e r h t O The e h t f Side o a r e m Ca idt, Healy all Schm By Marti lly Marsh e h S ons ti y c b Photos idt Produ Oh Schm
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One profoundly patient pony, a silk designer scarf, three determined women, and a leaf blower Behind the scenes at a photo shoot for New Bridge Polo Magazine is rarely straightforward. And, typically, it’s a far cry from what the reader sees on the finished page. From highly inventive to unbelievably funny, what the public doesn’t see is often hard to even imagine. Sometimes, it borders on magic. I was privileged to be allowed to attend a couple of these photo shoots (the benefit of having friends in all the wrong places). So I witnessed some of this alternate reality first hand. The pony, the scarf, and the leaf blower, for instance, were employed to create a part-highfashion, part-fantasy, image of an equine flying through the air – the scarf as an integral and organic part of the pony’s tail streaming out behind him, his mane tossed and tousled in the winds. The pony was “Puck,” by name, a carriage competitor by lifestyle, owned and shown by Ann Hartnett, and the most sweet-tempered, cooperative pony ever – as well as being one of the most beautiful. Puck allowed numerous scarves to be tied and interwoven into his tail over and over again until the perfect one was found. Various fans were then tried to create the breeze effect – often more than one fan at a time, all at different angles. Finally, the stylist, the photographer, and the handler all concluded that none were quite satisfactory. Nothing was working quite right. And so, a leaf blower was brought it. A jarringly loud, awkwardly bulky, industrial strength, leaf blower, together with miles and miles of extension cords. Shown to the ever-patient Puck, he barely acknowledged its presence. Even when it was turned on to its maximum speed, he never turned a hair or his head. I watched in awe as the best angle for the “wind” was determined to be when the blower was aimed directly under N e w B r i d g e Po l o | 2 0 1 5 | 9 7
