Fasig-Tipton Summer Yearling Sale: Day 2

Today was the final day of the Fasig-Tipton Summer Yearling Sale. Our sale topper of the day was a Catastrophe x Satin Shoes colt which sold for $100,000. The conformation photo of this colt is in the upper right of this sale collage. The overall sale topping yearling is shown in the lower left photo. The other images are typical scenes at a Fasig-Tipton Texas Sale.

Fasig-Tipton Texas Summer Yearling Sale: Day 1

Today I was photographing the Texas Fasig-Tipton Texas Sale in Grand Prairie at the Sales Pavillion at Lone Star Park. This was day one of a two day sale with 439 horses cataloged. The sale topper of the day was City At Peace (Hip 67), a bay filly by Include out of City Hideaway. This filly sold for $140,000 to Dapple Bloodstock located in Lexington KY. If you wish to see the catalog page on this filly or others you may find it at http://www.fasigtipton.com/catalogs/2006/0829/index082906.htm.

Thursday Night Jazz at the DMA

On any given Thursday you will find a crowd gathering in the Atrium Cafe at the Dallas Museum of Art as the jazz group of the week prepares to play. This Thursday the Jodie Binford Quartet was the featured group. I usually stay for the most of the first set before heading off to Sketching in the Galleries. Even after leaving for the sketching we can usually hear the bands playing.

Sketchbook: Trimming the Yearling

This past Saturday morning the farrier was scheduled to come and trim the hooves of all the broodmares, yearlings, and 2-year-olds and a few other horses. With the exception of one uncooperative 2yo filly most of the older horses trimmed with no problem (albeit with a little chemical calming agent). The yearlings with one exception were another matter. We have two that had not been caught and haltered since last fall or winter so had to be penned. I set up some Preifert panels to trap them. After I had 3 of the panels set up, the tamest of the two yearlings wandered in. I quickly and quietly picked up a halter and closed the panels. I was able to halter her with surprising ease. The farrier soon moved his truck and proceeded with the trimming. The broodmares were not too difficult. The tame yearling, and the captured yearling trimmed well with a little chemical calming. The final yearling turned was a bit too wild to halter so we left her for another day. In the mean time we have the task of gentling both of the wild ones. Hey Jenny, Do you gentle yearlings? The wildest of the two is a half-sister to Priscilla.

Sketchbook: The Mimic

This is a drawing from a photo I took several years ago, but come back to again and again. I call this "The Mimic" because the younger foal was almost exactly mimicking the expression of the older weanling or yearling as I approached with the camera. This is one of my favorite images, I only wish I had captured it in raw format so I could make much larger prints of it. I guess I may have to settle for a larger painting.

Sketchbook: Things To Come I

Todays drawing is a graphite study for a future painting. I was inspired by one of my previous sketches and went back and did a photo composition combining elements of two different photographs. I then had an 8x10 printed and took with my sketchbook to Borders where I started workI started with a soft contour of the roan foal and then worked on the shading. After getting the drawing of the foal established I came back to draw the cutter and cow. I had a little trouble in the sketchbook due to format so had to reduce the size. This is the part I will work on a little more before moving to the painting. After I finished the cutter and cow I took a rest and read a drawing magazine, and then came back in about 1/2 hour to do more modeling work on the foal.

Sketchbook: More foals of 2006

What do you do while the truck is in the shop for Routine Mainainence?
Go next door to Borders Books Coffee Shop and draw. These are the two drawings I did in the two hours I had to wait. The first is two foals that were joined at the nose and eyebrow. The second is one of those same two foals walking across the pasture.

In the Kitchen: Creole/Cajun Chicken

Tonight's impromptu supper is sort of a Creole or Cajun dish with Chicken Thighs. I first browned the chicken thighs in canola oil. When Chicken was evenly browned I drained most of the oil and then added a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, three cloves of garlic which I grated fine, water, and a tablespoon of gumbo powder. I then added what I had left of locally grown sliced baby okra. I added salt and cayenne pepper to taste. After cooking about 20 minutes, I add diced fresh zucchini. Next I cook till okra seeds turn dark and chicken falls off the bone. When it is finished serve over rice.

Sketchbook: Running Roan

While I was drying my clothes at the laundramat I went to starbucks and took another try at a drawing I attempted last Thursday but did not quite succeed. I returned to the drawing today (Tuesday, Aug 8) and made some necessary contrast corrections.

Behind the Scenes at a Justin Sale Ring Auction

What happens with the camera shutter is tripped? This is sort of a behind the scenes look at a sale ring shoot. I am usually standing under the right strobe next to the steps. I have a battery powered strobe on each side of the auction stand, both set at approximately the same power. In this case the left side strobe is approximately 20% higher than the one on the right. The strobes are connected to my camera via a radio controlled device. When the shutter is tripped a radio signal is sent to both strobes simultaneously.

As the horse is led around the ring I take a photo when he is about square with me. The flowers or auctioneers gestures most often serve as an "ear raiser" but sometimes the horse is so mad about being in the ring that nothing will get the ears up.