Best of 2012

So the New Year is almost upon us, and as Sophie and I jet off to the Annual Farm Tours in Scottsdale tomorrow for lots of incredible horses and merriment with friends, I was thinking about all the amazing horse moments we've had this year. Every year. That's what I love about our work-- each day brings something new-- a new challenge, a new breathtaking image to capture.

So, in the spirit of looking back just a teensy bit as we look forward to a fantastically creative 2013, I thought I'd try and put together a Top 5 Horse Moments of 2012. Hmmm... this proves damn near impossible.

Certainly one of the highlights of this (or any year!) was filming with the legendary *Emigrant and our friends at Valley Oak Arabians. This was soooooo worth the wait-- *Emigrant is larger than life. He exudes everything a stallion should be and he just makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up with his mere presence. Thanks big E!

Would it be filming in the Rae-Dawn Canada fog with our wonderful friends Claudinei and Bey Ambition-- under saddle for only the second time-- and loving it!

Or maybe realizing that Rae-Dawn's llama Steve is worth his weight in gold-- if only for comic relief!

Perhaps it would be filming Shael Dream Desert in Belgium. It seemed no matter what situation we put him in, he was just an absolute rock star-- even in a barn filled to the rafters with fog-- he would emerge a beautiful white ghost-- buzz our cameras, play with us, then run off into the fog to do it all over again...

It wasn't a horse moment per se, but rather a moment between gigs in Belgium and Poland. As we explored the canals of Bruges and saw the dog in the window, my heart did sing.

What about Van Gogh? A young, extreme stallion in Belgium so full of himself we just couldn't help but smile and laugh...

Any list would be incomplete with a laundry list of moments in Poland this year. Then again, as I wrote a few posts back, maybe the best horse moments this year were quieter. Less obvious but spectacular nonetheless... I think I would include so many moments in Greece-- searching for the Skyrian horse on the mountains, watching them frolic in the Aegean Sea.

And for the life of me I can't get the image of one little filly just grazing in a field waring her traditional halter out of my head. Hauntingly beautiful and sweet beyond measure, she definitely makes the list.

Scotland too, so many indelible and amazing horse moments captured there this year. I think of Ivan so often. His mane flying, such an incredible introduction to the Skyrian Horse...

So many many others-- too many to name. We are so lucky to do what we do and create magic with such incredible life-changing creatures. Here's to 2013 and many, many more!! Happy New Year everyone! ;) Jen