A Day in Our Lives

Article and Photos by Diana DeRosa

Markopoulos Equestrian Centre

About an hour later we arrive at the Markopoulos Equestrian Centre where we unload near the security entrance and do what we do everywhere here – go through the security setup. It’s very similar to airport screening and if the buzzer sounds you get checked with the wand. I had a total hip replacement about seven years ago and I have a titanium rod inside my hip area which the machines pick up. So, no matter what I do, the machines go off. So, after taking everything off – waste pocketbook, photographer vest (all the photographer’s received these special vests which allow them to go in the designated photography areas), and putting everything through the machines and getting wand checked, we can then go on to the Media Work Area.

Both the Equestrian Venue and our setup are nice. And as Cealy, who along with Astrid and I, is providing photos and/or stories to horsesdaily.com, says, “We’ve even got a marble staircase”…and we do. We also have an elevator to get to the second floor workrooms for those of us dragging bags and we do appreciate that.

The Press Area has the Photographers separated from the writing journalist. For those of us who do both, we can choose our pit stop. I often sit with the other photographers because they better understand when you are dragging out your lenses to organize your gear for shooting ringside. The rooms have working tables, phone lines and internet access lines and an information area for us to pick up the results, updates standings and the latest news. The writers area also has a refreshment area where we can purchase some basic food, beverages and ice cream.

Covering the Day's Events

Once we’ve gotten ourselves organized we head out to whichever ring the riders are competing in. The show jumpers are in the grass ring and the dressage riders in the dirt ring. We have to walk a fair distance and there are no trams. So, gear in tow we head off to our designated ring and the area for photographers. We’ve pretty much got free rein around the arena but it gets pretty hot when you are out there for as many hours as we are. So, us smart ones make sure to carry some snacks with us. In the exterior area are benches and buckets with water in them. That was a good move on their part because you have to be careful to be hydrated around here and in general onsite you have to pay for the water. So, having it readily available by the ring is a bonus. We work about four hours straight and either have a break and go again later that day or begin the second part of our day – writing and filing our stories and photos.

I generally look for some different type of angle to write about because the story of the day comes in press releases from different sources. I truly enjoy doing the “color” as we say in the TV world. After years doing mostly the nuts and bolts stories, it’s fun to let others do that while I focus on the close up and personal angle.