A portrait of a much-loved family eventer has won a photographer the title of equestrian photographer of the year.
It is the second time since 2018 that Helen Speigl has secured the award, which is presented by The Xperience Group, a body of professional portrait photographers in the UK and Ireland.
This year’s ceremony was held virtually and Helen’s award was presented along with others from 13 categories, which include subjects such as dogs, children and dance.
Her winning picture featured Archie, a 20-year-old eventer who has qualified twice for the grassroots eventing championships at Badminton. He has been owned for most of his life by Vicki Arden and the shoot was commissioned by her mother Diane.
Helen said: “It is a real privilege to win this award, particularly with this photograph of Archie, it’s one of my absolute favourites, plus I know how precious Archie is to Vicki and her family.
“I love to capture the character and beauty of any animal during my shoots and I think this picture of Archie does exactly that.”
Vicki said: “We were quite nervous about [the shoot] going smoothly but Helen was great. To anyone considering a photo shoot I would say absolutely go for it – it’s a great experience, great fun and amazing pictures. 100% worth it!”
Helen has had her work recognised by other award bodies this year, being named MPA’s (Master Photographers Association) North West Pet Photographer 2020 and Overall Photographer Of The Year 2020.
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