Senior Portraits have to be my favorite sessions to photograph each year. There is nothing more important than capturing portraits of a girl with her horse just before she embarks on her journey of adulthood and heads off to school. I had the pleasure of photographing Ollie at Pin Oak and doing his white background portraits, and soon after I was able to head to Bulverde for Kate’s Senior Portraits. I absolutely fell in love with Ollie, he is the biggest sweetheart of a horse and Kate is so incredibly lucky to have found him.
Kate’s love for horseback riding began eight years ago when she was introduced to the sport by a friend. Since then, she’s been hooked and has been riding ever since. Kate decided to take the plunge and become a horse owner, and now she’s been the astonished owner of Ollie for almost two years. One of the things Kate enjoys most about riding horses is the ability to create her own schedule for rides, as well as the personal aspect of having a loving partner. For Kate, there’s nothing quite like the bond she shares with Ollie, and she cherishes every moment spent with him.
Kate stumbled upon Ollie through a Facebook ad in Kentucky. Although Kate initially thought he was “extremely grey” and a “literal potato on sticks,” Ollie’s charming personality quickly won her over. Despite a less-than-perfect trial ride, Kate fell in love with his relaxed demeanor and puppy-dog personality. She’s been proud to call Ollie her own since June 2021, and they’ve been inseparable since.
Kate and Ollie share a special bond, but one of her favorite memories with him is from just a few weeks before Pin Oak. They were out for a hack, and after a 40-degree temperature drop, Ollie was feeling frisky. Despite his best efforts to get her off, Kate was able to work through Ollie’s excitement and continue their ride. However, just when she thought they had it all under control, Ollie surprised her with an impressive buck, and Kate came off. Despite the fall, Kate found the situation funny, and Ollie immediately walked toward her apologetically. This happened just before their last show, where they successfully moved up to the 3’0″ division. Kate realized that the fall, which normally would have shaken her confidence, actually foreshadowed an amazing show weekend. This memory is a testament to Kate and Ollie’s strong partnership and their ability to handle anything that comes their way with humor and grace.
