World Championship Young Riders & Juniors ๐ Castelsagrat ๐ซ๐ท๐
SEPT 4 - 9 - FEI Endurance European Championship ๐ Ermelo ๐ณ๐ฑ๐
Many thanks FEI for the packed schedule !
Get ready for loads of equestrian action on www.martinsimages.com! ๐
The last of my images to advance to the final of World Sports Photography Awards 2023 to complete the trio, this time in the Motor Sport category! Michael Docherty ๐ฟ๐ฆ leaves the cloud of sand in raw desert action on his Husqvarna during Garage51 ๐ฎ๐น training ๐๐๐ช ๐ฆ๐ช ๐
See the shortlist on WSPA 2023 and wish me luck in the final! โต๏ธ๐๐
I am happy to share that another of my images made it to the World Sports Photography Awards 2023 final, this time in my favourite Equestrian category!
The black & white shot shows trainer Salem bin Ghadayer kissing Hypothetical ๐ฎ๐ช after winning under jockey Mickael Barzalona Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 over 2,000m (10 furlongs) a year ago, the same distance as the Dubai World Cup ๐ฆ๐ช๐ The son of Lope De Vega ๐ฎ๐ช, French 2,000 Guineas and Derby winner, had won his second race in a row at the time. He finished seventh in the World Cup 2022. ๐
See the shortlist on WSPA 2023! ๐
A short video take on Al Gaffal, a long distance sailing race of traditional wooden dhows from Sir Bu Nuayr Island to Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช In its 32nd edition, the race over 51 miles of the Gulf warm waters marks the return of pearling dhows home in the olden days when they used to gather at the small island after months at sea.
Some 125 of 60ft dhows, each with up to around 30 sailors aboard, took part in this year’s race, well up from 53 in the inaugural one in 1991.
The pearling industry that relied on 3-tonne dhows with sails and heavy oars was the backbone of Gulf economies before discovery of oil. Some 4,500 boats and as many as 74,000 men sailed the Gulf at the industry’s peak in the early 1900s.
An economic slump in the 1930s and the ascent of the cultured pearl industry left many dhows decaying on beaches, depriving Gulf tribes of a key source of income.
For example, the pearl income of Bahrain, one of the main pearling centers, fell to a mere $200,000 per harvest by 1949 from $1.5 million in 1896, according to a research paper by British archaeologist Robert Carter.
Compared to heavy old pearling boats, modern racing dhows are about two thirds lighter as new materials such as carbon fibre are allowed for mast and booms and sails are also much lighter. Shark liver oil was replaced with lamination and cotton with epoxy.
Lacking the keel of modern racing yachts, dhows have to carry dozens of sand bags as well as water barrels as stabilizers, allowing to make adjustments depending on sea and wind conditions. Seafaring local families still build their dhows at home with skills passed down the generations and designs a closely guarded secret.
Dhow sailing became my favourite sport to shoot in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai since covering my first Al Gaffal back in 2012 when I also wrote a feature about it for Reuters (You can read it here if you want to learn more about the tradition Sailing heritage in the UAE).
The seafaring heritage is running in my family as well as my great-grandfather served on a dreadnought battleship SMS Viribus Unitis of the Austro-Hungarian navy in WWI. Always reading about old ships and sailing the oceans, I decided to take a step further and learn sailing and navigation skills to receive a Yachtmaster Coastal certificate before coming to the Gulf back in 2009. โต๏ธ
Many thanks to skipper Sultan Harib and his crew for taking me aboard for sail testing and Dubai International Marine Club for all the support covering Al Gaffal over the years! โต๏ธ
See images on Al Gaffal 2023โต๏ธ๐
And we sailed to the final of the Water category of World Sports Photography Awards 2023!
In the aerial shot from a helicopter ๐, local sailors balance their dhow in a 60ft sailing race of traditional wooden boats to Abu Dhabi ๐ฆ๐ช
Helicopter shots are my favourite for sailing as they provide a unique perspective of the action below.
The doors have to be obviously open and safety harness for both you and your cameras is a must for such shots. Anything that could fall off has to be secured or stowed away.
For nice overhead shots, it is good to sit on the floor with your legs out braced against the landing skids but it is a bit challenging for extended periods as there is a lot of wind drag out there. Steadying a longer lens when out is a constant struggle. Shooting from the side-door bench works well in most circumstances, and you can always lean a bit over the edge in the harness to get a good shot.
It is the best to show to the pilot ahead of the flight exactly what images you are looking for and then keep communicating through the headset when in the air to get the angles you need. I always had to share the helicopter with the live TV, which makes it even more complex and demanding as the videographers tend to have different plans and ideas So the communication is key to get the result you are looking for.
Since the helicopter needs to keep well above the dhows in order not to disrupt the race, using two Nikon D5s, one with a 200-400mm f4 lens and the other with a 70-200mm f2.8 lens, proved to work the best for me.
Many thanks to Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club for making it possible! โต๏ธ
See the other shortlisted shots on WSPA 2023 Water! ๐
Harrie Smolders of the Netherlands ๐ณ๐ฑ won on Uricas V.D. Kattevennen Longines Grand Prix of Switzerland ๐๐จ๐ญ in St. Gallen with a double clear and the fastest time of 41.43 sec in round two. Martin Fuchs ๐จ๐ญ on Commissar Pezi took ๐ฅ with 42.40 sec, ahead of ๐ฅ Harry Charles ๐ฌ๐ง on Romeo 88, who clocked 45.28 sec. ๐
See more images on Grand Prix of Switzerland 2023 ! ๐
And it’s a win for Team Switzerland ๐จ๐ญ! In a dramatic head-to-head finish against Brazil ๐ง๐ท in FEI Jumping Nations Cup ๐, the home team’s Martin Fuchs on Leone Jei held his nerve in the decisive jump-off, finishing clear in 42.14 sec in front of a cheering crowd in St Gallen. But the Swiss victory still hanged in the balance. All the way until the last jump it seemed that Brazil’s Yuri Mansur, blazing around the course on Miss Blue-Saint Blue Farm QH, will come on top. But his luck did not hold, knocking down the final vertical while clocking 41.84 sec, which would have secured the win for his team. Both teams were on equal 4 penalties before the jump-off. Germany ๐ฉ๐ช came third with 8 penalties. © FEI/Martin Dokoupil ๐
See more images on Swiss Nations Cup 2023!๐
A dhow number 211 crossed the finish line near Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab hotel with minutes to spare to win Al Gafffal, a long distance sailing race of 60ft traditional wooden boats from Sir Bu Nuayr Island to Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช It took around 5 hours to the winning crew skippered by Ali Abdulla Al Marzouki to navigate on a very humid and warm day some 51 miles of the Gulf waters in the 32nd edition of the race, which marks the return of pearling dhows home in the olden days. โต๏ธ
See more images on Al Gaffal 32 ๐
Watch out for dunes ahead! ๐
After dozens of restoration hours stretching over long six months, I could finally take my vintage Land Rover Series 3 109 1975 ๐ฌ๐ง out to taste a bit of beautiful brick-red desert in a small oasis town of Falaj Al Mualla in the northern emirate of Umm Al Quwain. ๐ฆ๐ช
With an ancient fort in the farming oasis and a watchtower perched atop dunes above, it is one of my favourite places in the UAE not just for its scenic landscape but also for a unique collection of some 100 classic Land Rovers, a haven for anyone obsessed with the iconic British brand.
And as expected from a rugged vehicle initially designed to serve as a light tractor for farmers and get-anywhere workhorse for military, the old ex-Norwegian army radio beast ๐ณ๐ด handled all ups and downs over the rolling sands as a seasoned warrior she is.
The sand was quite soft and tricky in some places but airing the thin 7.50 x 16 tyres all the way down to around 15 psi proved enough grip so we did not get stuck. I let the air out for about 1 minute 40 seconds from each tyre to get the right pressure for the soft ground.
High gear 1st or low gear 2nd usually work the best traversing the dunes. This was also the first time I had a chance to test the new Roamerdrive off-road. As on the open road, it proved its worth providing some nice extra gears in both ranges.
Along with a completely rebuilt 2.25l 4 cylinder petrol engine, Roamerdrive was a major mechanical upgrade for my Series 3. No more earplugs over 80km/h and the fuel gauge seems to have slowed down considerably. Now, the car feels much more agile, quiet and enjoyable. Improving fuel economy was a key consideration for the upgrade, while passing heavy trucks is a nice bonus when cruising at around 95-100km/h.
On highways with the Roamerdrive engaged, engine revolutions are reduced by 28%, decreasing not only the noise and fuel consumption but also drive line wear. It effectively doubles the range of gears available both on and off-road. Such a great piece of kit. In order to mount the overdrive, I had to swap the original military one-tonne gearbox for the standard refurbished one.
And the green coat is a result of countless hours around the car, sanding, paint-thinning the glueish rubber paint, degreasing, cleaning, welding... Before the car was imported here, it was sprayed with a gun metal rubber paint to cover the camouflage, which proved to be such a pain to remove.
Now, painted military style with brush and roller, roughly a 5-liter bucket of paint was needed for the whole body and wheels. At least another litre on axles and several cans of rustproofing and bitumen undercoat for the chassis.
As it is starting to get hot again after an unusually long spell of good winter weather, I had to set out just before 4 am to get to the dunes before the sunrise. Finished by 8 am as it started to get a bit too warm to drive in the AC-less truck. Front vents combined with side windows and a gunner's hatch (great for shooting pictures by the way) ensure plenty of airflow in a cooler weather.
After retreating to the amazing Land Rover refuge, I restarted the journey from the picturesque watchtower again when the temperature dropped after 530pm, about an hour before the sunset, my favourite time for pictures with Nikon D5 and awesome Profoto B1X strobe. ๐๐ช
See more images from our journey on LR S3 1975 ! ๐
Leading from the start into the home straight, Equinox ๐ฏ๐ต with jockey Christophe Lemaire shifted into another gear, blasting away from his rivals in a blazing speed to win Group 1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic ๐ฆ๐ช over 2410m (12 furlongs) in a track record of 02:25:65 even after easing in the final strides. The four-year old turf phenom sired by Kitasan Black ๐ฏ๐ต now has four wins out of six races and has not finished worse than second in the other two contests ran back in the spring of 2022. ๐
See more images on Dubai World Cup 2023! ๐ ๐
Ushba Tesoro ๐ฏ๐ต with #jockey Yuga Kawada snatched the $12 million #DubaiWorldCup ๐๐ฆ๐ช in a stunning late charge picking up rivals Secretariat ๐บ๐ธ-style after running last for most of the 2000m (10 furlong) race. The 7/2 favourite Algiers ๐ฎ๐ช under James Doyle, who led turning home, came second 2 3/4 lengths back, holding off fast closing 2022 Saudi Cup ๐๐ธ๐ฆ winner Emblem Road ๐บ๐ธ with Adel Al Furaydi by a short head.
The 10/1 six-year old son of Orfevre ๐ฏ๐ต, a Japan Triple Crown champion and twice runner-up in Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, won three races in a row in Japan over the same distance as the World Cup. In the last slightly longer run at local Grade 1 Kawasaki Kinen in February, he held off another Dubai World Cup challenger T O Keynes ๐ฏ๐ต by half a length. His rival came fourth under Oisin Murphy this time, 3/4 length further back.
Last year’s winner and 4/1 chance Country Grammer ๐บ๐ธ with Frankie Dettori finished seventh, while the 2023 Saudi Cup winner Panthalassa ๐ฏ๐ต only managed to come 10th with Yutaka Yoshida. ๐
See more images on Dubai World Cup 2023l ! ๐
Ushba Tesoro ๐ฏ๐ต is heading the 8-strong group of Japanese runners aiming to capture tomorrow’s $12 million #DubaiWorldCup ๐๐ฆ๐ช as a 10/1 chance after 7/2 favourite Algiers ๐ฎ๐ช and last year’s winner Country Grammer ๐บ๐ธ at 4/1. The six-year old son of Orfevre, a Japan Triple Crown champion and twice runner-up in Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, won three races in a row in Japan over the same distance as the World Cup. In the last slightly longer run at local Grade 1 Kawasaki Kinen in February, he held off another Dubai World Cup challenger T O Keynes ๐ฏ๐ต by half a length. Country Grammer ๐บ๐ธ finished as the runner-up for the second time in the Saudi Cup ๐๐ธ๐ฆ last month, beaten by Panthalassa ๐ฏ๐ต, a 16/1 bet for the one furlong longer Dubai 2000m (10 furlong) contest. ๐ (© AP Photo/Martin Dokoupil)
See images from morning track work on Dubai World Cup 2023 Track Work ! ๐
Ears pricked, Salute The Soldier ๐ฉ๐ช with jockey Adrie De Vries flew over the finish line to win G1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 over 2000m (10 furlongs) during Super Saturday at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช, the same distance as $12 million Dubai World Cup at the end of March. The eight-year old son of a multiple G1 winner Sepoy ๐ฆ๐บwon the same race two years ago before finishing fifth in the subsequent World Cup running. ๐
More images on DWC Super Saturday 2023 ! ๐
Panthalassa ๐ฏ๐ต with jockey Yutaka Yoshida proved too hard to beat for the 2022 Dubai World Cup champion Country Grammer ๐บ๐ธ under Frankie Dettori, who had to settle for the runner-up spot for the second time in a row in the $20 million G1 Saudi Cup ๐ธ๐ฆ๐over 1800m (9 furlongs), 3/4 length behind. The six-year old son of Lord Kanaloa ๐ฏ๐ต trained by Yoshito Yahagi had not won since dead-heating with Lord North ๐ฎ๐ช in Dubai Turf a year ago. The Japanese owned and trained Cafe Pharoah ๐บ๐ธ, the son of the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup Classic champion American Pharoah ๐บ๐ธ, ran third under João Moreira. Another two Japanese contenders, Geoglyph ๐ฏ๐ต and Crown Pride ๐ฏ๐ต finished fourth and fifth, respectively, beating last year’s local winner Emblem Road ๐บ๐ธ to sixth. The 15/8 favourite Taiba ๐บ๐ธ came home eighth.๐ (© AP Photo/Martin Dokoupil)
More images on Saudi Cup 2023 ! ๐
It’s a Jumping Nations Cup ๐ win for Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช! With equal 4 penalties after two rounds, Team Ireland beat France ๐ซ๐ท in the thrilling jump-off after a blazing fast clear ride by Conor Swail on Count Me In. It was the first victory for the home team in Dublin since 2015. Switzerland ๐จ๐ญcame close third with 8 penalties. © FEI/Martin Dokoupil ๐
See more images on FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Ireland 2022 !๐
I am humbled to win a Special Merit award for two images in the Motor Sports category in the finals of the World Sports Photography Awards 2022 
, which saw over 7,000 images submitted by photographers from more than 60 countries. Both are crosslight images of a high-octane enduro action shot with Nikon D5 & amazing Profoto B1X strobe with OCF Magnum Reflector. 
1 Nemo Scaglia 
tackles on his KTM a challenging tight corner around a poisonous tree called Apple of Sodom (calotropis procera) in the Dubai desert
2 Michele Pirro , Ducati MotoGP test rider, pulls out a sand wheelie at sunset near Super Bowl dune
Many thanks to all fans and supporters of my work! Stay tuned for more! 
See award-winning images on WSPA 2022 ๐
It’s amazing to see so many of my shots across equestrian, motor sport and golf categories advance to the finals of World Sports Photography Awards 2022 ๐! Many thanks to all supporters, it’s been a hell of a ride, fingers crossed for the final! ๐๐๐
See the shortlisted images on World Sports Photography Awards 2022! ๐
Country Grammer ๐บ๐ธ with jockey Frankie Dettori ran down the tiring favourite Life Is Good ๐บ๐ธ to land the $12m Group 1 Dubai World Cup ๐ in front of a cheering crowd at Meydan Racecourse ๐ฆ๐ช. The five-year old son of Tonalist ๐บ๐ธ charged on the outside to give Dettori his fourth golden trophy win after a 16-year wait. Both Hot Rod Charlie ๐บ๐ธ and Chuwa Wizard ๐ฏ๐ต outran Life Is Good ๐บ๐ธ in the final furlong in what appeared as a bridge too far for the front-running Pegasus World Cup champion, who was fastest out of the gate. Country Grammer ๐บ๐ธ, trained by Bob Baffert, came second in the $20m Saudi Cup last month.
After winning four races in Riyadh, Japanese runners dominated the Dubai meet with Bathrat Leon ๐ฏ๐ต starting the stunning victory sweep with G2 Godolphin Mile, followed by Stay Foolish ๐ฏ๐ต in G2 Dubai Gold Cup, Crown Pride ๐ฏ๐ต in G2 UAE Derby and Shahryar ๐ฏ๐ต in G1 Dubai Sheema Classic. In another G1 Dubai Turf, Panthalassa ๐ฏ๐ต finished first in a dead heat with Lord North ๐ฎ๐ช while another Japanese horse, Vin De Garde ๐ฏ๐ต, was third by a mere nose after a thrilling head-to-head battle, which left all puzzled for minutes who came on top.
See images on Dubai World Cup 2022 !๐
Hypothetical ๐ฎ๐ช kept closing Remorse ๐ฎ๐ช at bay to land by one length Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 over 2000m (10 furlongs), the same distance as the $12 million Dubai World Cup ๐ฆ๐ช ๐ later this month. The five-year old son of Lope De Vega ๐ฎ๐ช shot to the front under jockey Mickael Barzalona, eventually taking the lead from Everfast ๐บ๐ธ and holding to it all the way to the wire to win his second race in a row for his trainer Salem bin Ghadayer during Super Saturday at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. His winning time of 2:04:79 was more than three seconds slower than that of Mystic Guide ๐บ๐ธ, the last year's Dubai World Cup winner, and would not be enough to win any of the World Cups in the last 10 years. Only Victoire Pisa ๐ฏ๐ต ran slower when winning the golden trophy in 2011. Another Group 1 contest, this time on turf, was taken by Alfareeq ๐ฎ๐ช with jockey Dane O'Neill, while the last year's winner Lord Glitters ๐ซ๐ท finished disappointing fifth. Man of Promise ๐บ๐ธ with William Buick steamrolled his rivals in Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint to win by 4 3/4 lengths for the second consecutive victory, while another Godolphin runner Storm Damage ๐ฌ๐ง flew home in a track record in the 7-furlong Ras Al Khor Conditions under Frankie Dettori. ๐
See images on Super Saturday 2022 ! ๐
A local outsider Emblem Road ๐บ๐ธ pulled off a shocking upset to bag the $20 million Group 1 Saudi Cup ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ under jockey Wigberto Ramos, giving the kingdom its first home-trained winner of the world's richest race. Sent out at 80-1, the four-year old son of Quality Road ๐บ๐ธ was the slowest out of the gate keeping wide at the back of the field in the opening stages before the veteran 53-year old Panamanian jockey, who came to Saudi Arabia 24 years ago, unleashed him on the outside in the run for home. Winning his previous three starts, the local champion took off in the final furlong ,erasing dueling Country Grammer ๐บ๐ธ with Flavien Prat and Midnight Bourbon ๐บ๐ธ under Joel Rosario in the last strides, beating the former by half a length. Last year's champion Mishriff ๐ฎ๐ช with David Egan struggled through the 1800m (9 furlong) race to finish disappointing last. Mighty Japanese ๐ฏ๐ต horses dominated the meet, winning four out of eight races on the card, all with Christophe Lemaire in the saddle.
See more images on Saudi Cup 2022 ! ๐
Shahama ๐บ๐ธ with jockey Adrie De Vries proved to be unstoppable in Group 3 UAE Oaks at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช despite an awkward break that left her at the back of the field, winning the 1900m (9.5 furlong) contest by two lengths and extending her unbeaten streak to four races. In another star performance, Manobo ๐ฎ๐ช with jockey William Buick in the saddle steamrolled his rivals breaking the track record in Group 3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy over 2810m (14.05 furlongs). The invincible four-year old son of a great champion Sea The Stars ๐ฎ๐ช trained by Charlie Appleby is unbeaten after five starts. Buick rode a treble on the night, adding victories aboard Lazuli ๐ฎ๐ช in Group 2 Blue Point Sprint and Valiant Prince ๐ฎ๐ช in the closing 8-furlong handicap, with the latter flying home in a new track record and a third victory in a row.
See more images on DWC Carnival 6th meet Feb 2022 ! ๐
Lord Glitters ๐ซ๐ท under jockey Danny Tudhope pulled off his trademark closing charge down the home straight to land the $180,000 Group 2 Singspiel Stakes at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช, crossing the wire a length ahead of Royal Fleet under James Doyle. The nine-year old grey son of Whipper ๐บ๐ธ clinched the same race a year ago before snatching the Group 1 Jebel Hatta on Super Saturday. The 2019 Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes winner is trained by David O'Meara.
In the Group 3 UAE 2,000 Guineas, Russian three-year old star colt Azure Coast ๐บ๐ธ extended his unbeaten streak to three races with a two-length victory under Antonio Fresu after an impressive run steamrolling his rivals when coming from the dead last in the opening stages. Unstoppable.
See more images on DWC Carnival 5th meet Feb 2022 !๐
Ears pricked, Hot Rod Charlie ๐บ๐ธ with jockey William Buick crossed the wire to win the $350,000 Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 sponsored by Longines over 1900m (9.5 furlongs) at Meydan Racecourse ๐ฆ๐ช, landing his prep race for the $12 million Dubai World Cup ๐in March. The four-year old son of Oxbow ๐บ๐ธ, who ran third in Kentucky Derby and second in Belmont Stakes last year, beat his nearest rival Al Nefud ๐ฌ๐ง under Ryan Moore by 5 1/4 lengths in the field of 12. Buick rode a treble at Meydan with another win for Hot Rod Charlie's trainer Doug O'Neill on Get Back Goldie ๐บ๐ธ in Oud Metha Stakes and finished the seven-race card winning aboard Godolphin's Creative Flair ๐ฎ๐ช holding off closing Pevensey Bay ๐ฉ๐ช under Olivier Peslier in Group 2 Balanchine for fillies and mares. The American trainer also scored two runner-ups with Strongconstitution ๐บ๐ธ in Group 3 Firebreak Stakes and Khantaro D'Oro ๐บ๐ธ in Al Bastakiya Trial with Buick and Antonio Fresu in the saddle, respectively.
See more images on DWC Carnival 4th meet ! ๐
David Will of Germany ๐ฉ๐ช on Babalou HD flew around the course with a double clear to win CSI4*-W Al Shira'aa Longines Diamond Tour FEI World Cup Grand Prix ๐ over 150-160cm in Abu Dhabi ๐ฆ๐ช, clocking 39.86 sec in round two. Constant van Paesschen of Belgium ๐ง๐ช, the only other double clear rider, came second on Isidoor van de Helle in 41.77 sec. Ireland's David Simpson ๐ฎ๐ช took third on Foudre F with one fault and time of 48.50 sec at Al Forsan International Sports Resort.
See more images on CSI4* Al Shira'aa Diamond Tour 2022 ! ๐
Unstoppable Team Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช won the Longines FEI Jumping NationsCup ๐ opener in Abu Dhabi, ending on zero penalties while battling a constant pressure by the home team UAE ๐ฆ๐ช, which kept close behind to finish on just four penalties on the challenging two-round course over 160cm. Britain ๐ฌ๐ง was a distant third with 17 penalties and only three riders competing, followed by Germany ๐ฉ๐ช with 34. The UAE and Saudi Arabia ๐ธ๐ฆ, which finished 5th, have both qualified for the Nations Cup ๐ final in Barcelona ๐ช๐ธ this autumn.
See more images on FEI Nations Cup of the UAE 2022 ! ๐
Shane Breen ๐ฎ๐ช flew around the course on Z7 Ipswich to win the CSIO5* President of the UAE Showjumping Cup ๐ presented by Longines over 160cm, clocking the fastest time of 36.68 sec in the clear second round at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club ๐ฆ๐ช. A Saudi ๐ธ๐ฆ duo of Abdullah Alsharbatly on Hunter C and Khaled Abdulrahman Almobty on Grunnerger Kwiebus had to settle for second and third, respectively, being the only other riders with a penalty-free round two on a windy afternoon.
See more images on CSIO5* UAE President Cup 2022 ! ๐
Golden Goal ๐ฎ๐ช with jockey Sam Hitchcott stole the show on the opening night of the Dubai World Cup Carnival, beating his nearest rival Secret Ambition under Tadhg O'Shea by 1 1/2 lengths to land Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 over 1600m (8 furlongs), the meet's $250,000 feature at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช. It was the first victory in a year for the grey 8-year old son of Dark Angel ๐ฎ๐ช trained by Doug Watson. In another Group 2 face-off, Pevensey Bay ๐ฉ๐ช with jockey Olivier Peslier charged on the outside to claim the $180,000 Cape Verdi for fillies and mares in the final strides, 3/4 of a length ahead of Ascot Brass ๐ธ๐ช under Pat Cosgrave, for her trainer Hiroo Shimizu. ๐
See images on DWC Carnival 1st meet ! ๐๐๐
Shooting an adventure desert crossing on dirt bikes was a new exciting project for Garage 51 based at the Misano World Circuit race track in Italy ๐ฎ๐น.
Starting early in the day from a basecamp near Mahafiz-Al Faya road, the high-octane twisting track took Michele Pirro, Ducati MotoGP test rider, Matteo Ferrari, 2019 MotoE World Champion, and racer Luca Marconi through some 52km of challenging brick-red sand dunes in the emirate of Sharjah ๐ฆ๐ช to imposing rugged cliffs of Camel Rock and Pink Rock and all the way to the adrenaline-filled final stage of scaling a massive Super Bowl dune just before the sunset.
The thrilling ride, which also included some jumping and racing fun at Al Badayer twisty desert circuit near the towering Big Red Dune, was led by Nemo Scaglia with SRG Motorsports' Sean Gaugain joining at the track and for the final demanding stage. Pietro Moro was guarding the back of the group from his Husqvarna throughout the ride. ๐๐๐ช
While the whole track offered endless opportunities for both action-filled as well as backstage shots, it was the Super Bowl dune final where I deployed a powerful Profoto B1X strobe with the OCF Magnum Reflector, which made the sunset action shots really pop with the riders and flying sand backlit by soft golden rays of the setting sun. Shot with my trusty rugged Nikon D5 and 14-24mm f2.8 lens @21mm, 1/1250 sec, f7.1, ISO 320. ๐
Many thanks to Nemo and Garage 51 racing team for an exciting action-packed day of shooting in some of the most spectacular desert places. It was a blast! ๐ฅ Garage 51 is happy to organise a similar adventure for other riders interested in such a unique experience. You can reach the team on Garage 51 for more information. ๐
On fire ๐ฅ! Jockey Antonio Fresu scored four wins from nine races on the card on Ranaan ๐บ๐ธ, Alkaamel ๐ฌ๐ง, Law Of Peace ๐ฌ๐ง & Dahawi ๐ฌ๐ง at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช with the first three in a row. The last race put him on top in the contest with jockey Tadhg O'Shea, who bagged three victories on Durandal ๐ฌ๐ง, Sanad Libya ๐บ๐ธ and Al Nefud ๐ฌ๐ง to complete the five-win sweep for trainer Bhupat Seemar. Although if Palio rules applied, Kanood ๐บ๐ธ would be declared the winner of the 11 furlong Race 6 Rated Conditions, making it from last to 1st after losing jockey Adrie De Vries shortly after coming out of gate. What a solo run! The previous 7 furlong contest brought a thrilling finish when Silent Film ๐ฌ๐ง with jockey William Buick held off closing Magical Land ๐ฎ๐ช under Ronald Woodworth by nose to take home one of two wins for Godolphin's trainer Charlie Appleby with the other scored by Path Of Thunder ๐ฎ๐ช steered by Richard Mullen. ๐
See images on Meydan Racing Jan 7, 2022 ! ๐๐๐
What a year! Many thanks to all for your great support and keeping me busy with many exciting projects. Watch this space for yet another round of action & creative photography! Wishing you good health and all the best in 2022. Happy New Year everyone! ๐๐ฅ Martin ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐ช
What a treble for jockey Tadhg O’Shea! Kafoo ๐บ๐ธ, Tuz ๐บ๐ธ and Azure Coast ๐บ๐ธ, all three in a row during Longines night at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. ๐ฆ๐ช ๐ Many thanks to Longines for having me again as its racing and jumping photographer this season!
All remote frames were fired by a seismic trigger detecting track vibrations from galloping horses, which I wired to two Nikon cameras (D4 & D5) with a 50mm lens near the finish line and 300mm further down the track. The upgraded trigger made by Lewis Gardner has been working really well so far, capturing all that is moving on the track, including harrows. The trigger has a stay-awake feature that prevents camera from falling asleep and primed to fire whenever something moves, which is very handy. It can detect vibrations over a large distance, so it is a matter of fine tuning the sensitivity to limit the number of frames that may be sometimes a tad too far in both directions. Overall, it has been a great addition to my shooting arsenal as it allows me to shoot on the other side of the racecourse and still get that finish line shot without having to think about the distance as with radios, or even about having to take it. It also beats a potential radio interference, which has been happening a lot recently especially during big events like Dubai World Cup, which has been really frustrating as sometimes the radios would just not fire your remote cameras at all throwing away all the time spent on their setup. On the top of it, I can concentrate much better on the actual in-hand shooting without having to think about pressing that remote button. ๐๐๐
See action shots at Meydan Racing Dec 16, 2021! ๐
South Africa ๐ฟ๐ฆ showed grit turning around the final match to beat Australia ๐ฆ๐บ 10-7 at the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series tournament in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช to score another tournament triumph ๐. Captain Siviwe Soyizwapi got the Blitzboks rolling when he scored after one minute but Australia hit back when Corey Toole tied the score at 5-5 and Dietrich Roache converted for a 7-5 lead at half-time. With three minutes on the board in the second half, a try by JC Pretorius secured the comeback for defending champions. Argentina ๐ฆ๐ท vaulted to bronze with a convincing 38-21 victory over France ๐ซ๐ท. In the women's final, Australia ๐ฆ๐บ crushed Fiji ๐ซ๐ฏ 15-5 to claim the title. ๐
See action-packed images on Dubai 7s 2021! ๐
Collin Morikawa ๐บ๐ธ landed a Dubai golf double, winning by three strokes the $9 million DP World Tour Championship and sealing the Race to Dubai Champion title as the first American. The 24-year old Californian had an incredible run of five birdies in the final seven holes, while third round leader Rory McIlroy lost ground with three bogeys coming home at Jumeirah Golf Estates. ๐ฆ๐ช Matt Fitzpatrick ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ, the 2020 winner who led earlier in the final day, had to settle for a shared second spot alongside Alexander Björk ๐ธ๐ช โณ๏ธ๐๏ธโ๏ธ
See more images on DP World Tour 2021 ! ๐
Denmark’s Joachim B. Hansen ๐ฉ๐ฐ booked a final round of 68 to land the €1,500,000 Aviv Dubai Championship ๐ by one shot from Austria's Bernd Wiesberger ๐ฆ๐น and Italy’s Francesco Laporta ๐ฎ๐น. Hansen dropped only a single shot in 72 holes over the Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates as he claimed his second European Tour title. The 31-year-old started the final round tied for the lead with Laporta but he birdied the opening hole to move clear at the top of the leaderboard and never gave up his advantage, adding three more birdies to his scorecard to finish on 23 under par. ๐ฆ๐ช
See more images on Dubai Golf Championship 2021 ! โณ๏ธ
Scots Pine ๐ฌ๐ง under jockey Richard Mullen broke his maiden in Graduate Stakes over 1400m (7 furlongs), a feature race of the first meet of the season at Meydan Racecourse on Thursday. It was the first win for the four-year old son of Shamardal ๐บ๐ธ out of six starts in a debut under his new trainer Beverley Deutrom. Jockey Antonio Fresu scored a double in the opening two maiden races with Atlantic Sky ๐ฌ๐ง and Just You Wait ๐ฌ๐ง for trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri, who had a triple from seven races on the card, adding another victory with Gentille Bellini ๐ฌ๐ง under Bernardo Pinheiro in a closely contested 8 furlong handicap.
See more images on Meydan Racing 1st meet ! ๐๐๐
Red Stables' trainer Doug Watson dominated the UAE racing season kick-off at Dubai's scenic Jebel Ali Racecourse on Friday, landing four out of seven races on the card. Jockey Sam Hitchcott scored a double, first aboard Exciting Days ๐บ๐ธ when beating the stablemate Express Route ๐บ๐ธ with Pat Dobbs in the saddle by 1 1/4 lengths in the 1400m (7 furlong) maiden opener. He added the second win on Ababil ๐บ๐ธ after a head-to-head battle with Expressionist ๐ฎ๐ช under Tadhg O'Shea in Race 4, an uphill 6-furlong sprint handicap. ๐ฆ๐ช ๐
See more images on Jebel Ali Racing Oct 29, 2021! ๐
Danubio de Galvez ๐ช๐ธ in all his sunrise capriole glory is revealed by Profoto B1X strobe with TeamZ7 trainers Sélyne & Jérémy Gonzalez dwarfed by his powerful leap in the Dubai desert.
Pulling off this extremely difficult classical dressage movement requires the horse to lower his hindquarters, transferring all his weight backward, and then jump off the ground up to double his height and kick out with his hind legs in the air. Only few strong, talented and sensitive stallions can reach this ultimate pinnacle of la haute école after years of training.
This was one of the most challenging shots ever as I only had a single frame to capture this split-second movement. The precise timing is crucial to catch the hind legs kick off as the horse spends only about 2 seconds in the air so even with this superfast Profoto strobe, which recharges in mere 1.9sec on full power, I could not squeeze out more. Another limit was the number of attempts Danubio could perform this strenuous movement, which was about four times in a row.
And most importantly, we first had to test if and how he was going to react to the strobe light for safety reasons. Seeing Danubio was comfortable with the strong flash, I could take my sand level position next to him with a peace of mind, though still ready to roll away if needed. Since I watched him practice and perform the exercise before, I knew how he was landing and could better judge what was the safe distance. This is the best shot of the four frames when both of his hind legs are fully extended. Many thanks to the team's Laura Arkle for an amazing job following Danubio’s leaps with the strobe!
Profoto B1X strobe with OCF Magnum Reflector in high-speed sync. Nikon D5 with 14-24mm f2.8 lens @ 14mm, 1/1600sec, f8, ISO 320.
Here is another capriole example, this time just a silhouette backlit by the rising sun.
Nikon D4 with 14-24mm f2.8 lens @ 22mm, 1/2000sec, f6.3, ISO 200.
And finally, Danubio is performing his trademark movement in front of the iconic Gate building of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and nearby glass and steel towers. It was the first time the 12-year old grey stallion showed his capriole skills at this spectacular location.
Nikon D5 with 14-24mm f2.8 lens @ 14mm, 1/1000sec, f6.3, ISO 1000.
Many thanks to Team Z7 and its founder H.H. Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for taking me on this exciting journey to show the best of their amazing horses, riders & trainers supported by tireless grooms at some spectacular Dubai locations and being always open to try something new. It was a blast! ๐ฆ๐ช๐
Happy retirement to the Melbourne Cup ๐ legend Prince of Arran ๐ฌ๐ง ! The eight year-old son of Breeders' Cup Turf winner Shirocco ๐ฉ๐ช finished runner-up in the 2019 edition of Australia’s famous race that stops a nation and third in 2020 and 2018. Trained in Newmarket by Charlie Fellowes, Prince of Arran won six out of 49 races, including in Dubai, earning over $2.8 million. He was ruled out by vets from what would be his fourth and last Melbourne Cup run this year. Here he is before finishing third in Longines Turf Handicap at the King Abdulaziz racetrack in Riyadh during the inaugural Saudi Cup ๐ ๐ธ๐ฆ night in 2020. ๐๐๐
Nicolas Delmotte ๐ซ๐ท on Urvoso du Roch won the 200.000 euro Grand Prix Longines de la Ville de La Baule with a double clear and the jump-off time of 45.83 sec in front of the roaring home crowd in the sun-baked grass arena. Laurent Goffinet ๐ซ๐ท on Atome des Etisses came second as the only other double clear rider, clocking 46.06 sec and completing a 1-2 triumph for France after a disappointing 9th team place in the FEI Nations Cup on Friday. Swiss Martin Fuchs๐จ๐ญ jumped to third on Leone Jei with the fastest jump-off time of 44.41 sec but one down.
See images from the event on Grand Prix De la Baule 2021 ! ๐
Team Switzerland ๐จ๐ญ won gold in the thrilling FEI Jumping Nations Cup of France ๐ in the sun-baked La Baule ๐ซ๐ท, finishing with only four penalties for the second win in a row after a pre-pandemic triumph in 2019. The result was helped by a double clear of Martin Fuchs on Conner 70 and topped by the final faultless ride of Beat Mandli on Dsarie. Mandli did not have to jump in round one after his first three teammates including Elian Baumann on Campari Z and Steve Guerdat on Albfuehren's Maddox went clear. Italy ๐ฎ๐น finished second with 7 penalties followed by Belgium ๐ง๐ช with 8.
See more images on FEI Jumping Nations Cup of France ! ๐
What a pre-Olympic FEI Nations Cup opener! With a tie after two rounds, Team Sweden ๐ธ๐ช beat Germany ๐ฉ๐ช in the jump-off with Rolf-Goran Bengtsson jumping clear on Ermindo W under pouring rain at St. Gallen’s grass arena ๐จ๐ญ๐. Germany had to settle for the second place after Christian Kukuk on Mumbai finished the jump-off with five penalties. The Swiss team ๐จ๐ญcame third with Martin Fuchs its best rider with a double clear on Leone Jei .
Here are just a few of my favourite shots:
1/ Malin Baryard-Johnsson pats H&M Indiana, joined by the team 2/ after jumping clear
3/ That’s how much it rained on my remote camera when Douglas Lindelow flew on Casquo Blue over the first jump in round two.
4/ A bit of color as Evelina Tovek takes off on Winnetou de la Hamente Z.
5/ And finally Rolf-Goran Bengtsson on Ermindo W is powering over the water jump when it rained a little less.
See more shots on FEI Nations Cup of Switzerland 2021 ! ๐
Nayel Nassar of Egypt ๐ช๐ฌ landed on Igor Van De Wittemoere victory in Longines Grand Prix of Switzerland over 160cm under a cloudy sky at St. Gallen๐จ๐ญ๐ with a double clear and fastest time of 45.32 sec. Second Scott Brash of Britain ๐ฌ๐ง was a mere 0.09 sec slower on Hello Vincent, while Germany's Philipp Weishaupt ๐ฉ๐ช came home third on Coby 8, clocking 46.05 sec. Some 49 horses and riders set out to tackle the course over two rounds with 13 placed in the 152,000 euro competition.
You can see more images from the event on Swiss Grand Prix 2021 ! ๐
And we jumped to equestrian bronze
in the finals of World Sports Photography Awards 2021 
thanks to a massive jump of Chalou & Emanuele Gaudiano 
in the Grand Prix de La Ville Baule 
! Many thanks to all fans and supporters of my work! You always make my day. 
Amazing to see another nomination of my work to the finals of World Sports Photography Awards 2021, this time in Motor Sports ๐! Many thanks World Sports Photography Awards, you made my day again! ๐๐๐
Flying in Desert - Double jump by Sean Gaugain ๐ฟ๐ฆ (12) & Mohammed Al Balooshi ๐ฆ๐ช flying over sand dunes on Husqvarna bikes in the Dubai Endurocross opener.
I am humbled to see my equestrian work advance to the finals of World Sports Photography Awards 2021! Many thanks to all those, who have been supporting me on this testing and exciting journey! ๐๐๐
Here are the shortlisted shots:
1 Simone Blum ๐ฉ๐ช on DSP Alice celebrates landing gold for Germany on the final #jumping day of the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, becoming the first ever WEG female Jumping champion ๐ ๐บ๐ธ
2 Spain's Albert Hermoso Farras ๐ช๐ธ & Nereo CP fly over a boat jump propelling a cloud of water droplets into the air during their cross-country test at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon ๐บ๐ธ
3 Emanuele Gaudiano of Italy ๐ฎ๐น on Chalou is flying over a water jump in the Grand Prix de La Ville Baule ๐ซ๐ท
4 A railing shadow from the afternoon sun paints Hello Senator of Scott Brash ๐ฌ๐ง in a zebra-like pattern as they come to the arena for a warmup ahead of LGCT at Miami Beach ๐ ๐บ๐ธ
Favourite Mystic Guide ๐บ๐ธ with jockey Luis Saez captured easily the $12 million Group 1 Dubai World Cup๐, leaving his nearest rival Japan's Chuwa Wizard ๐ฏ๐ต under Keita Tosaki trailing 3 3/4 lengths behind on a humid evening at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช. It was the first Group 1 win for the four-year old son of the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Ghostzapper ๐บ๐ธ trained by Michael Stidham. Andre Fabre's trained Magny Cours ๐บ๐ธ came third with William Buick, completing 1 & 3 score for Godolphin on the 25th running anniversary of the 10 furlong dirt race.
Earlier, $5 million Group 1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic ended up in a thrilling battle between the Saudi Cup champion Mishriff ๐ฎ๐ช with David Egan and mighty Japanese mares Chrono Genesis ๐ฏ๐ต with Yuichi Kitamura and Loves Only You ๐ฏ๐ต under Oisin Murphy. The four-year old son of Make Believe ๐ฌ๐ง trained by John Gosden prevailed by a neck over Chrono Genesis with Loves Only You a further neck behind, proving his versatility and stamina, succeeding in the 12 furlong contest.
Enjoy images from the event on Dubai World Cup 2021 ! ๐๐๐
Rodaini ๐บ๐ธ with jockey Pat Cosgrave cruised to a comfortable victory in Jebel Ali Classic Silver Jubilee over 1400m (7 furlongs) at Jebel Ali Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช, beating Alfareeq ๐ฎ๐ช under Antonio Fresu by 3 1/4 lengths in his second start of the season. It was the 8th career win out of 31 runs for the seven-year old son of Exchange Rate ๐บ๐ธ trained by Satish Seemar.
See more images on JEBEL ALI RACING 11th MEET 2021! ๐๐๐
Salute The Soldier ๐ฉ๐ช with jockey Adrie de Vries took the lead coming out of the starting gate and kept it all the way to the wire to capture the $390,000 Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 over 2000m (10 furlongs) at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช in what was his final prep for the $12 million Dubai World Cup run over the same distance later this month.
It was the first Group 1 success for the six-year old son of Sepoy ๐ฆ๐บ after his victory in the previous round of Al Maktoum Challenge in February, beating the runner-up Hypothetical ๐ฎ๐ช under Mickael Barzalona by 1 3/4 lengths last night.
In the earlier Group 1 battle, Lord Glitters ๐ซ๐ท with jockey Daniel Tudhope showed his class, storming past his rivals in the final strides of the $260,000 Group 1 Jebel Hatta race after waiting to strike at the back for most of the nine-furlong run. The eight-year old grey son of Whipper ๐บ๐ธ defeated second Eqtiraan ๐ฎ๐ช under Jim Crowley by half a length on his quest to land the $4 million Dubai Turf on the Dubai World Cup night on March 27.
Enjoy images from the race meet on DWC Super Saturday 2021 !๐
Happy retirement to legendary warrior Heavy Metal ๐ฌ๐ง๐!
The 11-year old son of Exceed and Excel ๐ฆ๐บ won 15 out of 66 races, earning nearly $2.2 million over nine years on the track. In his prime in 2018, Heavy Metal defeated the eventual dual Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow ๐ฎ๐ช in the first round of Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge in January and captured the $1 million Group 2 Godolphin Mile in March. He narrowly lost in a duel with Coal Front ๐บ๐ธ in the same race a year later, which was his last major result. Here he is winning Godolphin Mile with jockey Ryan Moore and getting attention in the winners’ enclosure after the race. ๐๐๐
D'bai ๐ฎ๐ช with jockey William Buick came out on top in the final strides to snatch Group 2 Zabeel Mile over 1600m (8 furlongs) in a thrilling five-horse finish at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช. The subsequent finishers followed by the closest margins - a head-head-neck-short head - First Contact ๐ฎ๐ช under Tadhg O'Shea, Art Du Val ๐ฌ๐ง with James Doyle, Eqtiraan ๐ฎ๐ช under Jim Crowley and Bedouin's Story ๐ฌ๐ง with Frankie Dettori, respectively.
In Group 3 UAE Oaks, Mnasek ๐บ๐ธ steered by jockey Pat Dobbs took an unasailable lead, cruising home 6 1/2 lengths ahead of her nearest challenger in the 1900m (9.5F) race.
Enjoy images on DWC Carnival 2021 - 5th meet ๐
Salute The Soldier ๐ฉ๐ช with jockey Adrie de Vries stole the lead from pacemaker Capezzano ๐บ๐ธ under Mickael Barzalona to land Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 over 1900m (9.5 furlongs) at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช. The fast closing Thegreatcollection ๐บ๐ธ with Pat Cosgrave in the saddle and Uruguay's G1 winner Ajuste Fiscal ๐บ๐พ under Vagner Leal came too late to catch the six-year old son of Sepoy ๐ฆ๐บ trained by Fawzi Nass, crossing the wire one length and further 3/4 length behind, respectively.
Enjoy images on DWC Carnival 2021 - 4th meet ! ๐๐๐
Soft Whisper ๐ฎ๐ช with jockey Frankie Dettori thrashed her nearest rival and joint pre-race favourite Mnasek ๐บ๐ธ by 7 lengths, crusing to an easy win in UAE 1000 Guineas over 1600m (8 furlongs) at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช. The three year-old daughter of Dubawi ๐ฎ๐ช now extended her winning streak to four races. Her impressive victory shows promise for her future starts for Godolphin's trainer Saeed bin Suroor this season.
Enjoy images from the meet shot for Longines on DWC Carnival 2021 - 2nd meet ! ๐๐๐
Military Law ๐ฌ๐ง with jockey Antonio Fresu flew across the wire to win Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 over 1600m (8 furlongs) at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช, beating Thegreatcollection ๐บ๐ธ under Patrick Cosgrave by 1 1/4 lengths. It was the fifth victory out of 11 starts for the six-year old son of Dubawi ๐ฎ๐ช. Jockey Frankie Dettori returned flying on the opening night of the Dubai World Cup Carnival, riding two winners in a row - Land of Legends ๐ฎ๐ช for Godolphin in Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort and Equilateral ๐ฌ๐ง for trainer Charles Hills in Dubai Dash Listed Handicap.
Enjoy images from the action packed race meet on DWC CARNIVAL 2021 - 1ST MEET ! ๐
Rebel's Romance ๐ฎ๐ช with jockey William Buick prevailed by head in a pitched battle with Mouheeb ๐บ๐ธ under Ryan Curatolo to land UAE 2000 Guineas Trial over 1600m (8 furlongs) at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. ๐ฆ๐ช It was the third win out of three starts for the three-year old son of Dubawi ๐ฎ๐ช and his first in Dubai. The gelding is trained by Godolphin's Charlie Appleby.
Enjoy action from Meydan at MEYDAN RACING - 6th MEET ! ๐๐๐
Dubai's scenic Jebel Ali Racecourse ๐ฆ๐ช never disappoints with a wide variety of vantage points, helping shoot horseracing action from surprising angles. It is quite a walk with all the heavy gear up and down the hilly track and climbing various towers to get something different and better than the last time but always worth every bit of effort. Using a combination of remotely triggered cameras fired by long range PocketWizard radios and another unit detecting vibrations from galloping horse hooves allows me to be at different and even very distant places at the same time without missing another bit of action I want to freeze. A proper planning is always key to get the results I am looking for. Like in this shot below I couldn’t wish for a better combination of the full field in the last race and sun setting behind the grandstand. Shot remotely with Nikon D4 with a 14-24mm f2.8 lens @14mm mounted on a ground plate and fired by a seismic trigger. 1/4000sec, f7.1, ISO 100.
Enjoy action and creative images on JEBEL ALI RACING Jan 8, 2021 ! ๐๐๐
Soft Whisper ๐ฎ๐ช with jockey Patrick Cosgrave landed UAE 1000 Guineas Trial for fillies over 1400m (7 furlongs) presented by Longines, beating her stablemate Last Sunset ๐ฎ๐ช under Hector Crouch by comfortable 2 1/2 lengths at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช. Final Thought ๐ฎ๐ช with Harry Bentley in the saddle completed the 1-3 finish for Godolphin's trainer Saeed bin Suroor further 3 1/4 lengths back. It was the third win in a row for the three year-old daughter of Dubawi ๐ฎ๐ช and her first in Dubai, wrapping up a perfect debut.
Many thanks to Longines for entrusting me again with coverage of their racing and other equestrian events in the UAE!
Enjoy action images on MEYDAN RACING Jan 7 2021 ! ๐๐๐
Many thanks to all for your support in what was an extremely challenging year for everyone! Most importantly stay healthy in hopefully more positive 2021. Watch this space for another series of action and creative photography! Happy New Year! All the best, Martin ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐ช
Dark Silver ๐ฎ๐ช gave jockey Fernando Jara a perfect birthday gift, trashing his rivals by 9.25 lengths in feature Race 4 Conditions over 1200m (6 furlongs) at the scenic Jebel Ali racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช. It was the first victory of the three-year old son of Dark Angel ๐ฎ๐ช from 18 starts and also his first on dirt.
Enjoy action images from Jebel Ali at Racing Jebel Ali Dec 18 ! ๐๐๐
Thegreatcollection ๐บ๐ธ under jockey Pat Cosgrave pulled out an upset in The Dubai Creek Mile (Listed) at Meydan Racecourse ๐ฆ๐ช, hitting the wire 2 1/4 lengths ahead of G3 winner Secret Ambition ๐ฌ๐ง with Tadhg O'Shea and G1 winner Capezzano ๐บ๐ธ under Royston Ffrench further half a length back. Another favourite and G3 winner Salute The Soldier with Adrie De Vries came home fourth, a length behind. All three horses were rated well above the six-year old son of Saint Anddan ๐บ๐ธ trained by Doug Watson. It was his seventh victory from 25 starts, clocking 1:36.75 over 1600m (8 furlongs), more than a second faster than a year ago.
Enjoy action images from the last Meydan race meet this year on Meydan Racing Dec 17 ! ๐๐๐
Blue Sovereign ๐ฎ๐ช dug in under jockey Clement Lecoeuvre, denying Lady Snazz ๐บ๐ธ with Richard Mullen by a neck in a 1950m conditions race at the Jebel Ali racecourse in Dubai. ๐ฆ๐ช The victory of the five-year old son of Teofilo ๐ฎ๐ช was the first in the UAE for Lecoeuvre in his new role as stable jockey to trainer Erwan Charpy.
Enjoy images from the scenic Jebel Ali racecourse on Racing Jebel Ali Dec 11 ! ๐๐๐
Important Mission ๐บ๐ธ with jockey Royston Ffrench snatched victory in the Garhoud Sprint Listed over 1200m (6F) in a late charge that left its rivals trailing by 1 3/4 length in the third meet at the Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. ๐ฆ๐ช The six-year old son of More Than Ready ๐บ๐ธ won for the fifth time in 17 starts. The race has the same distance as the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. In another feature listed race of the humid evening, Firnas with jockey Xavier Ziani prevailed in a battle with Saltarin Dubai ๐ฆ๐ท under Richard Mullen to take The Entisar over 2000m (10F), the same distance as the Dubai World Cup, by half a length. The lightly raced seven-year old son of Dubawi ๐ฎ๐ช added the fourth win from 13 races and his second in a row this season. Both horses are trained by Salem bin Ghadayer.
Enjoy images at MEYDAN RACING 3RD MEET ๐
Happy retirement to Japan’s wonder-mare Almond Eye ๐ฏ๐ต! The five-year old daughter of star sprinter Lord Kanaloa ๐ฏ๐ต wrapped up her outstanding performance on the track with a Japanese record 9th G1 turf victory after landing the 40th running of the Japan Cup ๐ under jockey Christophe Lemaire. In her second win of the 2,400m race held at Tokyo Racecourse, the 2018 Japanese Triple Crown fillies champion defeated by 1¼L this year’s three-year old Triple Crown winners, colt Contrail ๐ฏ๐ต and filly Daring Tact ๐ฏ๐ต, who finished second and third, respectively, handing them their first career losses. Almond Eye became only the second horse to win two Japan Cups (the earlier win was in 2018), joining Gentildonna (2012 & 2013). The success in her final race made Almond Eye the highest earning Japanese horse in history with a total of nearly $18.4 million. The archive shot is from her victory in the $6 million G1 Dubai Turf in 2019. ๐ฆ๐ช ๐๐๐
Enjoy Almond Eye shots on G1 Dubai Turf 2019! ๐๐๐
Sam Sunderland ๐ฌ๐ง flew on his KTM to land Round 3 of the Dubai Endurocross Championship. Sunderland, who won the Dakar Rally in 2017 as the first British rider, clocked the fastest time in both heats over 8 laps on the demanding desert track, beating second Adrien Van Beveren ๐ซ๐ท on a Yamaha by more than a second in Ride 2. Aaron Mare ๐ฟ๐ฆ came third on a Honda more than 2 minutes behind. ๐ฆ๐ช
Enjoy action images on DUBAI ENDUROCROSS R3 ! ๐
Hegnus ๐จ๐ฟ with jockey Lukas Matusky landed the 130th running of Velka Pardubicka Steeplechase ๐, holding off easily Player ๐จ๐ฟ under Marcel Novak in front of unusually quiet stands in Pardubice. The 12-year old locally bred son of Magnus ๐ต๐ฑ negotiated the demanding 6,900 m course over 31 tricky jumps without a major hitch, accelerating in the home stretch to cross the wire in 09:22.99 minutes. The event lacked the usual atmosphere as it was run without fans due to the coronavirus pandemic. The so called 'Devil's race' has been often described as the toughest steeplechase in Europe after the Grand National at Aintree.
Enjoy images on 130th Velka Pardubicka Steeplechase ! ๐จ๐ฟ ๐๐๐
With the new racing season around the corner, I set out for a photo feature about training racehorses to Dubai's iconic Zabeel Racing Stables. Set up in 1992, Zabeel is one of the oldest racing stables in the desert emirate, which long served as a private training center for the ruling Al Maktoum family. It is an incredibly quiet and serene place of lush greenery, ideal for training thoroughbreds, that contrasts with surrounding glass and steel high rises of the Dubai skyline with Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower, and Emirates Towers rising above the stables. An over 200-acre unique equine oasis with state of the art facilities such as a swimming pool, hydro and cryotherapy, Zabeel hosts about 120 horses trained by Satish Seemar, including the Dubai World Cup and Saudi Cup contender North America ๐ฌ๐ง.
Enjoy images from the Dubai racing jewel on Zabeel Racing Stables ! ๐ฆ๐ช ๐๐๐
Aaron Mare ๐ฟ๐ฆ flew on his Honda to win the Dubai Endurocross season kickoff on Friday with the fastest time of 30:15.752 over seven laps on the demanding desert track. Mohammed Al Balooshi ๐ฆ๐ช came close second, clocking 30:19.888, followed by third Sean Gaugain ๐ฟ๐ฆ with 31:02.176, both on Husqvarna dirt bikes.
Enjoy action images on Dubai Endurocross ! ๐
Discovery Island ๐ฌ๐ง topped Godolphin's Racing In Dubai Sale at the Meydan racecourse ๐ฆ๐ช. The three-year old son of Dubawi ๐ฎ๐ช, who was twice second and twice third, was sold for 600,000 dirhams ($163,000). His half brother Imperial Empire ๐ฌ๐ง, who has one win and one second place, was the second most expensive lot, going for 460,000 dirhams. Some 52 horses were sold at the pre-season auction, bringing 5.7 million dirhams, or $1.6 million in total.
Enjoy images from the auction on Racing In Dubai Sale 2020 ! ๐
Here I am again with shooting a sports action portrait of Cameroon's sprinter Rafael Roots ๐จ๐ฒ using off-camera speedlights. We got together at the Dubai Sports City track an hour before the sunset, enough time to get a variety of shots of him dashing from the starting blocks. It was hot and humid, a normal mid-summer weather here so wearing a face mask I was grateful for a bit of a colder breeze. When Rafael arrived, I already had all set up so after a warmup we could get to it without any delay.
I mounted a trio of Nikon speedlights into a FourSquare bracket attached to a Manfrotto tripod stabilised with my small water backpack I use on a motorcycle to prevent it from toppling over in the wind. In order to trigger the speedlights, I used RadioPopper radios velcroed on the units. The transmitter converts the infrared signal coming from Nikon's SU-800 commander mounted on the camera into a radio one. The receiver then reconverts it back into the infrared one. This allows me to fire the flashes even in the full sunlight. Speedlights are set on remote and full power to concentrate the maximum light on the athlete.
The tripod was positioned slightly into the lane facing Rafael in the starting blocks, who was backlit by the setting sun, but not in any way interfering with his action. I settled into a sniper-like position on the track in between to complete the triangle. I used my favourite Nikon D5 with a 14-24mm f2.8 lens at 24mm in a high speed sync. I prefocused the camera with the back button so I could concentrate only on getting the right timing as I was in a single frame mode.
After a couple of shots, I moved the speedlights to the other side of the lane to shoot Rafael in a partially light-rimmed silhouette. Check here Action portrait - sprinter how the one lane difference changes the whole image. Both frames have the same camera settings 1/1000 sec, f6.3, ISO 200 ๐
Newly arrived saddles made by Norwegian show jumper Anita Sande ๐ณ๐ด were a good opportunity to use the lightpainting technique to underline the leather's unique look.
We put each saddle on a rack in the middle of a walkway in the Elite Stable in the Ajman desert ๐ฆ๐ช, where Anita keeps her grey For Cash, and turned off all lights to keep the whole place as dark as possible.
I used my favourite Nikon D5 mounted on a Manfrotto tripod and 24-70mm f2.8 lens set @ 40mm, 30 sec, f22, ISO 100. A combination of warm WB 10,000K and ProTac AA LED flashlight for lightpainting gives the leather its rich golden look. The camera was in manual mode and prefocused with AF switched off. Using the camera timer gives you a chance to get your flashlight ready to start painting right when the shutter opens.
After each image, I checked it on the camera to see where I need to put more or less light. I kept adjusting my technique until I was happy with the result.
You can see more examples from the shoot on Anita Saddles ๐
Many thanks to the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) for featuring my work in its photographers series! It is an honour to be a part of such an amazing group of photographers!
You can read the story behind some of my favourite images on: FEI-My Top 5 Photos: Martin Dokoupil
1/ Luis Sabino Goncalves ๐ต๐น leaves the arena on Unesco du Rouet in Barcelona ๐ช๐ธ
2/ Paolo Paini ๐ฎ๐น on Chaccolie is flying around the world in Abu Dhabi ๐ฆ๐ช
3/ Patrice Delaveau ๐ซ๐ท offers his mare Vestale de Mazure HDC a taste of champagne at La Baule ๐ซ๐ท ๐
Another opportunity for action shots using off-camera speedlights on an evening ride in the Dubai desert. This time, I only used my bike to transport the gear. It was hot and humid as it can be in July and not much of a sunset this time but was still nice to get a couple of frames with Tom and Hans on their BMW R1200GSs.
As the last time, I used a trio of off-camera Nikon speedlights in a FourSquare bracket on a tripod stabilised with my water bag on a windy salt flat. I lay down on the ground clutching Nikon D5 in a single frame mode and high speed sync with a 14-24mm f2.8 lens at 14mm. Speedlights at full power were set off through SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander mounted on the camera and topped with a RadioPopper PX for the infrared-radio signal conversion - 1/2000 sec, f8, ISO 640. ๐๏ธ ๐ฆ๐ช
You can see more shots on BMW R1200GS ๐
Dusting off my old iron horse BMW R1150GS Adventure, I took it for a sunset ride in the Dubai desert. Loaded with my photo gear, I wanted to make a couple of shots as a tribute to this amazing piece of machinery - 16 years & nearly 90,000km young and without any major issue after almost 11 years in this harsh environment. Unstoppable.
I picked a long enough piece of the flat desert near a side road for the setup. Using the PhotoPills app, I knew exactly when and where the sun was going to set and how it was going to look.
To counter the power of the sun, I mounted a trio of off-camera Nikon speedlights into a FourSquare bracket on a tripod, which I stabilised with my water bag since it was quite windy. Nikon D5 in a high speed sync with a 14-24mm f2.8 lens at 14mm was set on a ground plate and fired using a combination of PocketWizard MultiMAX II transceivers and a handle bar trigger. Speedlights were set off through SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander topped with a RadioPopper PX, which converts the commander's infrared signal to a radio one to make sure they fire even in bright sunlight. The camera in a single frame mode is pre-focused and all in manual - 1/3200 sec, f7.1, ISO 640.
I did not ride too fast not to miss the right moment. Finding the right timing was the most difficult part, if you are not behind the camera and have to focus on both riding and triggering since you have one single frame to make it on each pass. Then you have to stop, get off and check the camera in full gear and summer heat. Easier to shoot someone else for sure. ๐๏ธ ๐ฆ๐ช
You can see few more shots here BMW R1150GS ADV ๐
A partial solar eclipse โ๏ธ graced the sky above the United Arab Emirates ๐ฆ๐ช this morning, coinciding with the start of the summer months. The passing Moon covered as much as 86.31 percent of the Sun, leaving a narrow 'Ring of Fire’ visible at its peak at 0935 am.
The composite image is made from a selection of frames shot with Nikon D5 and 200-400 mm f4 lens with a 1.4 teleconverter and a DX crop switched on, making the lens into an 840mm equivalent. A special three-layer solar filter from Dubai Astronomy Group covered the lens to protect the camera sensor. All was mounted on a sturdy Manfrotto tripod and I used Nikon's Wireless Remote Controller to trigger the camera to prevent any movement. A towel over the camera came very handy as I could easily check the backscreen without undesirable reflections.
I made a series of test shots with different exposures two days before to see what might work the best on the day. The filter makes the sun look cold blue so shooting in RAW to allow processing in Adobe Lightroom is a good idea. I used PhotoPills, which is a great app for planning so I picked the location ahead and was already set up well before the eclipse started. I took few test shots before the start to check the correct exposure as some low-lying fog was obscuring the view from the desert. Fortunately, all cleared out before it started. To create the composite image, I shot the sun every five minutes throughout the three-hour eclipse, having to keep adjusting the camera's angle as the sun moves across the sky. In between, I enjoyed the eclipse wearing protective glasses!
Many thanks to the Siena City Hall for selecting one of my favourite images for its new Palio guide!
A priest of the Drago ๐ contrada blesses its Palio horse Morosita Prima in the church garden ahead of the 2016 race. The mighty mare won two Palios in Aug 2013 and July 2015 out of seven starts. ๐ฎ๐น
Enjoy more images from the 2016 edition of the world's oldest horse race on Palio di Siena 2016 ! ๐๐๐
So sad to hear about sudden passing of only 7-year old 2016 champion Arrogate ๐บ๐ธ. The son of Unbridled's Song ๐บ๐ธ retired to stud as the sports’ top earner of all times with $17.4 million from seven wins in 11 races. His impressive collection of victories includes 2016 Travers Stakes (breaking a 1979 track record) and Breeders’ Cup Classic followed by the inaugural running of $12 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (setting another track record) and defying all odds in the Dubai World Cup in 2017 ๐ฆ๐ช. I will never forget his unbelievable from last-to-first Dubai performance under jockey Mike Smith when he initially tailed the field after a late break from the gate. But in a stunning fashion, he passed all of his 13 rivals to beat Gun Runner by 2.25 lengths. That night he was unstoppable! RIP Warrior! ๐๐๐๐
With global sports events falling victim to the COVID-19 pandemic and being restricted by a lockdown, I experimented a bit with creative photography techniques to shoot cycling using my mountain bike and speedlight.
One of the images I wanted to create was that of handlebars with the world passing around in motion. I shot an evening and morning version on a path in our compound, both with remote Nikon D5 and 14-24 mm f2.8 lens at 14mm and SB-5000 speedlight mounted on the bike with two Manfrotto Magic Arms for stability.PocketWizard Plus III transceivers were fired with a trigger by Michael Bass Designs concealed on handle bars.
For the evening version I called 'chasing lights', I set the shutter speed at very slow 0.8 sec, which creates light trails and makes surroundings soft and blurry like a painting. The flash freezes the movement of handle bars, keeping them sharp. The sky colour was deep blue as I timed the shoot to happen during the blue hour. Aperture f6.3, ISO 2000. ๐ฆ๐ช
You can see more images on MTB shoot ๐ด
It is still pitch black early in the chilly morning when a desert plain near the Omani port city of Sohar suddenly comes alive. One by one headlights appear in the darkness, illuminating a rough gravel road ahead with walking silhouettes of local men leading dozens of camels in a sight reminding an olden day trading caravan.
The whole party passes through a barely visible railing and pulls up near a high metal structure with wires attached. Men in traditional white robes wearing hand-knit colourful caps or scarves wrapped around their heads tie their camels together and begin getting their gear ready so the first of about 10 races can start just after the sunrise.
Camels, sometimes called 'Ships of the Desert', played an important role in the life of Bedouin tribes in Oman. Besides being a source of wool and food, they provided a reliable and hardy transport in the hostile and unforgiving desert environment.
Arabian camels, also known as dromedaries, have only one hump, but they employ it to great effect. The hump stores up to 36 kilograms of fat, which they can break down into water and energy.
These humps give camels their legendary ability to travel up to 160 desert kilometres without water. They can also carry heavy loads across desert sands for up to 40 kilometres a day.
For racing, each camel is fitted with a saddle with colourful rugs and a small robotic jockey in its owner's silks like in horse racing, sitting behind the camel's hump. A number is painted on each camel's neck to help its identification during a race.
Lightweight robotic jockeys replaced child riders from Asia, who were used across the Gulf in the past often facing many hardships of life far away from their families and dangers riding unpredictable over 700-kilogram animals at high speeds of up to 65 km/h.
Sturdy robots have a rotating whip arm, which the owners can control remotely from their SUVs and pickup trucks as they follow racing camels on a service road running along the brown-painted rail of the desert sandy track with mighty Hajar mountains rising in the distance.
They can also carry a set of walkie-talkies, which owners use to shout encouragements to their labouring camels.
As the red sun begins its climb over the horizon, handlers lead the first runners into a pen behind the starting gate and line them up next to each other, tying them loosely to the starting rope. Around eight camels are dispatched for each race but numbers can differ.
Races are run over different distances depending on camels' age. In Sohar, camels as young as two years run races over 2 kilometres, three year-olds over 4 kilometres, while four-year olds usually compete over 5 kilometres.
Permanent starting gates are fitted at different places around the track so races can be run in a quick succession over different distances without the need to change gate positions.
When the gates are not used the starting ropes are simply pulled up so the racing camels can pass under them easily.
With camels lined up for the start a man with a stick with helpers walks around in front of the gate to make sure that all the runners remain in their position. When the starting rope snaps up, camels dash out followed by their yelling handlers waving long wooden sticks to send them off.
One camel suddenly decides it does not feel like exerting itself today and makes a quick turn back to the waiting area behind the gate outsmarting its sprinting handler to seek safety next to a leading older camel handlers use to ride along the youngsters coming to the track.
There might be as little as 10 minutes in between the races to finish in time before the heat kicks in, so it pays off to arrive early enough as all the races may be over in an hour or so. Handlers sometimes use the time in between the races to exercise or warm up other runners on the track while jogging them along mounted lead camels.
Good racing camels can fetch prices of around $100,000 at auctions across the Gulf but the price tag can easily shot up all the way to a couple of millions for the best ones.
The camel racing season lasts from October to April to take advantage of cooler winter months with races typically run at the sunrise on Fridays and Saturdays. They are completely free to attend. When watching near the track always park your car away from the service road in order not to block the owners speeding along during races.
Enjoy more images on CAMEL RACING! ๐ช๐ช๐ช ๐ด๐ฒ
Thegreatcollection ๐บ๐ธ with jockey Adrie De Vries stole victory in Jebel Ali Classic Silver Jubilee over 1400m (7F) at the Jebel Ali racecourse, beating Shamaal Nibras ๐บ๐ธ with Pat Dobbs by short head in a 1-2 finish for trainer Doug Watson at Dubai's scenic uphill dirt track.
Enjoy more images from the race meet on JEBEL ALI RACE MEET March 20 ! ๐ฆ๐ช ๐๐๐
Alkaamel ๐ฌ๐ง under jockey Antonio Fresu cruised to easy victory in the Longines Master Collection Handicap over 1600m (8F) at the Meydan racecourse, beating his nearest rival by whopping 13.5 lengths.
Enjoy images from the meet on LONGINES MEYDAN RACING ! ๐ฆ๐ช ๐๐๐
My today’s post is dedicated to memory of X Y Jet ๐บ๐ธ and other horses that died as a result of shocking and completely unacceptable money-motivated abuse, being administered scores of customised and hard-to-detect performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in the latest Navarro-Servis horse racing doping scheme.
X Y Jet was given dozens of different PED doses by his trainer Jorge Navarro before winning the $2.5 million Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen a year ago, according to charges against 27 trainers, vets and drug makers and distributors.
Among the drugs were pain blockers as well as blood builders, which cause increased cardiac exertion and pressure, which can lead to cardiac issues or death.
X Y Jet died of an apparent heart attack in January when he was 8 years old. At least 20 horses are believed to have died because of the PED abuse, according to the FBI investigation that includes evidence coming from phone intercepts.
Another prominent trainer indicted is Jason Servis, who covertly administered PEDs to virtually all horses in his care, including the demoted Kentucky Derby winner Maximum Security, according to the indictment. Maximum Security landed under the jockey Luis Saez the inaugural $20 million Saudi Cup last month.
Servis and Navarro were in contact over the covert PED use and misleading the regulators, the indictment document shows. When Maximum Security was tested last June after receiving a shot of a PED substance, a vet, who is among the defendants, assured Servis that it cannot be discovered as there is no test for it in America. Another vet agreed to falsify Maximum Security’s test records if the drug appeared as a different substance, the indictment showed. It is not clear yet if Maximum Security was doped ahead of running in the Saudi Cup, which I hope the trial will answer.
However, one thing is clear to me. We should show absolutely no tolerance to these despicable practices in horse racing and support a lifetime ban from the sport and any proximity of horses for those caught and proven red-handed. It is about time to clean house now. ๐ ๐ ๐
Godolphin's Barney Roy ๐ฌ๐ง with jockey William Buick aboard stole the show in the $400,000 Group 1 Jebel Hatta, beating easily mare Magic Lily ๐ฌ๐ง
and Spotify ๐ซ๐ท with all first three runners trained by Charlie Appleby. The multiple G1 winner clocked 1:46.09 over 1800m (9F), a new stakes record, in his preparation for the $6 million Group 1 Dubai Turf during the Dubai World Cup night later this month.
Earlier, Wildman Jack ๐บ๐ธ under Fernando Jara smashed the track record for 1200m on grass in the Group 3 $350,000 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint, crossing the wire in 1:07.61 after leading nearly gate-to-wire. It was the third victory of American trainer Doug O’Neill in the 2020 DWC Carnival and the first American win on grass in Dubai history.
In the $600,000 Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge, Matterhorn ๐ฎ๐ช ridden by Mickael Barzalona dominated the race, coming home 5½ lengths ahead of Military Law ๐ฌ๐ง. The five-year old son of Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Raven’s Pass ๐บ๐ธ clocked 2:04.44 over 2000m, which is around two seconds slower than an average winning time in the Dubai World Cup over the last five years. One second equals roughly five lengths but this may differ based on the surface and going.
Enjoy images on DWC Super Saturday 2020 ! ๐ฆ๐ช ๐ ๐ ๐
Maximum Security ๐บ๐ธ with jockey Luis Saez landed by three quarters of a length the $20 million Saudi Cup ๐ธ๐ฆ๐, after prevailing in a thrilling duel over fast closing Midnight Bisou ๐บ๐ธ under Mike Smith. The four-year old son of New Year’s Day ๐บ๐ธ got his revenge sweeping the world’s richest race after his controversial Kentucky Derby demotion.
"Oh my god, this is amazing, to win the race, to be here, to travel from far away and to have a victory for United States, for Panama, for all my people, this is something I don't have words for," Saez said. "This is the true Kentucky Derby winner. I'm so glad to be on the horse."
Godolphin's Benbatl ๐ฌ๐ง under Oisin Murphy edged out Pegasus World Cup winner Mucho Gusto ๐บ๐ธ
with Irad Ortiz to finish third in what was just his second run on dirt. ๐๐๐
Enjoy more images from the race on Saudi Cup 2020 ! ๐๐๐
It was a privilege to be a part of such an amazing Saudi Cup photo team! Thank you for having me! ๐๐๐
Excited to share all my tips on how to create horse jumping shots that stand out in my brand new MARTIN’s images Sports Photography Workshop - Jumping at the 7th FBMA International Jumping Cup in Abu Dhabi! ๐ฆ๐ช A live shoot challenge is coming today! Many thanks to FBMA for having me and Nikon MEA NPS team for their support! ๐
Capezzano ๐บ๐ธ trashed his rivals under jockey Mickael Barzalona with a seven-length gate-to-wire win in the Group 3 Firebreak Stakes over 1600m (8F) in an impressive comeback at the Meydan racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช. The six-year old son of Bernardini, who is aiming at the Saudi Cup in two weeks, last ran in the Dubai World Cup, where he finished last of 12 runners. Earlier in the meet, Godolphin's Magic Lily ๐ฌ๐ง landed her second Group 2 in a row when running away under William Buick with a one-and-a-quarter length win over Nisreen ๐ฎ๐ช with Pierre-Charles Boudot in the saddle in the 9F Balanchine.
Enjoy more images on DWC Carnival 7th Meet! ๐ ๐ ๐
Bruce Goodin of New Zealand ๐ณ๐ฟ on Backatorps Danny V landed the FEI World Cup jumping qualifier CSI5*-W Sharjah Ruler Cup ๐, flying around the indoor course in the fastest time of 34.68 sec in round two, which saw as many as 15 pairs advancing from the initial round. Germany’s Christian Ahlmann ๐ฉ๐ช on Solid Gold Z claimed ๐ฅ clocking 35.27 sec, while Egypt’s Abdel Said ๐ช๐ฌ took ๐ฅ on Alanine de Vains, mere 0.03 sec behind.
Enjoy images from the Grand Prix on Sharjah Ruler Cup 2020 !๐ฆ๐ช ๐
Benbatl ๐ฌ๐ง with jockey Christophe Soumillon pulled off an easy win in Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 over 1900m (9.5F), sailing home two lengths ahead of Military Law with Antonio Fresu at the Meydan racecourse. It was the first run of the six-year old son of Dubawi ๐ฎ๐ช on dirt as he prepares to contest the $20 million Saudi Cup, the world’s richest race, at the end of this month. Another Saudi Cup challenger and Dubai World Cup runner-up Gronkowski ๐บ๐ธ with Mickael Barzalona was third, almost nine lenghts behind the winner.
Enjoy more images on DWC Carnival 6th meet !๐ฆ๐ช ๐ ๐ ๐
Britain's Michael Whitaker ๐ฌ๐ง landed on Flinstering the CSI3* Sharjah Grand Prix ๐๐ฆ๐ช ahead of ๐ฅHolger Wulschner ๐ฉ๐ช on Casirus. Mohamed Osama El Borai ๐ช๐ฌ came ๐ฅ on Quintero. Enjoy images on CSI3* Sharjah Grand Prix ! ๐
Jockey William Buick steered Barney Roy ๐ฌ๐ง to a smooth victory in the Group 2 Al Rashidiya at the Meydan racecourse on his way to the Dubai Turf in March. Last summer the six-year old son of Excelebration ๐ฎ๐ช returned to the track following an unsuccessful time at stud, joining Godolphin's trainer Charlie Appleby. Later, Gladiator King ๐บ๐ธ with jockey Mickael Barzalona hit the wire first after a battle with Truck Salesman ๐บ๐ธ under Fernando Jara in Group 3 Al Shindagha Sprint, clinching his second G3 win in a row.
Enjoy images from the meet on Dubai World Cup Carnival 5th meet ! ๐ฆ๐ช ๐ ๐ ๐
The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia ran the first official trial on a new turf course in the Kingdom ahead of the upcoming inaugural running of the Saudi Cup with three turf races worth a combined $4.5 million on an eight-race $29.2 million card. The trial, run under race conditions, took place from the 2000m (10f) marker with top jockeys Frankie Dettori, William Buick, James Doyle and Daniel Tudhope aboard locally-trained turf gallopers at King Abdulaziz Racecourse ๐ธ๐ฆ.
Enjoy images from both the turf as well as early morning work from the dirt track where the $20 million Saudi Cup will be run on SAUDI CUP trials ! ๐๐๐
Christian Ahlmann of Germany ๐ฉ๐ช on Solid Gold Z came on top of a tight finish of the CSI4* Al Shira'aa Longines Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi ๐ฆ๐ช, where the top four double clear pairs nearly squeezed into a one second range, leaving mere fractions in between. Ahlmann clocked 39.16 sec in round two ahead of silver Abdel Said of Egypt ๐ช๐ฌ on Arpege du Ru with 39.49 sec. Michael Pender of Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช on HHS Calais took bronze with 39.88 sec, closely followed by Britain’s Chad Fellows ๐ฌ๐ง on Vinci de Beaufour with 40.24 sec.
Enjoy more images from the Grand Prix on CSI4* Al Shira'aa Longines GP ! ๐
Kristaps Neretnieks of Latvia ๐ฑ๐ป landed on Moon Ray the CSI3* Al Shira’aa Jumping Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi ๐ฆ๐ช with a double clear and the fastest jump-off time of 34.79 sec. Britain’s William Funnell ๐ฌ๐ง took ๐ฅon Billy Diamo, clocking 37.35 sec, ahead of ๐ฅ compatriot Jack Whitaker ๐ฌ๐ง on Elucar V.E., the only other double clear pair, which completed the challenging course in 38.50 sec.
Enjoy images from the event on CSI3* Al Shira'aa Grand Prix ! ๐
What a Dubai World Cup Carnival night that was at Meydan! ๐ฆ๐ช Two wins by short head, one by nose, equalling of a five-year old track record and fourth win in a row.
Certain Lad ๐ฌ๐ง with jockey Ben Curtis pierced a six-strong blue wall of Godolphin horses to run away with victory in the Zabeel Turf Listed Handicap over 2000m (10F) in 2:00:67, matching a track record by Hunter's Light ๐ฎ๐ช from February 2015.
In the Group 2 Cape Verdi for fillies and mares, Godolphin's Magic Lily ๐ฌ๐ง with jockey James Doyle aboard battled Nisreen ๐ฎ๐ช with Pierre-Charles Boudot in a thrilling finish to cross the wire a mere short head ahead. Then Midnight Sands ๐บ๐ธ with jockey Pat Dobbs extended his unbeaten streak to four races, defeating Ambassadorial ๐บ๐ธ with John Egan aboard in another short head finish in Race 5 over 1600m (8F).
In the last race on the card, Suedois ๐ซ๐ท under Daniel Tudhope completed the night of close finishes with a victory by nose over Epic Hero ๐ซ๐ท and William Buick.
Enjoy images from the races on DWC Carnival 3rd Meet ! ๐ ๐ ๐
What a finish of Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1! Kimbear ๐บ๐ธ with jockey Pat Dobbs muscled through the middle to beat Secret Ambition ๐ฌ๐ง with Tadhg O’Shea on the wire by short head in a thrilling three-horse battle. Dubai World Cup runner North America ๐ฌ๐ง with Richard Mullen aboard was another short head behind after losing his lead in the final strides of the race over 1600m (8F) at the Meydan Racecourse. ๐ฆ๐ช ๐๐๐ It was the first Group 2 win for the six-year old son of Temple City ๐บ๐ธ and his first victory since March 2018.
Godolphin's Benbatl ๐ฌ๐ง with jockey Christophe Soumillon had easy work in Group 2 Singspiel Stakes, cruising home 4.75 lengths ahead of For The Top ๐ฆ๐ท with Mickael Barzalona. The boys in blue captured four of eight races on the card with Soumillon landing a double.
Enjoy images from the event on DWC Carnival 2nd Meet ! ๐๐๐
Shane Breen of Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช landed on Ipswich van de Wolfsakker the CSI4* Abu Dhabi Jumping Grand Prix ๐ ๐ฆ๐ช with a double clear and the fastest time of 45.23 sec in round two. Gerfried Puck of Austria ๐ฆ๐น took ๐ฅon Bingo du Parc ahead of ๐ฅ Syria’s Osama Zbibi ๐ธ๐พ on Flash Gordon, the first pair to go clear in the second round at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.
Enjoy images from the event on CSI4* Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ! ๐
Gladiator King ๐บ๐ธ with jockey Mickael Barzalona aboard prevailed by neck over Ibn Malik ๐ฎ๐ช with Jim Crowley to land Group 3 Dubawi Stakes over 1200m (6F) in the Dubai World Cup Carnival opener at the Meydan racecourse.๐ฆ๐ช
Enjoy images from the event on DWC Carnival 1st meet ! ๐
David Will of Germany ๐ฉ๐ช landed on Spring Dark the CSI3* Jumping World Cup Qualifier in Al Ain ๐ in a thrilling finish, clearing the final vertical after galloping a tricky last line. With a double clear, Will clocked the fastest round two time of 36.23 sec to take ๐ฅ ahead of ๐ฅ Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi of the UAE ๐ฆ๐ช on Cha Cha Cha 7 with 38.76 sec. Vladimir Tuganov of Russia ๐ท๐บ took ๐ฅ on Suspens Floreval with 39.17 sec.
Enjoy images from the event on Al Ain CSI3* World Cup Qualifier ! ๐
Hunting Ground ๐บ๐ธ handed jockey Maikon de Souza his second winner on Saturday's card, beating Powderhouse ๐ฎ๐ช under Saif bin Hamed Al Balushi by three lengths in As Sunbouq Handicap over 2200m at Al Rahba Racecourse in Oman ๐ด๐ฒ. It was the sixth win for the nine-year old son of the 2002 Dubai World Cup winner Street Cry ๐ฎ๐ช, a sire of the Australian wonder mare Winx ๐ฆ๐บ, and his first in the sultanate.
Enjoy images on Al Rahba Racecourse 7th Meet ! ๐๐๐
South Africa ๐ฟ๐ฆ held off defending champions New Zealand ๐ณ๐ฟ to win a seventh Dubai Rugby 7s trophy ๐, ending a series of three defeats against All Blacks Sevens with a 15-0 win. In what looked like a scoreless first half, captain Siviwe Soyizwapi gave Blitzboks their wings, scoring a try with just two seconds remaining on the clock. Chris Dry added another from a scrum in the second half and Seabelo Senatla wrapped up his team's first victory over All Blacks Sevens in almost a year when he sprinted away.
South Africa lead the standings after the first of 10 events in a season that culminates in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan ๐ฏ๐ต with 22 points, ahead of New Zealand and bronze medallists England ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ.
Enjoy images from the tournament on Dubai Rugby 7s 2019! ๐ฆ๐ช ๐
Military Law ๐ฌ๐ง with jockey Antonio Fresu landed Race 5 over 2000m (10 furlongs) at Meydan racecourse in Dubai, three lengths ahead of Saltarin Dubai ๐ฆ๐ท with Richard Mullen. This year’s Dubai World Cup runner-up Gronkowski ๐บ๐ธ under Royston Ffrench trailed the four-year old winning son of Dubawi ๐ฎ๐ช by a further length to come home third in his first run since March, when he was beaten by nose in a thrilling battle with Thunder Snow ๐ฎ๐ช. Midnight Sands ๐บ๐ธ with jockey Patrick Dobbs added his third win in a row prevailing by neck in Race 7 handicap over 1400m (7F) over Gaudi ๐ฎ๐ช with Jose Santiago. ๐ฆ๐ช
Enjoy images on Meydan Racing Meet 4! ๐๐๐
João Maria Marquilhas of Portugal ๐ต๐น and Glamour ES landed ๐ฅ in the CSI2* Al Ain Cup Grand Prix ๐ on Saturday ahead of ๐ฅ home Sheikha Latifah Al Maktoum ๐ฆ๐ช on Bsharah and ๐ฅ Mohammed Al Kumeiti ๐ฆ๐ช on Ina Van De Nieuwburghoeve in the international jumping season opener in the desert oasis city of Al Ain. Enjoy action images from the show on Al Ain Cup GP 2019 ! ๐
Jon Rahm of Spain ๐ช๐ธ became a new European Champion in a thrilling finish, landing a double win in the DP World Tour Championship and Race to Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช with 19 under, one shot ahead of Tommy Fleetwood of England. Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera, who led the tournament for three previous rounds, settled for third at 17 under. Here Rahm celebrates #victory with his fiancée Kelley Cahill on the 18th green.
Enjoy action shots from the tournament on DP World Tour Championship 2019 ! โณ๏ธ๐๏ธโ๏ธ
Red Stables trainer Doug Watson made history on Thursday with a full sweep of a six-race card of the season's second meeting at the Meydan racecourse in Dubai. ๐ฆ๐ช Jockey Pat Dobbs delivered five of those wins with another added by Dane O'Neill.
Enjoy images from the night on Meydan 2nd meet ! ๐
Fasten your seatbelts, the new horse racing season started with the opening meet at the Meydan racecourse in Dubai! Enjoy both action and backstage images on Meydan 1st meeting ! ๐ฆ๐ช ๐๐๐
Emotional victory for Team #Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final in Barcelona, which earned them a ticket to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics! ๐ ๐ฏ๐ต Ireland ended with just one penalty, edging out defending champions Belgium ๐ง๐ช, who finished second on 4 penalty points after its last rider Gregory Wathelet on MJT Nevados S was derailed by a refusal when nearly home. Sweden ๐ธ๐ช took third place.
Enjoy action shots from the FEI Nations Cup week on FEI NATIONS CUP FINAL and stay tuned for updates! ๐ช๐ธ
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Spain ๐ช๐ธ landed the FEI Jumping Challenge Cup with the last clear ride of Sergio Alvarez Moya on Jet Run in front of the cheering home crowd at the Reial Club de Polo in Barcelona. The Netherlands ๐ณ๐ฑ finished second, while Brazil ๐ง๐ท, Britain ๐ฌ๐ง and the United States ๐บ๐ธ shared the third place.
Enjoy action shots from the FEI NationsCup Final week on FEI Nations Cup Final! ๐๐
Team Belgium ๐ง๐ช came on top in the first round of the FEI Jumping Nations Cup ๐ in Barcelona, ending with four penalties, closely followed by France ๐ซ๐ท
with five. Sweden ๐ธ๐ช and Colombia ๐จ๐ด shared the third spot with nine penalties. The South American nation now stands a good chance to earn the prized ticket to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the Sunday final with Italy ๐ฎ๐น and Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช to beat. Germany ๐ฉ๐ช and Switzerland ๐จ๐ญ also ended among the top eight teams on Thursday at the Real Club de Polo. ๐ช๐ธ
Enjoy images from round one on FEI NATIONS CUP Barcelona R1 ! ๐
Are you ready for a pre-Olympic battle of 18 nations in Barcelona? ๐ช๐ธ
Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final ๐ on Oct 3 - 6 is offering a chance to qualify for Tokyo 2020 Olympics! ๐ฏ๐ต
Best moments of top jumping action, emotions and team spirit are coming soon to www.martinsimages.com! ๐
Belgium ๐ง๐ช will be defending its ๐ฅ from last year’s dramatic final when France ๐ซ๐ท came ๐ฅ, Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช ๐ฅ and Italy ๐ฎ๐น fourth. The best team among Colombia ๐จ๐ด, Egypt ๐ช๐ฌ, Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช, Italy ๐ฎ๐น, Norway ๐ณ๐ด, Portugal ๐ต๐น and Spain ๐ช๐ธ will secure the Olympic ticket. Switzerland ๐จ๐ญand top jumpers from Germany ๐ฉ๐ช, Britain ๐ฌ๐ง, Sweden ๐ธ๐ช and the Netherlands ๐ณ๐ฑ will be among other challengers in the final. Brazil ๐ง๐ท, Mexico ๐ฒ๐ฝ and USA ๐บ๐ธ will represent the Americas and Japan ๐ฏ๐ต Asia.
Images in the video were shot for the FEI at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon 2018 ๐บ๐ธ and past Nations Cups in France ๐ซ๐ท, Hungary ๐ญ๐บ, Abu Dhabi ๐ฆ๐ช as well as at other events. Music by Joshua Empyre. ๐
A dhow No. 217 called Zilzal of skipper Marwan Al Marzouqi snatched victory in round two of a 43ft sailing race of traditional wooden boats to Dubai's iconic Burj Al Arab hotel. ๐ฆ๐ช Some 84 dhows set sail in a short 11-mile race, which turned into a dash with a brisk wind speed of around 18 knots.
Enjoy images from the race on Dubai 43ft dhows Heat 2 ! โต๏ธ
And the winner is Lot 32! Godolphin's Kinver Edge ๐บ๐ธ, the three-year old son of the 2004 Champion Sprinter Speightstown ๐บ๐ธ, was bought for 500,000 dirhams ($136,103) to become the most expensive horse sold during Monday's Racing in Dubai Sale at the Meydan racecourse. ๐ฆ๐ช Some 64 horses that went under the hammer fetched as much as 4.28 million dirhams with the cheapest going for as little as 3,000 dirhams in the auction.
Enjoy images from the sale on Racing in Dubai auction ! ๐๐๐
A dhow No.39 called Shaheen of skipper Khalifa Abid Al Marri snatched a comfortable victory in a season opening 43ft sailing race of traditional wooden boats to the finish line near Dubai's iconic Burj Al Arab hotel. ๐ฆ๐ช Some 79 dhows set sail in a 10-mile dash with sailors battling high humidity and choppy sea at the start. Pearl diving, where dhow sailing originates, was a backbone of Gulf Arab economies before discovery of oil. Some 4,500 dhows and 74,000 men sailed the Gulf at the peak of the industry in early 1900s. โต๏ธ
Enjoy images from the race on Dubai 43ft dhow race Heat 1 ! โต๏ธ
Crystal Ocean ๐ฌ๐ง, the world's highest-rated horse, will contest the £1 million Group 1 Juddmonte International in York, the course's richest race. The five-year old son of Sea The Stars owned by Sir Evelyn de Rothschild and trained by Sir Michael Stoute sits atop the Longines World's Best Racehorse rankings with a mark of 127, despite being narrowly edged out by Enable in last month's epic King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes battle at Ascot. Enjoy images from his surprise Sunday morning outing at Warren Hill gallops where he was joined by his Japanese rival Cheval Grand ๐ฏ๐ต trained by Yasuo Tomomichi on Newmarket gallops! ๐
Costanza Laliscia of Italy ๐ฎ๐น on Sacha El Kandhaar rode to victory ๐ฅ in the Meydan FEI Endurance European Championship ๐ over 160km of beautiful fields and forests at Euston Park ๐ฌ๐ง with an average speed of 22.47 km/h. Spain ๐ช๐ธ won the team competition ahead of France ๐ซ๐ท taking the next four places with Paula Sanchez on T'Aime de Coeur second๐ฅand Jaume Punti Dachs on Echo Falls third ๐ฅ. Enjoy images from the event at Euston Park 2019 ! ๐
Ange Guardian ๐ฉ๐ช with jockey Lukáš Matuský landed easily the third qualifier over 5,800m for the 129th running of Velká Pardubická (Grand Pardubice) steeplechase, defeating the 2017 Pardubická champion No Time To Lose ๐ฌ๐ง under jockey Jan Kratochvíl ๐จ๐ฟ. The 11-year old son of Banyumanik is a hot favourite for the October running of the iconic race, having also won the June qualifier. Both horses are trained by a legendary jockey Josef Váลa, who won Velká Pardubická record eight times as a rider. The race run over 6,900m and 31 fences had been often described as the toughest steeplechase in Europe after the Grand National at Aintree. It was first run as far back as 1874. Unlike the Grand National, the so called 'Devil's race' was famously won in 1937 by a female jockey, Countess Lata Brandisová on a golden mare Norma, a Czech-bred Kinský horse.
Enjoy more action shots from Pardubice on Velka Pardubicka Qualifier Aug 2019 ! ๐
Kent Farrington of the United States ๐บ๐ธ landed on Gazelle the Rolex Grand Prix, riding both two rounds and jump-off clear at the World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen, edging the only other all clear pair Daniel Deusser of Germany ๐ฉ๐ช on Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z.
Enjoy more action jumping shots from Aachen on CHIO Aachen Jumping Grand Prix 2019 ! ๐
Unstoppable Isabell Werth of Germany ๐ฉ๐ช on Bella Rose dominated dressage competitions at the World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen, helping secure the Nations Cup win for the home team ๐. Enjoy dressage action from Aachen on CHIO Aachen 2019 ! ๐
Team Sweden ๐ธ๐ช landed the jumping Nations Cup ๐ at the World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen, denying second Germany ๐ฉ๐ช their fourth successive title. Peder Fredricson on H&M Christian K snatched the trophy for the team with the last clear ride. France ๐ซ๐ท took bronze.
Enjoy more action shots from Aachen on CHIO Aachen Nations Cup 2019 ! ๐
The iconic Keeneland racecourse located in the world's horse racing capital is a fantastic place for creative sports photography. Founded in 1936, the sprawling racecourse has a special feel like no other. Possibilities for creative shots abound and even after a three-day meet, I am sure that I had not exhausted all the options. I loved starting gate and infield shots against the packed grandstand both using wide angle remote cameras, telephoto lenses as well as my favourite panning technique. Shooting track work at the sunrise was truly magical. Special thanks goes to Keeneland track photographer David Coyle and the whole team for their amazing support!
Enjoy a selection of shots on Keeneland Spring Meet 2019 ! ๐๐บ๐ธ
What a La Baule jumping final! World Champion Simone Blum of Germany ๐ฉ๐ช on DSP Alice landed ๐ฅ in the 200,000 euro Grand Prix Longines de La Ville Baule over 160cm, edging off by a tiny jump-off fraction ๐ฅ the world No. 1 Steve Guerdat of Switzerland ๐จ๐ญon Albfuehren's Bianca. Darragh Kenny of Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช on Important de Muze was๐ฅmere 0.08 sec behind. The only other double clear pair, Amy Inglis of Britain ๐ฌ๐ง on Wishes came fourth.
Enjoy more action and backstage beach shots on La Baule 2019 ! ๐๏ธ ๐ ๐ซ๐ท
Team Switzerland๐จ๐ญ landed ๐ฅ in the Longines FEI Nations Cup de France ๐ซ๐ท at La Baule to finish at only 4 penalties after the world's No. 1 Steve Guerdat on Albfuehren's Bianca and Niklaus Rutschi on Cardano CH rode a double clear, securing just one penalty less than ๐ฅ Belgium ๐ง๐ช. The home French ๐ซ๐ท team took ๐ฅ ending at 8 penalties with Thierry Rozier the only local rider clear in both rounds.
Enjoy more images from beautiful La Baule on FEI Nations Cup de France! ๐
Dhow No. 96 Al Shaqi skippered by Khalaf Buti Al Ghashish sailed to victory ๐ฅ in the $3.3 million long distance Al Gaffal sailing race from Sir Bu Nuayr island to Dubai. โต๏ธ๐ฆ๐ช It took the sailors more than 10 hours to navigate over some 51 nautical miles to the finish line near Dubai's iconic sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel as they battled a lack of wind at the beginning of the race. A record 131 traditional wooden boats competed in the 60ft race to commemorate the return of pearling dhows that were once a backbone of Gulf Arab economies before discovery of oil. Dhow No. 120 Zayurikh with skipper Khalifa Muhair Al Mazrouei sailed home second ๐ฅ ahead of third ๐ฅ No. 199 Hasheem with skipper Hassan Abdulla Al Marzouqi.
Enjoy images from the race on Al Gaffal 2019! โต๏ธ๐ฆ๐ช
Pieter Devos ๐ง๐ช on Claire Z landed Longines GCT Grand Prix of Miami Beach ๐ฅ ๐๏ธ ๐บ๐ธ with the fastest jump-off time of 37.38 sec, a mere fraction ahead of 37.42 by ๐ฅHarrie Smolders ๐ณ๐ฑ on Don VHP Z N.O.P. Malin Baryard-Johnsson ๐ธ๐ช on H&M Indiana, the only other double-clear rider, took๐ฅ. Enjoy action images from the GP on LGCT MIAMI BEACH 2019 ! ๐ All shots from the three-day event are available to purchase on Sportfot!
Thunder Snow ๐ฎ๐ช with jockey Christophe Soumillon prevailed by nose to land in a photo finish a historic Dubai World Cup ๐ double for Godolphin.
In a thrilling head-to-head duel, Soumillon dived over the wire burying his face in Thunder Snow's mane to push him by the narrowest of margins ahead of last year's Belmont Stakes runner-up Gronkowski with Oisin Murphy in the $12 million Dubai World Cup at the Meydan racecourse ๐ฆ๐ช
๐.
“Last year I won by five,six, even more lengths, and today Thunder had to fight hard," Soumillon said. "“It was very hard, I was more looking like a Cheltenham jump jockey in the end than an American style jockey but you need to get him going and sometimes you need to do something different."
"Thanks to Thunder Snow, because without him I would not be able to do such things."
The five-year old son of Australian galloper Helmet trained by Saeed bin Suroor has now won eight of his 23 career starts with a prize money total of over $16 million.
“He is a such a brave horse. I wasn’t sure if he had won, but we had the best jockey in the world on board and he knows him so well," Suroor said.
Thunder Snow will now likely to be pointed towards the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita, he added.
Enjoy action images from the race on Dubai World Cup 2019! ๐๐๐
Capezzano ๐บ๐ธ with jockey Mickael Barzalona cruised to the wire to land the $600,000 Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 over 2000m (10F), routing his nine rivals at the Meydan racecourse in Dubai. ๐ฆ๐ช
"He’s an honest horse. Even when he won over a mile, he ran an amazing race. We thought why not try him over 10 furlongs," said trainer Salem bin Ghadayer. "This horse really is amazing when he decides to run. His problem is he’s a little bit tricky of a horse and he needs to keep calm and relax.”
It was the third win in a row for the five-year old son of the Preakness Stakes winner Bernardini, who already led in the first turn.
"I made a strong effort to lead the race and I was lucky (because) he was breathing well in the (middle) of the race. Just before I asked him to go, the last three furlongs, he really picked up nicely,” Barzalona said.
The runner-up, Godolphin's Thunder Snow ๐ฎ๐ช with Christophe Soumillon, who hopes to score an unprecendented Dubai World Cup ๐ double in the upcoming running of the $12 million race on March 30, trailed massive 9.5 lengths behind.
"The winner, I knew before the race that he would be tough if he got to the lead with a steady pace and that’s exactly what he did," said Soumillon. "I’m very happy with Thunder. He always improves from his runs. If you look at last year, at the same period of the season, (this effort) was even better than then (when second in the same race). I’m very confident with him."
Enjoy more action images on Super Saturday 2019 ! ๐
Team Germany ๐ฉ๐ช won ๐ฅ in the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup ๐ in Abu Dhabi, beating ๐ฅTeam Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช by seven points on a challenging outdoor course that saw several falls. The home UAE team ๐ฆ๐ช landed ๐ฅ, securing one of two coveted Middle East Division spots to advance to the Nations Cup finals in Barcelona ๐ช๐ธ in October. Landing in fourth place, Saudi Arabia ๐ธ๐ฆ also qualified for Barcelona, finishing on the same 18 penalty points as the UAE but three seconds slower in overall time over two gruelling rounds of competition.
Jumping Nations Cups are my favourite competitions to cover for their great team spirit and emotions that go with each horse and rider trying their best for their team and many thanks to the FEI for having me again this year.
I deployed an extra hardware for the event - 2 remotely triggered cameras - one for the water jump/Longines oxer and another mounted atop of a TV tower to capture team reactions in the 'kiss and cry' area. That was in addition to two other cameras I had with me in the arena (as always many thanks to the NPS at Nikon Middle East for great help with the gear).
The whole setup was: 2 x Nikon D5, Nikon D4s, Nikon D4, 400mm f/2.8 lens, 70-200mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8, 14-24mm f/2.8, camera silencer mounted alternatively on a ground plate/tripod for remote jump shots, Manfrotto Magic Arm for the TV tower camera, PocketWizard Multimax II and Plus 3 tranceivers, Gitzo monopod. I always have some extra prime and zoom lenses in reserve in case I need to swap.
Enjoy top action shots from the event on FEI Nations Cup Abu Dhabi 2019 and FEI report on FEI Nations Cup Abu Dhabi story! ๐
Philipp Weishaupt of Germany ๐ฉ๐ช on Catokia won ๐ฅ in the President of the UAE Show Jumping Cup ๐ in Abu Dhabi with the only double clear ride among 38 competitors. Tina Lund of Denmark ๐ฉ๐ฐ came ๐ฅ with Carallo with one time fault in round two and time of 61.52 seconds, just a fraction ahead of 61.86 seconds for ๐ฅ Abdulla Al Marri of the UAE ๐ฆ๐ช on James V.D Oude Heihoef, who also had one time fault.
Enjoy top action shots on President of UAE Show Jumping Cup ! ๐
Poetic Charm ๐ฌ๐ง with jockey William Buick in the saddle flew to the wire to land the $250,000 Group 2 Balanchine for fillies and mares over 1800m (9F) for home Team Godolphin at the Meydan racecourse in Dubai ๐ฆ๐ช.
"She has a great finishing kick," Buick, who scored a hat-trick for the boys in blue on Thursday, said after the race. "It was lovely; a great performance. She has won two Group 2s now, so she will be looking for the elusive Group 1.”
The four-year old daughter of Dubawi ๐ฎ๐ช trained by Charlie Appleby beat second Mia Tesoro ๐ฎ๐ช with Chris Hayes by 2.75 lenghts and now has six wins out of 11 races, half of them with Buick, who patted her repeatedly on the neck in the final yards as other runners were still labouring to get close.
"She’s been remarkable. She came to me rated 57 and just finished second in a Group 2," said Mia Tesoro trainer Charlie Fellowes.
"That’ll probably be it for her in Dubai. She’ll come back to England and the plan is for (Coolmore stallion) Australia to cover her. She might come back into training and we may have a bit of fun with her before she needs to be retired, especially after she ran a blinder like that.”
Earlier on the card, Buick smoked the field aboard Blue Point ๐ฎ๐ช in the $250,000 Meydan Sprint, beating the nearest challenger Faatinah with Jim Crowley by five lengths over 1000m (5F). The five-year old son of Shamardal ๐บ๐ธ, who won the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes at Ascot last summer, is now aiming at the Al Quoz Sprint during the upcoming Dubai World Cup ๐ night on March 30.
“He’s a nice horse, this fellow. Not having been fully tuned up, he ran well," Appleby said. "He’s not overly exposed, really. Last year, he wasn’t over-raced. It’s going to be a fun season for him.”
Enjoy action shots from Meydan racing on Dubai World Cup Carnival 7th meeting !๐
Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi of the UAE ๐ฆ๐ช and his mount Cha Cha Cha snatched victory ๐ฅ in the CSI5*-W HH Ruler of Sharjah Cup ๐
with a double clear and fast time of 43.12 seconds in the second round. Some 0.66 seconds behind was Evelina Tovek of Sweden ๐ธ๐ช on Dalila de la Pomme ๐ฅ, edging off Janika Sprunger of Switzerland ๐จ๐ญon Bacardi VDL with a razor thin margin of 0.01 sec ๐ฅ. Enjoy action shots from the Grand Prix on Sharjah Ruler Cup! ๐
Bryson DeChambeau of the United States ๐บ๐ธ stole the show at the Dubai Desert Classic ๐๐ฅ, cruising to an unsurmountable lead of 24 under par over four days at the city's iconic Emirates Golf Club and breaking the 72-hole tournament record ๐ฆ๐ช. Second ๐ฅ Matt Wallace of England ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ finished well behind with 17 under par. Enjoy top action shots from the tournament on Dubai Desert Classic 2019 ! โณ๏ธ๐๏ธโ๏ธ
Dhow No.33 Barraq skippered by Rashid Mohammed Al Rumaithi sailed to victory ๐ฅ in a race of traditional 60ft wooden boats to Abu Dhabi ๐ฆ๐ช ahead of second No. 99 Al Asifa ๐ฅ and third No. 64 Muzahim ๐ฅ with Omar Abdulla Almarzooqi and Ateeq Mohammed Al Mazrouei at the helm, respectively. A late 4pm start of the race that was delayed due to a lack of wind offered a great opportunity to shoot with a beatiful soft afternoon light and glittering sunset reflections on the calm sea. Enjoy top action shots from the race on Abu Dhabi 60ft dhow sailing race ! โต๏ธ
Janika Sprunger of Switzerland๐จ๐ญand Bacardi VDL jumped double clear to land the Dubai Grand Prix ๐ฆ๐ช ๐๐ฅwith the fastest second round time of 49.96 sec. Paolo Paini of Italy ๐ฎ๐น claimed silver ๐ฅon Ottava Meraviglia di Ca' San G also with both rounds clear and time of 51.29 sec ahead of flying Philipp Weishaupt of Germany ๐ฉ๐ช on Che Fantastica ๐ฅ, who clocked 47.85 sec in round two but with one down. Enjoy action shots from the jumping weekend on Dubai Grand Prix 2019 ! ๐
Abdulla Al Marri of the UAE ๐ฆ๐ช landed on Sama Dubai FBH Al Shira'aa Grand Prix over two rounds, a qualifier for the 2020 Olympic Games ๐ฅ
๐. Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden ๐ธ๐ช came second ๐ฅon Peter Pan ahead of Ramzy Al Duhami of Saudi Arabia ๐ธ๐ฆ on Ted ๐ฅ. Enjoy action shots from the show on Al Shira'aa International Horse Show 2019 ๐
North America under jockey Richard Mullen cruised to an easy gate-to-wire victory in the initial round of the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge over 1600m (8F), annihilating his rivals at the Meydan racecourse by nine lengths. ๐๐ฆ๐ช๐
Shaking off defending champion and Godolphin Mile (G2) winner Heavy Metal, as well as UAE 2000 Guineas (G3) winner Gold Town, Burj Nahaar (G3) winner Kimbear and Godolphin Mile runner-up Muntazah, the seven-year old son of Dubawi won for the sixth time in 16 starts and first time since winning the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 (G1) on Super Saturday last March in similar fashion over subsequent Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Thunder Snow.
The victory provided some consolation for the winner’s connections, as his last two disappointing efforts—a 10th in the Dubai World Cup and third in last year’s edition of this race—were caused by poor starts.
“That’s the way he is,” trainer Satish Seemar said. “I was telling (Mullen) to let him do his thing. We had the right draw. If he pops out, just don’t stop him. I know when he’s in form like that, he’s so good. About 10 days ago, we jumped him out of the gate, just to wake him up and he did it exactly the same way. I wasn’t worried about (Heavy Metal). After (North America) broke like he did, I had no worries. His stride is about 1½ compared to other horses. He could have set a track record today, but no one was there to challenge him. He’ll go to (Al Maktoum Challenge) Round 2.”
“Unbelievable,” Mullen added. “I just said to the boss (Seemar) that there are not a lot of horses who give me goosebumps and he has done that. It was an incredible performance for his first run (this season). He has such a huge stride. I think anything that comes near, he has that much pace that he just kills them off."
Enjoy action shots from the race meet on Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 ! ๐๐๐
Kristaps Neretnieks of Latvia ๐ฑ๐ป landed on Moon Ray the CSI4*-W Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ๐ฅ with double clear and jump-off time of 43.81 ahead of Egypt's Abdel Said ๐ช๐ฌ on Venise du Reverdu๐ฅand home Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi ๐ฆ๐ช on Cha Cha Cha 7 ๐ฅ. Kristaps, who won the CSI3* in Al Ain a week before, became the first Latvian jumping rider to take part in a World Cup Final when he competed at the 2013 edition in Gothenburg, Sweden. He was also the first Latvian competitor at the World Equestrian Games, placing 72nd in the individual competition at the 2014 edition in Normandy, France. Enjoy more action shots from the Grand Prix on CSI4*-W Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ! ๐
A brand new sailing race of traditional fishing AlBwanish boats from the Abu Dhabi Presidential Palace to the Hudayriat island opened unique views of the UAE capital's skyline from the sea. ๐ฆ๐ช The route to the newly developed desert island tested skills of sailors aboard the sleek wooden boats, who had to zigzag their way along the coast to the finish line. Enjoy more images from the race on Hudayriat island sailing special ! โต๏ธ
A black head with short thick horns appeared in a narrow entry gap between dirt banks flanking a dusty bull fighting pit in Sohar's coastal Subarah residential community.
The bull's massive body followed moving slowly through a large crowd of spectators, some perched in safety of the high ground while others sit on the ground and camping chairs inside the ring in a wadi lined with shrubs, ghaf and palm trees, oblivious to dangers posed by the fight-blinded animal.
Three local men dressed in traditional white and grey robes and wearing colourful silk scarves in a turban stand next to the bull. One waves a short traditional wooden stick called assa behind the bull's rump to keep it moving, while others tug on thick ropes attached to its large nostrils and horns to keep the heavy animal under control.
Reaching the middle of the fighting ring, the bull slowly comes to a halt as if he is saving his energy for what is to follow. That gives his handlers a chance to hastily untie ropes as the animal’s adversary approaches. Other men appear skipping around the bull, throwing sand on the seemingly indifferent animal to motivate it.
For a moment, the bull remains completely still, its bulging eyes fixated on its rival. Fresh coastal air fuelled with tension takes the place hostage.
Suddenly, the beast’s powerful neck muscles contract as it leaps forward with brute force, its bulky head gliding low above the dusty ground and sharp curved horns aiming at its now dangerously close enemy.
The place reverberates with shouting coupled with a steady flow of a football match-like commentary coming from the loud speaker another man carries on his shoulder. The fight was on.
But it was not a matter of life or death as the quickly moving target in front of the charging bull was not the red cape of a matador, or the killer of bulls, as bullfighters are known in Spain. It was his equal.
Another more than a half-a-ton beast that, at the same moment, thrust its robust body forward to lock horns with the attacker, kicking up a cloud of dirt in this simple arena in the ancient port city of Sohar.
The origins of bull fights in Oman ๐ด๐ฒ are uncertain. Some believe it came with Portuguese conquerors, who set up a string of coastal forts along the Strait of Hormuz to control trade from the Gulf in the 16th century. Others say it first emerged in Oman’s farmlands without any link to the Portuguese invasion.
At 4p.m. on some Saturday afternoons, this dusty stretch of land near Sohar's beach comes alive with dozens of cars, spectators and bull owners bringing their prized animals for the fight. The champion fights take place in a more spectacular arena in Sohar on some Fridays and in a number of other places across Oman such as another coastal city of Barka, a shorter drive from Muscat.
Preparing bulls for their fighting career starts when the animals are around five or six months old. Their first encounter with the arena is between the age of two and five. Some bull owners take their warriors for regular beach walk routines to grow their muscles, feeding them with dates, cereals and even dried fish.
The simple rules state that the first animal to run away is declared the loser. There can also be a partial winner or a draw if neither bull concedes ground.
During the fight, one man runs around the charging animals at close quarters with his curved wooden stick, making sure ropes attached to their legs do not entangle them.
Around four men jump in at the end of each fight, grabbing the ropes to drag the bulls apart while throwing sand at the winner. Injuries like cuts are a common occurrence in the fights.
As all bulls are given names, their performance is tracked on the YouTube platform which is flooded with hundreds of recordings showing bulls fighting and training.
Owners divide their bulls into levels to make sure only animals with equal chances are entered in fights. Once the animal becomes a winner, its value increases and its selling price continues to increase after each win.
While young bulls can be bought for as little as 1000 rials ($2,592), the best fighters can command prices of between 25,000 to 50,000 rials $65,000-$130,000). An Omani champion bull called Nar Aljamahir, or (Fire of the People), is revered across the coast.
Enjoy action images from the event on Oman bull fighting ! ๐
Waiting for a dhow sailing prize giving ceremony, I shot few colourful fast powerboats practising nearby for the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi, a part of the UIM F1H2O World Championship. I used a panning technique for this shot with Nikon D5 and 200-400mm f/4 lens at 380mm. I had to hand held the long lens as I usually do not take monopod to sailing races. Here is the result. The powerboat of Sami Seliö ๐ซ๐ฎ of Mad-Croc Baba Racing glides through the water at 1/30 sec, f/32, ISO 100. Seliö finished third in the race. Enjoy more shots on Abu Dhabi powerboat practice ! ๐ฆ๐ช
Dhow No. 170 called Zilzal skippered by Marwan Al Marzouqi sailed to win the final race of 43ft traditional wooden boats that took some 70 crews from offshore oil rigs to the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi ๐ฆ๐ช. Dhow No. 21 called Toufan with skipper Ahmed Al Marzouqi crossed the finish line close second with No. 156 Ziork with Kalifa Almazrouai third. Enjoy more images from the race on Abu Dhabi 43ft dhows final ! โต๏ธ
Tina Lund ๐ฉ๐ฐ landed on her grey Carallo the top jumping class over 140cm in the Emirates Longines Show Jumping League in Al Ain, finishing with double clear and jump-off time of 35.78 seconds. Hadi Nizam ๐ธ๐พ claimed second with Dollar Van Het Polderhof in 36.74 ahead of third Frederic David ๐ซ๐ท on Saxo de la Roque with 37.22 at Al Ain Equestrian Shooting and Golf Club ๐ฆ๐ช. Enjoy action shots on Al Ain Nov 30-Dec 1 Jumping ! ๐
Pakistan ๐ต๐ฐ took a revenge on New Zealand ๐ณ๐ฟ on day four, winning the Dubai cricket test match by an innings and 16 runs thanks to its bowler Yasir Shah. Shah took 14 wickets in the match, equalizing the series after a close defeat in Abu Dhabi and finishing with the second best figures by a Pakistani bowler in the Test history.
Enjoy more action shots from the series on Pakistan vs New Zealand Test series ! ๐
Dhow No. 35 called Ati skippered by Obaid Saeed Al Tayer sailed to victory in the DAS race of 43ft traditional wooden boats that took some 70 crews on an 18-mile journey to the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi ๐ฆ๐ช. Dhow No. 153 called Dahes with skipper Hassan Abdulla Al Marzouqi crossed the finish line second, the same place as in the previous race, with No. 96 Alshaqi with Kalaf Buti Al Meri third. Enjoy more images from the race on DAS 43ft dhow race ! โต๏ธ
New Zealand ๐ณ๐ฟ beat Pakistan ๐ต๐ฐ by a super narrow margin of four runs on day four in Abu Dhabi in one of the closest wins in Test history. Chasing 176 to win, Pakistan needed only 41 runs with six wickets in hand before collapsing. New Zealand's Ajaz Patel recorded figures of 5-59 as Pakistan were bowled out for 171. It was the smallest victory margin by runs in a Test in 13 years and the fifth smallest in its history.
Enjoy more action shots on Pakistan vs Newzealand cricket ! ๐
Dhow No. 12 called Atlas skippered by Ahmed Rashid Al Suwaidi sailed to victory in the Al Aryam race of 43ft traditional wooden boats that took some 70 crews from offshore oil rigs to the breakwater of the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi ๐ฆ๐ช. Dhow No. 153 called Dahes with skipper Hassan Abdulla Al Marzouqi crossed the finish line second with No. 238 Rabdan with Ali Mosaabeh Almazroui third on an overcast day when dhows initially lacked wind at the start, making captains try different manoeuvring strategies to gain advantage. Enjoy more images from the race on Al Aryam 43ft dhow sailing race ! โต๏ธ
The UAE ๐ฆ๐ช soccer team played Bolivia ๐ง๐ด to a scoreless draw in a friendly match on Friday in Dubai. The hosts kept the Bolivians under pressure for most of the match but failed to convert that into a goal. Bolivia had a solid chance to open the score with four minutes left when a pass from Marcelo Martins found midfielder Jhasmani Campos, who hit the left post with his shot. Here Khalifa Ghanem (L) and Bandar Al Ahbabi of the UAE are vying for the ball with Bolivia's Marcelo Martins. Enjoy more images from the match on UAE vs Bolivia 0-0! โฝ๏ธ
What a weekend! Shooting four sport events in three days - eventing, soccer, dhow sailing and cricket to round it up. It started with the Arena Hunter Trial over 40cm, 60cm and 80cm at the home club - the Emirates Equestrian Centre in the Dubai desert. A really nice course set up by Nick Gauntlett in the international arena drew nearly 50 UAE-based riders. Here Jillian Boscolo-Wienke and Phoenix (Al Tashir Firebird) jump a tricky log that proved testing for several horses. You can see more action shots on Arena Hunter Trial ! ๐๐ฆ๐ช
Tamool with jockey Dane O'Neil coasted to an easy victory in the 80-89 handicap over 1400m (7f), two and a quarter of a length ahead of Pilgrim's Treasure with Tadgh O'Shea. The four-year old son of the Australian galloper Helmet is trained by Ali Rashid Al Rayhi for Dubai Deputy Ruler and UAE Finance Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
This time, I wanted to get a different, unusual perspective of racing at Meydan so I experimented with bird view shots both when riders entered the tunnel under the turf track and shooting from one of the top floors of the massive grandstand in combination of having a remote camera mounted on a ground plate under the rail triggered by Pocket Wizard Multi Max II.
One of the backstretch shots yielded a nice view of galloping horses with the quarantine stables towering above the track in the distance.
Enjoy more action images on Meydan Racing 2 ! ๐๐ฆ๐ช
New Trails under jockey Connor Beasley landed the 85-105 handicap run over 2000m (10F), the same distance as the $12 million Dubai World Cup, in the racing season opening meet at the Meydan racecourse. The four-year old son of Medaglia D'Oro, who came second in the 2004 running of Dubai World Cup, started tiring in the home stretch of the 210,000 dirham feature but managed to prevail, crossing the wire in 02:05:86 on the fast track and beating Street of Dreams with Sam Hitchcott by two lenghts.
“He was brave in the closing stages as he was getting tired,” Beasley said.
Dehbashi with Dane O'Neil was third a further length behind.
Here New Trails (golden silks and cap) gallops into the first turn. Enjoy more action shots from the night on Meydan 1st Race Meeting ! ๐๐ฆ๐ช
Tina Lund ๐ฉ๐ฐ landed on her grey Freestyle 39 the top jumping class over 140cm in the Emirates Longines Show Jumping League in Sharjah, finishing with double clear and jump-off time of 34.32 seconds. Anita Sande ๐ณ๐ด claimed second with For Cash 2 in 34.88 ahead of third Alice Debany Clero ๐บ๐ธ on Amareusa S with 34.96 at Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club ๐ฆ๐ช. Date palms and trees lining the sand outdoor arena make a great background for jumping images. Enjoy action shots on Sharjah Oct 26 Jumping ! ๐
From sunrise to sunset. A sailor waves the UAE flag in celebration aboard dhow 87 after it crossed the finish line near the Al Mirfa port to win the $6.8 million long distance sailing race of traditional 60ft wooden boats. The dhow called AlWasf of skipper Mohammed Hamad Al Ghashaish had to battle low wind for most of its 80-mile journey from the remote Dalma island with sailors helping push it forward with oars like in olden pre-oil days when pearl hunting thrived in the Gulf's shallow warm waters.
For more shots from the race please see Dalma 2018.
Hadi Nizam ๐ธ๐พ on Quacksy landed the top class over 140cm in the Emirates Longines Show Jumping League in Sharjah on Oct 12 when his 14-year old Oldenburg warmblood jumped both round one and jump-off clear in 73.87 and 35.00 seconds, respectively, with the latter just 0.10 second ahead of second Tina Lund ๐ฉ๐ฐ on Freestyle 39! Frederic David ๐ซ๐ท came third on Saxo de la Roque also with a double clear. Enjoy the indoor jumping action on Sharjah jumping Oct 12 2018 ! ๐
And she did it again! Emotional Isabell Werth of Germany won the FEI Dressage Grand Prix Special in what was the last ride of the competition on Bella Rose, scoring 86.246 percent, an improvement over her team competition score at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina a day before. Laura Graves of the United States came second on Verdades with 81.717 percent ahead of bronze Charlotte Dujardin of Britain on Mount St John Freestyle with 81.489 percent. Enjoy the latest gallery update on WEG Dressage Grand Prix Special
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More action shots from the compulsory test of female vaulters at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon landed in the vaulting gallery from Sept 18. Here the competition winner Katharina Luschin of Austria performs her routine on Fairytale. Click on the following link to enjoy more images! Vaulting gallery link
What do you do on a day off from shooting horses at the WEG in Tryon? Rent a car and drive 4.5 hours to Kentucky to shoot more horses at the iconic Keeneland Sept yearling sale! Here Understood from the first crop by Carpe Diem (x Brampton), the son of European horse of the year Giant's Causeway is led to the auction in the afternoon drizzle that made a beautiful soft light. The chestnut colt was sold for $75,000 at the world's largest thoroughbred auction where some 400 fresh racing hopefuls are sold a day during the two-week sale. Some 4,538 yearlings were catalogued for the sale this year. For anyone who loves thoroughbreds and racing this is a fascinating place. I wish I had more time as the landscape around Lexington with horse farms and white fences is stunning. Enjoy more images at Keeneland Yearling Sale link!
What a finish to the World Equestrian Games in Tryon! Simone Blum landed gold for Germany on DSP Alice in the final day of the FEI World Individual Jumping Championship, becoming the first ever WEG female jumping champion. A Swiss duo of Martin Fuchs on Clooney and Steve Guerdat on Bianca took silver and bronze, respectively after the final competition over two rounds and 1.65m on a warm day in Tryon.
It has been very busy two weeks. More images from the WEG coming soon! Enjoy more jumping action shots at WEG Jumping link!
No Time To Lose with jockey Jan Kratochvil showed his class landing the August qualifier for the 128th running of Velka Pardubicka Steeplechase, outrunning his stable mate Theophilos with Josef Bartos in a thrilling duel barely breaking a sweat in a very hot weather stiffling the Pardubice racecourse on Saturday.
The nine-year old son of the 2007 Epsom Derby champion Authorized is the last year's Velka Pardubicka winner.
In the end, No Time To Lose prevailed over Theophilos by one and a half lenght in the third of four Pardubicka qualifiers, coming home in 07:31,99 over 5,800m with Eldorado and Rostislav Bens a distant third.
Both No Time To Lose and Theophilos are trained by a legendary jockey Josef Vana, who won Velka Pardubicka record eight times as a rider and 10 times as a trainer. Some 23 horses have already qualified for Pardubicka so far.
Velka Pardubicka, run over 6,900 m and 31 challenging fences, is sometimes described as the toughest steeplechase in Europe after the Grand National at Aintree. It was first run as far back as 1874.
Team Austria pulled up its best to secure victory in the FEI Nations Cup in sunny Budapest, earning a spot in the Barcelona final in October and promotion to a more demanding Division 1. Hungary came second in front of the packed home stands, also advancing to the finals, edging up third Norway by a razor-thin margin.
I really enjoyed shooting the Nations Cup for the FEI again with water and horse 'graffiti' oxer my favourite jumps. Hungarian jumping fans created a fantastic atmosphere that made the whole event even more special. Thank you FEI!
You can read more about the event on https://www.fei.org/stories/budapest-nations-cup-2018
Hi all,
Welcome to my new site of top action shots!
Many thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoy your time here!
You can easily search all images by keywords to find what you like.
For more information about my work, to get in touch regarding assignments, or to just say hello, feel free to email me on [email protected] any time.
Here's a short horse racing animation I created for the website launch. The firing-away shutter sound is 12 fps of my Nikon D5 beast.
Enjoy!
Martin
Thunder Snow found another gear under jockey Christophe Soumillon to land the $10 million Dubai World Cup in a new track record of 2:01:38 over 2000m (10f) in what was the fourth win for home Team Godolphin at the Meydan racecourse. The four-year old son of the Australian galopper Helmet broke from the outside stall 10 but soon snatched the lead to unleash a spectacular kick for home, upsetting favourite West Coast with Javier Castellano by 5.75 lengths. Mubtaahij, who finished second to Arrogate under Soumillon last year, was third just a neck behind with Victor Espinoza in the saddle.