SPORTING HORSE: In Pursuit of Equine Excellence

If you love horses, hundreds of action shots by equestrian photographer Bob Langrish make this book a must-have, while the informative text by equestrian journalist Nicola Swinney opens up the world of equestrian sport. Under the general headings of Agility, Athleticism, Endurance and Speed the book explains the intricacies of dressage, eventing, carriage driving and polo, to name four of the 14 different sports discussed. The 2012 Olympic Games introduced many horse lovers to the beauties of dressage, originating in the Spanish riding school in Vienna and delighting audiences with spectacular moves such as the capriole, in which the horse leaps into the air and kicks its legs out behind. Less breathtaking but of great beauty and technical skill is the extended trot, demonstrated here by Great Britain's Charlotte Dujardin mounted on Valegro. Horse and rider have to be perfectly attuned to each other in all these sports, whether in the rough and tumble of western riding or in the tightly controlled discipline of show jumping, where some of the book's most stunning images include Peter Eriksson of Sweden jumping the Hofsteiner stallion VDL Cardento, and the beautiful action of Shutterfly over a jump ridden by Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum. Three day eventing is one of the most demanding challenges in equestrian sport, incorporating show jumping, dressage and a cross-country gallop of four miles. An extraordinary close-up photo shows Daws Willowherb at a water jump ridden by Brook Staples, a challenge that requires a horse to have great trust in the rider as the animal has no idea how deep the water will be. Zara Phillips is pictured experiencing a sticky moment in water at Aachen in 2006, though she went on to take Gold. Britain's Harry Meade, who has competed at Badminton nine times, is captured clearing a skinny log with Wild Lone at Badminton in 2013. 224pp, wonderful colour photos on most pages.
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