RACING and bloodstock featured prominently in the Press Photographers Association of Ireland’s annual awards, which were presented last weekend.

Morgan Treacy of Inpho placed second in the reportage category with a montage of his thoroughbred assignments during the year. Entitled ‘The Year of the Horse’ the entry illustrated “a year spent in the horse racing industry, which spans stud farms to racetracks, sales rings to veterinary stables.

“A strong theme running through the pictures is the connection with humans and the bond they share. Whether it is placing their hopes for the animal’s safety in a St Christopher Medal or merely getting solace from the hands-on nature of handling horses, it is hard to separate the human from the equine in this multi-million euro industry.”

The judges said: “Shot over one year this stunning series of black and white photos chronicles the horse racing world and the beauty of the animals and the sport.”

Another of Morgan’s shots from Paul Nolan’s yard was included in the awards wrap-up, as was a black and white portrait of Willie Mullins at Cheltenham last year, taken by David Fitzgerald of Sportsfile.

Patrick McCann (Racing Post) and Niall Carson (PA Media) also received honourable mentions in the sports action category for shots from Navan and Punchestown respectively.

Lorraine O’Sullivan, whose work regularly appears in this paper, was another among the winners. Lorraine placed second in the sports feature category with a shot of a muddy-faced cyclist which could just as easily have been a jockey after a three-mile chase on heavy ground.

Web: ppai.ie