RESULTS-Desert Sands Mini Arabian Show

So here are the winners of the mini show! Congrats and thank you to those who entered and I hope to see you again soon for the Second Annual Desert Sands Arabian Horse Show coming this fall!

 

Judging here is based on effort and originality of the piece. I have given my own opinion (fair I hope) on each piece and why I placed it in its spot.

 

 

HALTER

 

1st Place: SCeA Turnpike Toss Up

--> I chose this piece to be #1 because of the originality of it, plus the artist added the person, which was not required. There is depth to the image and a background, and I love the imagery the picture brings. I love how the artist captured the Arabian's floating trot and curious and adventurous nature, seen in the upturned tail and the upright head and pricked ears. The coloring is soft and brings the image to life for me. 

 

2nd Place: River Nile

--> I chose this piece to be #2 because the artist really captured the Arabian presence and spirit in this image. Choosing between first and second place was really hard for me because both were creative and well done, but I placed this one in the second place slot because the image goes no deeper than the horse itself. I do, however, love the contrast between the flat background and the gray horse; it really makes the horse pop and stand out and you are able to notice its detail.

 

3rd Place: Lonely Boomerang

--> I really love the shading and bright colors of this image, and the artist went the extra mile to put in a short story. I love the bright large eye and expressive face on the horse, though the anatomy is a little gangly on the front end. The colors come together and make the horse stand out bright and colorful.

 

 

NATIVE HALTER

 

1st Place: CwS Aazari

--> Since this was the only native halter entry, it gets first place. I absolutely LOVE this piece. I actually thought it was a picture at first! The artist really captured the essence of the Egyptian Arabian in this image; large eye, dished forehead, tapered muzzle. I love the native halter and breast collar; it really brings the Middle East into this image. The bright green in the background brings the gray horse to life and the eye is drawn to the brightness of the Arabian. Beautiful piece and very well done!!

 

LIBERTY

 

First place: FH Ajyad**

--> This piece took first place because I was struck by the essence of the Arabian spirit the artist captured. The bright, large eye stands out to me, as does the irregular blaze. The flowing forelock indicates movement to me, as does the arched neck and forward chest. The horse shows contained fieriness; the head is ducked, the whole body poised for explosive action, and yet the eye shows self-control. Very good piece overall and I am pleased to give it first place.

 

2nd place: Don't Bring the Wife

--> Choosing between first and second place was, again, difficult for me. I love both pieces and if I could, I would put both in first place, but alas, only one gets to be the show champion. I love the movement of the horse in this image; the upright tail, arched neck, and powerful fluid movement are characteristics of the Arabian horse, which is captured here very well. The only thing I would have done differently is perhaps make the background lighter to bring out the horse more. The horse is a bay, and the background a brown, so the eye is not immediately drawn to the horse but to different light areas of the image, such as the dust. But other than that, I love the concept and the movement and the Arabian spirit that is captured in this image!



And that's it for the mini show! Thank you again for those who entered and I hope to see you again!