horses

Grand National Steeplechase, Europe’s most famous jump race, held in UK

Grand National Steeplechase, Europe’s most famous jump race, held in UK

20 photos

The 166th running of the Grand National Steeplechase was held on Saturday in Liverpool, England. The world’s most famous jumping race, the Grand National features 40 horses and riders jumping 30 fences over a distance of almost four and a half miles. For spectators, the race is an excuse for some outlandish race day fashions and a chance to earn some major quid. Essentially, think of the Grand National as Britain’s Preakness or Kentucky Derby – with whatever that entails.

More →

Lisbon Ole Fashion Christmas Horse Parade

Lisbon Ole Fashion Christmas Horse Parade

16 photos

The Lisbon Ole Fashion Christmas Horse Parade was held for the second year on Saturday. But with the number of people who showed up to see the holiday-dressed horses parade through town, you’d think it had been going on for decades.

The parade moved west across Frederick Road in Lisbon, in Howard County, and featured horses and people of all sizes, wearing any number of holiday and Christmas costumes. Watch the video below the gallery to see some action from the parade.

More →

Images come to life in Howard County Fair vignettes

Images come to life in Howard County Fair vignettes

6 photos, 1 video

Patuxent photographer Sarah Pastrana spent some time at the Howard County Fair last week, looking for its more interesting characters. With the help of photographer Jen Rynda on the editing side, they produced six video vignettes in which the photos literally come to life. Click here to see them all.

More →

The Howard County Fair has something for everyone

The Howard County Fair has something for everyone

13 photos

The 67th annual Howard County Fair began on Saturday, Aug. 4, at the county fairgrounds in West Friendship, and Patuxent Publishing photographer Brian Krista has been there every day. He’s captured the animals, the people and the competitions held at the fair each year. Check out more of the Howard County Times’ coverage of the fair here.

More →

Rapa das Bestas (Shearing of the Beasts) festival in Sabucedo, Spain

Rapa das Bestas (Shearing of the Beasts) festival in Sabucedo, Spain

40 photos

While the running of the bulls in Pamplona is arguably one of Spain’s biggest attractions, on the Northwestern coast of the country, Galicians celebrate the lesser known tradition Rapa das Bestas, or shearing of the beasts. The tradition, which involves wrestling wild horses to the ground and trimming their manes and tails, is a 400 year old tradition in the region. Horses are corralled into a village where they face aloitadores or fighters in this man vs. animal challenge – minus weapons, just bare hands and hooves. While locals say its tradition and helps identify horses that are ill, animal rights groups say the tradition is barbaric and should be stopped.
More →

July 9 Photo Brief: Hillary Clinton visits Mongolia and a $19,994 microbubble underwater treadmill for pets

July 9 Photo Brief: Hillary Clinton visits Mongolia and a $19,994 microbubble underwater treadmill for pets

16 photos

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton kicks off an Asian tour aimed at promoting democracy in Mongolia, a microbubble underwater treadmill for pets priced at $19,994 debuts at the Taipei Pet Show and more in today’s daily brief.
More →

Julio Mendoza’s dancing horses and la Garrocha

Julio Mendoza’s dancing horses and la Garrocha

11 photos, 1 video

Julio Mendoza has been riding horses since he was 3 years old, but his roots go back much further than that — he is the fourth generation in his family to train them.

Mendoza’s horses do something a little different than what you see at the Preakness Stakes. On his horse farm in Union Bridge, he teaches them dressage, or what is sometimes called “horse ballet.” In dressage, the rider and horse communicate to perform different moves and steps.

Mendoza also performs la Garrocha, which is a type of dressage that incorporates a 12-foot wooden garrocha pole. I visited he and his wife’s farm last week and took some photos and video.

More →

I’ll Have Another from Kentucky Derby to Preakness Stakes

I’ll Have Another from Kentucky Derby to Preakness Stakes

87 photos

The 2012 Preakness was billed as a rematch between Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another and runner-up Bodemeister. It was exactly that. In the end, I’ll Have Another went on to win the 137th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course. His next stop is the Belmont Stakes in New York for a chance to win the Triple Crown in June. The last Triple Crown winner was Affirmed in 1978.

Take a look at I’ll Have Another from his Kentucky Derby win to training at Pimlico Race Course and his Preakness Stakes win.

More →