It’s been a huge month for equestrian sports in the United States as we hosted the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina. Sadly the event was plagued by dark clouds throughout the two-week-long event (literally and figuratively) as Hurricane Florence threatened to derail competitions, the wonderful equestrian venue was sadly unfinished at the time of the show and unfortunately remained that way throughout. Adding to the drama of the slowly encroaching storm, the kick-off event, Endurance, was a bumbling mess and resulted in cancelation as riders neared the end of a grueling day. Nevertheless, the U.S. riders had a very successful games, snagging
12 medals in total, including an unbelievable nail-biting win for the Showjumping Team, a repeat win by the dominating Reining Team and Team Driving gold led by four time WEG competitor Chester Webber.
Load up the horses and toys and head to the Atascadero Water Company on Sunda,y November 18 to enjoy a leisurely ride to the Home Depot Arena to benefit the Marine Corps Toy Drive, those that wish to ride further to Templeton are welcome to, the trail will be marked with pink ribbons. Come before 9 a.m. to enjoy refreshments (bagels, fruit and breakfast burritos) or enjoy some downtime afterward. Please leave your dogs in the trailers; the ride will happen rain or shine. If you can’t make it for the ride, please stop by and donate toys instead and make some kids’ Christmas a little better. Follow them on Facebook or atascaderohorsemensclub.com for more details about this super group of devoted riders.
There’s nothing I enjoy more than wonderful pictures of my horses competing, and there’s no denying the impact social media has had on the equine industry, both professionally and personally. Whether it’s horse trainers promoting sales or recreational riders seeking out the best pictures possible of their favorite equine friends, pictures can speak louder than words. Horse show photography has evolved so much over the years I’ve been competing and the central coast is home to a very talented family of photographers taking the horse show world by storm. Marcus Greene, his wife Kelly and their kids Taylor and Jacob are MGO Photography. Marcus, a retired Firefighter, met Kelly while they both attended Cal Poly and upon graduating decided to make a permanent home on the central coast.
While Marcus was cheering their kids on at various sporting events, he began taking pictures, which piqued the attention of other parents who in turn asked him to take pictures of their kids. He worked to hone his skills with the help of YouTube tutorials and quickly became a self-taught professional. Taylor’s affinity with showjumping opened the door into the wide world of professional horse show photography, initially shooting classes at some Santa Barbara shows. That quickly led into the world of Three Day Eventing, starting with Shepherd Ranch in Santa Ynez, followed by Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles. Before they knew it, they became the show photographers for the Paso Robles Horse Park, Woodside Eventing, Fresno Horse Trials and Galway Downs in Temecula.
Kelly recently retired to edit pictures full time to keep up with the ongoing demand. Often there’s tens of thousands of pictures to sort through after a weekend of showing. You’ll more than likely find Marcus out on his quad scoping out the best shooting spots, with Kelly in the trailer on vendor row that’s now set up with a bank of computers so riders can instantly view and choose which pictures they’ll post to Facebook or Instagram before the competition even ends. Tragedy struck the family in October while Kelly and Marcus were shooting at Woodside International Horse, Jacob had a bad MX accident while training and was hospitalized in Visalia with a suspected head injury. Please keep this wonderful family in your thoughts.
Visit their website marcusgreeneoutdoorphotography.com or the Facebook page MGO Photography for details on joining the team as a shooter, ordering pictures or follow Jacob’s updates.
NOVEMBER CALENDAR
November 1-4: Dude Ranch Weekend, V6 Ranch, contact John Varian at 805 441 3507 or email v6ranch@gmail.com to enjoy a “ranch getaway” experience at Parkfield Lodge.
November 2-3: Rick Machado Livestock Invitational Ranch, Rope and Performance Horse Auction. Paso Robles Event Centre, visit rmlivestock.com for more information
November 3: 3rd Annual Fall Tack Swap, Premier Ag 1041 Paso Roble St, Paso Robles. Grab some great deals on western tack from 9 am- 2 pm, call the store to sign up (805) 239 4297 or email info@premierag.net
November 3-4: Second Annual Chasing Dreams, Finding Cures. A St Jude Fundraiser Barrel Race. Helping to raise funds for pediatric cancer research. King City Fairgrounds, 625 Division St, King City. Check westcoastbarrelracing.com for more details or their Facebook page.
November 3-4: Cal Poly Western Team travels to compete at UC Davis Western Show, 1 Equestrian Lane, Davis CA check UC Davis website for more details. November 10-11: USPA Middle School Tournament, Central Coast Polo Club, 2320 Clark Valley Rd, Los Osos. Email megan@centralcoastpolo.com for more information
November 18: Atascadero Horsemen’s Club “Toys for Tots” trail ride, Atascadero Water Company, Water Co Rd, Atascadero. Contact Bill Obermeyer obie66@comcast.net or follow them on Facebook for updates.
November 23-24: 15th Annual Cowgirl Christmas held at the Paso Robles Event Center, 2198 Riverside Ave, Paso Robles. Over 150 vendors, 2 buildings and an outdoor marketplace. Visit cowgirltradeshows.com for more information or find them on Facebook
November 22-25: Turkey Trot & Jump “B” rated show at the Paso Robles Horse Park. They will also be hosting the 2018 PRHP & Green Rider Medal Finals. Check the website pasorobleshorsepark.com for online entries and venue information.
