July/August Breyer Photo Show Contest – Results

July/August 2018: Saddlebreds

Judging by Danielle Miller

Thank you everyone for such awesome entries and making my first Breyer photo contest a lot of fun to judge! When I judge, I typically like to use the following criteria:

1. How accurate and correct is the entry?
2. Did the entrant do their homework?
3. Are they adhering to the theme?
4. Creativity, and if required, use of documentation.

I was very impressed with the variety of the entries and it was pretty tough to only place 6. Overall, everyone did a great job and really came up with some unique ideas. Congrats to all the winners, and on to the placings!

17 and Under

1^st place:

Katelyn F., OH

Overall a great entry! The composition of the photo, horse front and center, looks like a real horse in a field! The tack fits perfectly and the model is a great representation of the ideal Saddlebred.

2^nd place:

Elizabeth G., KY

Another great representation of the Saddlebred breed. The tack and rider, although a bit out of scale, is the nicest and best-fitting of the entries with riders.

3^rd place:

Shelby J., NM

I love the perspective of this photo, someone has a great eye for photography! The tack and rider are appropriate for the setup, but the tack needs to be better-fitting in terms of the leg wraps. Typically Saddlebreds are not shown with leg wraps in a saddleseat class, but that is a minor detail.

4^th place:

Emma Mary T., VA

Another great photo. The model, again, is a great representation of a Saddlebred, exhibiting all the correct characteristics of the breed. I liked the composition of the photo, but would have liked to see a bit more to fit the theme.

5^th place:

Nalani M., FL

I thought the entrant did a great job with their use of handmade backdrops! The tack needs to be a bit more in scale, but the model is appropriate for the breed.

6^th place:

Emma T., MN

Again, I really like the creative use of perspective in this photo, and the show ring setup is very well done. A few things that would have made this entry place higher is the doll needs its foot in the stirrups, the reins should be in her hands, and the tack needs some tweaking to overall fit better.

Honorable Mention:

Havyn G., AZ

I included this one as an honorable mention because I really liked the photo. The placement of the model with its shadow was a neat picture!

18 and Over

1^st place:

Dayna S., OH

Everything about this entry is spot on. Excellent representation of the breed, very accurate with the tack and doll, and overall composition and quality of the photo is very nicely done!

2^nd place:

Joyce S., OH

Another great entry! Everything is well done and accurate, just like a horse at a real show. I only placed this second as I thought the creative perspective in the first place entry gave it just a bit of an edge.

3^rd place:

Wendy W., OR

A nice setup, with a nice horse, and well-fitting tack. I would have liked to see a bit more of an accurate background, such as a true parade background in a street, but overall very nice.

4^th place:

Didi H., PA

Of all the entries with tack and rider, this was by far the best. But the photo is lacking some crispness (it’s a bit fuzzy) and the show hall in the background is a bit distracting. A properly-placed backdrop would have been very helpful.

5^th place:

Kathy C., NV

Another good entry, and needs only a bit of tweaking to place higher. The bit in the bridle is too low, and the reins need a little more neatness to them. The backdrop and arena setting is nicely done.

6^th place:

Sarah P., OH

I wasn’t exactly sure what was happening in this photo, so I guessed it was a liberty type setup. I really like the composition of the photo and quality of the photo is very nice.

Honorable Mention:

Shannon C., OH

Another great entry that just needs one minor detail to put it in the placings. The bit is just too big and not accurate. A more proper bit on the bridle would have given this entry a placing rather than a honorable mention.