This year’s Royal Windsor Horse Show kicks off on Wednesday (13-17 May 2015), and with so much on offer for spectators and competitors alike — from showjumping and showing to military displays and the much-loved Shetland Grand National — the five days can pass in a blur.
But a new book by British photographers Jonathan Anderson and Edwin Low captures some of the moments that you’re likely to miss in the frenzy of over 3,000 horses competing in one place.
With more than 100 photos, “The Queen’s Backyard” takes you behind the scenes at this great British institution, from the moment The Queen visits The Household Cavalry at the stables to the Pony Club mounted games team getting ready for action, and the pint-sized jockeys gearing up for the Shetland Grand National.
The two photographers have aimed to give a glimpse of the often informal and intimate relationships between participants, the military, spectators, organisers — and of course The Queen herself. And the result is a book that would sit happily on your coffee table to remind you of this week of pageantry in the depths of winter — when the drama of the Great Windsor Park may seem like a long way off.
“Jonathan and Edwin have created a unique portrait of this long standing event,” says Simon Brooks-Ward, the show’s director. “They have concentrated on the pride and the passion of human endeavour and the very special bond between horse and man.
“It is a superb kaleidoscope of portraits and gets to the DNA of the show in ways that other projects have not.”
Price: £30
Publisher: Dewi Lewis Publishing
Get yourself a copy at: www.dewilewis.com
Don’t miss our exclusive interview with the director of the Royal Windsor Horse Show, Simon Brooks-Ward, in the this week’s issue of Horse & Hound magazine (7 May 2015). Our full report from Royal Windsor 2015 will be in the 21 May issue
Pictures copyright of Anderson & Low from The Queen’s Backyard/ Dewi Lewis Publishing
