The first time I laid eyes on Allie and her half Arabian, half Saddlebred mare, Hot Mama Drama (aka Mary), I couldn’t take my eyes off them. They were, and still are, the star of the show everywhere they go! It’s so hard to explain, but they just have a glow that draws people to them. It’s a rather convenient characteristic for a horse and rider pair who find themselves at a horse show more weekends than not. 

I was beyond excited when I was asked to take photos of Allie and Mary. It was this past fall and even though it wasn’t exactly hot anymore, it was especially cold that morning. It was kind of convenient though because we moved around a lot to get all our shots and that helped keep everyone warm. But it did mean Mary was a tick fresh. There was some wind that kept kicking up the fall leaves and I think she just really wanted to let loose out in the pasture. I kept moving her around and getting what I needed quickly to make sure everyone had a good experience at the shoot.

That’s something I enjoy about taking photos with animals, no two shoots will ever be the same. Not even when you’re with the same horse and rider. There are a million moving parts in this business and that keeps it interesting. Like Mary, I’m pretty high-energy, so the constant movin’ and groovin’ is good for my soul. Anyhow, back to Mary and Allie!

On Christmas morning 2019, Allie “unwrapped” Mary. They’ve been a literal and figurative dynamic duo ever since then. Nine-year-old Mary loves apples, adores Allie and originally hails from Missouri. She’s been an incredible addition to the family and has helped cultivate an insatiable passion for riding in Allie. They’re avid competitors in the Association of Northwest Arkansas Riding Clubs in the saddlebred classes. Even though it’s hard to get Allie’s attention away from her horses, she does enjoy watching sports with her dad and caring for her two dogs and way too many cats.