Abi & Benjamin

In the lead-up to my trade stand at Burghley Horse Trials this year, I had the privilege of photographing Abi and her incredible horse, Benjamin — a partnership woven with history, bravery, and the kind of connection only years of competing together can create.

Abi first met Benjamin when he was eight years old. Coming off a 14hh pony, she describes him as quite a step up — not only in size, but in the level of riding and ambition that came with him.

She was moving from showing into eventing and needed a horse who was safe, clever, and confident across the country. Fate stepped in at Stafford Horse Trials, where she spotted a small advertisement for a Masters/Tetrathlon horse pinned up in the secretary’s tent. That horse, quietly waiting for the right person to notice him, was Benjamin.

Abi was just 20 years old when she and Benjamin entered Burghley for the first time. Together they grew into a formidable partnership — long-listed for the Junior and Young Rider Eventing teams, competing at Burghley in 2015, 2016 and 2018, and even competing at Pau in 2016, too.

These achievements are remarkable on paper, but what struck me most in speaking with Abi was the genuine affection and respect between them. Their successes were built on trust, miles, and memories — the kind you can’t always understand from the outside looking in.

Eventually, after a few issues, Benjamin retired from competition. “He owes me nothing,” Abi told me. Now he spends his days peaceful and content at their family home in Staffordshire, living the good life he has more than earned.

Our session wasn’t just about Benjamin, though he was unquestionably the star. We also photographed a couple of horses from Abi’s current string — her striking dun mare, Flo, and her handsome bay gelding, Spider. Each brought their own energy and personality to the session.

Then, to finish off, we included Abi’s partner and their dog Bella, rounding the portrait experience out into a true family story.

As an equine photographer, one thing I’ve learned time and time again is this:

Horses show us their real selves at home.

And that’s where you show yours too.

Competition horses are often photographed in the intensity of the ring — plaited, polished, focused, and in work mode. Those images are beautiful, of course, but they don’t always capture the deeper connection riders have with their horses.

Home is different.

It’s where they relax into your touch.

It’s where their ears soften when you speak.

It’s where their personality comes out — the quirks, the gentleness, the familiarity.

It’s where the pressure melts away and the true partnership can be seen.

Abi’s portraits with Benjamin are so much more than images of an accomplished event horse. They are a tribute to the horse who carried her into adulthood, into international competition, and into some of the most defining moments of her equestrian life.

These are the portraits that become legacy pieces — reminders of a lifetime of trust, courage, and companionship.

Photographing Abi, Benjamin, and the rest of her horses was a privilege. Their story is one worth telling, and even more worth preserving.

If you have a once-in-a-lifetime competition horse, a heart horse, or a partner who has shaped your equestrian journey, I can’t recommend enough capturing those memories at home — where your story truly lives.