Around the World in a Dozen Jumpshots: ProEquest's Favorite Photos of 2013

They arrive early to stake out that perfect spot. They eyeball three or four jumps, checking the background for composition and testing the light with a few quick clicks of the shutter. They're ready when the first horse enters the ring.

Here’s to the photographers who work hard all year long to perfect the difficult art of capturing a show jumper in motion. We look back on a few of our favorite jumpshots captured around the world in 2013. Enjoy:

Ashlee Bond Lights Up the Night
The partnership between Ashlee Bond and Wistful got the pair all the way to this year's World Cup Finals; early in the season at HITS Thermal, they won the $54,500 HITS World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix CSI2* under newly-installed lights in the venue's grand prix arena. Notoriously difficult to shoot under, photographer Selena Frederick of Cheval Photos was able to catch Bond and her horse just as the light caught both their faces against the blackness of the desert sky.

Darragh Kenny Catches Air on Mt Wellington
In a very different wintertime setting, the Winter Equestrian Festival's secondary venue "The Stadium" hosted more events in 2013 than ever. The always popular $50,000 Hermes Jumper Derby was swept by Irish riders in 2013, among them 25-year-old Darragh Kenny, who finished 2nd. From the bottom of the slide bank informally known as "Mt. Wellington", I aimed my camera up, up, up and caught Darragh's horse Any Given Sunday just as he gave that vertical a lot of extra room. 

Malou and Meredith Are Pretty as a Picture
The world-famous Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum was a star attraction during the 2013 HITS Thermal Desert Circuit, where she competed her own horses while coaching several high profile students. Her 2nd string mare Malou showed signs of a budding career when she won the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix in March. On the way to that win, Flying Horse Photography captured them at their best with the afternoon sun and a dramatic mountain backdrop outlining perfect form.  

Lucas is Larger Than Life
How do you put a horse on top of the world? Take that low angle and shoot from below. Peter Breakwell's veteran grand prix mount Lucas has long been known for his consistent wins on the West Coast circuit, despite his dimunitive size at barely 15.3 hands tall. When he won the $40,000 Blenheim Spring Classic Grand Prix at the end of March, photographer Amy McCool captured him flying high above the fence and for a moment, made him larger than life. 

Ben Maher Makes the Time
Like me, as you followed the Global Champions Tour this year, your envy likely grew with every new, glamorous stop on the schedule. It's still on my bucket list to make it to one of the GCT shows one day, but in the meantime the world-class photography from the likes of Stefano Grasso made the action feel that much closer. Fancy lens work showed the width of this oxer as Ben Maher and Cella sailed over it in a thrilling finish to the €450,000 Global Champions Tour London Grand Prix in June.

GCT Glory in Monaco
And in case you're wondering which GCT show I'd visit first (if given the chance), it'd be Monaco, hands down. And not just because it's lucky ground for Richard Spooner, who won the GCT Grand Prix there this year for the third time. Stefano Grasso's shot that captures Cristallo, the audience and the night sky illustrated the electrifying atmosphere of the show well.

Kessler and Cylana
Put them against a conveniently-placed wall, and Reed Kessler and Cylana looked like they were flying through space in this photo from the $200,000 CN Performance Grand Prix CSI-W at Spruce Meadows in June. They finished 2nd to Kent Farrington, but this shot by Spruce Meadows Media Services showing a form-perfect and seemingly relaxed mid-air moment won the day.

The Knees.
One more GCT shot (and no, the Longines clocks are not a coincidence, they were title sponsor of the GCT this year), this time from Chantilly, France, where Beezie Madden and Cortes 'C' won the Global Champions Tour CSI5* Grand Prix of Chantilly in July. How can you not do a double take and just love Cortes 'C' even more for those front legs. His trademark legs cross is just plain awesome.

Give Your Horse a Hug
Cian O'Connor was reunited with his Olympic partner Blue Lloyd for this year's Dublin Horse Show in Ireland, and they made good use of the opportunity by winning the Longines International Grand Prix of Ireland in August. The two-round course was massive and the oxers especially so, and O'Conner made sure that Blue Lloyd had full use of his neck and shoulders with a big release over this fence.

Wilton Porter and the Painted Sky
Young Wilton Porter recorded a big time grand prix win in Kentucky this August, when he won the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic with Paloubet. Phelps Media Group captured this shot of all the elements coming together - horse, rider, and a beautiful sunset sky, to capture a moment worth remembering.

Kevin Babington and Mark Q Race the Clock
Kent Farrington may have won the $250,000 FTI Consulting World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix at the Hampton Classic over Labor Day Weekend in New York, but his competitors tried their darnedest to beat him to it. In this shot, 4th place finisher Kevin Babington seemed to will his horse toward the finish timers as he raced over the last fence in the jumpoff.

The Smile That Said it All
The $54,500 Rancho Valencia World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix in Del Mar, CA was starting to get downright discouraging. 36 of 38 entries had failed to go clear when Vinton Karrasch and Coral Reef Baloufino entered the ring to have a go. And when photographer Selena Frederick captured the pair clearing this final fence, you could see that the elated grin of victory was already spreading across Vinton's face.