Rachel Elder, Washdown (ANIMALS 2021)

Race day New Zealand. After the race out of the eyes of the public enjoying the day are routines and rituals carried out by those caring for their horses, including washdown. This photo was captured spontaneously, when walking to see what life is for a thoroughbred away from the glamour of the track, out of the eyes of the public. A crew of people pampering and preparing their horses for a moment of success, followed by grooming them in preparation for the ride home, winners or losers. This beautiful horse stood for just a moment, groom out of sight, to receive it's washdown. Canon 7d mkii Canon L series f4 70-200mm: 157mm f5.6 1/320sec ISO3200

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.