Courtney Banks 4/2/25 Courtney Banks 4/2/25

The Don | Heart of a Champion

Heart of a Champion

The 14 year old bay Westphalian gelding (Diarado x Lamoureux I) has been Ashlee’s trusted partner for nearly 8 years. You’ve got to put respect on his name. ***The*** ***Don*** has earned his place on Israel’s Olympic team twice and took home the big $1M win at the CSI5* Coachella Cup Grand Prix in early December (just to name a few). He’s just that dude.

The energy surrounding the world renowned International Ring at WEF will just about take anyone’s breath away the first time they visit. The horses, the packed crowds, and let’s not forget the warm up ring that is always surrounded by dozens of onlookers (including myself). There are so many talented equestrian athletes from around the globe that call this place home, many of which, growing up, I had only seen in magazines/books & on TV. But I have to admit. There is a very special horse and rider combination that I, and so many others, love to come out and watch in the big ring. And that is Ashlee Bond & Donatello 141- aka Donnie or The Don as Ashlee calls him.

Ashlee is a woman who wears many hats (No literally, her hat collection is fire). And avant-garde may be a word to describe her impeccable fashion sense. Aside from the equestrian life, she is also a devout Mother and a kick a** business woman which I personally respect and admire. It’s really something special to watch her and Donnie in the ring together. At the jumps, he is so careful and jumps his heart out for her each and every single time. Hard not to fall in love with a horse so consistent like that. You can really feel their interconnectedness. I could not be anymore grateful to dedicate this week’s blog about The Don and our black background photoshoot session. It was a “fill my cup” type of moment, for real.

SHOOT TIME
I pulled in to a driveway leading to a charming & cozy country farm house setting- pleasantly tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Wellington. “It’s so peaceful out here, and I love the chickens, especially the one that’s perched like a potato over there” I said to Ash. “That one is like 10 years old, but we love having access to fresh eggs, says Ashlee. We both laughed as my mind circled questions about the lifespan of chickens.

With camera in hand, I followed her to the barn where I was greeted by a horse with a delightfully compact frame, massive brown eyes and a cute head indeed. Donnie is absolute perfection along with his teddy bear attitude. A real gentleman. It took no time before I put my things down to indulge in a quick snuggle sesh with him. “I can leave my 8 year old daughter on him for hours bareback- he takes such good care of her “- Ashlee. The 14 year old bay Westphalian gelding (Diarado x Lamoureux I) has been Ashlee’s trusted partner for nearly 8 years. You’ve got to put respect on his name. The Don has earned his place on Israel’s Olympic team twice and took home the big $1M win at the CSI5* Coachella Cup Grand Prix in early December to name a few. He’s just that dude.

Ashlee gave Donnie a nice gloss over as he stood ever so patiently outside his stall with ears perked, making it quite clear that he had this thing all figured out. We went completely halter/bridle-less for pretty much the entire session, with Ashlee nearby to pay him the occasional peppermint tax for pose bait. It was hard for me not so smile from ear to ear. My shutter took off on speeds like I’ve never seen while The Don was gracious with this angles the entire time. I did not want to miss a single second.

Check out our gallery with Donnie!

***The Sugar Tax***

A special thank you to Ashlee & The Bond family for having me out on the farm, it was absolute magic getting to meet The Don in person. He is truly one of a kind. We got together for this session prior to Ashlee & Donnie’s electrifying 3rd place finish in the $750,000 CSI5* Rolex GP on Saturday at WEF week 12, so publishing this blog has been a super special moment! Forever and always cheering you on in the crowd Ashlee! May the Holy Spirit continue to bless you!

Courtney Banks 3/18/25 Courtney Banks 3/18/25

Black Background Portrait Session | Orfeo

I’ve put off documenting my photography journey for far too long. Mainly because I have zero confidence in my ability to write and/or capture moments through words. It’s been a whirlwind of a venture and one filled with so many incredible stories and life lessons thus far. Many blessed opportunities to photograph dream horses and clients alike have somehow wiggled their way towards my lens since starting up Courtney Banks Photography - just under 8 months ago. Among those opportunities involve Shelley Paulson’s Wings Mentorship Program- which I have the family over at Eye Candy Jumpers in Wellington, FL to thank for. Wings, a 9-week online mentorship program, is truly worth its weight in gold for the novice up to the well seasoned photographer looking to brush up their skills, especially in such a competitive market in equine media. The best part? The program is curated by the insanely talented Minnesotan photographer herself, Shelley, who has dedicated her life to creating masterful images and educating others with similar interests in equine photography. She simply is amazing and has a heart of gold.
Now let’s talk about Oreo
He really resembles my former horse “Guppy” - Eva Kohn
I met Miss Eva through word of mouth a few weeks back after receiving a heart felt message about an owner in Wellington looking to get portraits done of her young jumpers. I will be honest, I had never even used the lasso tool in Adobe Photoshop prior to this session but timing was perfect in terms of the scheduled “Black Background Portrait Homework” assignment that was due that same week for Wings! (I procrastinate with everything). I gleefully agreed to schedule our session and learn this popular trend from behind the lens once and for all. Upon arrival, Eva met me at the center of a gorgeous barn aisle way, hair pulled back in a long & bouncy pony tail with a smile so bright it put the Sun to shame (sorry but it’s true). She swiftly led me over to a magnificent electric bay horse on cross ties with a VERY long body and crescent white stripe running down his slightly roman shaped nose. His name is Orfeo but everyone at the barn calls him Oreo. As per Eva, “he’s got the body of a llama and Ben says he is shaped like a banana. Haha. This boy was very eager to greet, but at the same time desperate for treats. “Orfeo” - a 6 year old 17hh Dutch bred gelding by Heineken VDL, has been showing in the 6 year old classes in Wellington with Ben Meredith.
THE SET UP - Open style window frames are something quite popular here in Florida, as they allow for more natural light with enhanced style while promoting optimal airflow throughout the barn. As for their role in black background portraits? A huge challenge for this girl and her camera/editing skills. Eva and I put our best foot forward and did our absolute best to minimize visual distractions and capture all of Oreo’s beautifully etched curves as my shutter took off.
FYI for other upcoming photographers, make sure to always have an extra pair of hands accompany you to shoots like this. Every horse is different, and guiding and posing the horse (ear baiting/squaring the feet) can oftentimes be a challenge, especially for a solo handler. I was blessed that Oreo was a natural with his ears and facial expression and Eva knew exactly how to handle him on the ground like a champ.

I will post some of my favorite before and after shots taken with my beloved Sony A7IV - 70-200 mm zoomie zoom.