Megan & Blackjack (and Company!)

Megan & Blackjack | Horse & Rider Photoshoot

Private Stables in Loxahatchee, Fl

Megan and Blackjack are the next horse and rider pair that I’m excited to feature in Project 27, and it was such an exciting opportunity for me as their photographer. That’s because Megan and Blackjack are located in Loxahatchee, Florida–and anyone who knows me knows that I love a good adventure in Florida!

Blackjack and Megan have been together for over twenty years, and bonds like these are so special to get to witness. I was instantly intrigued by their story because it’s different than many; instead of an instant bond, Blackjack and Megan had to learn to trust each other over a course of many hours and many rough rides. But there is something that has tied these two together since the very beginning, manifesting a loyalty to each other that has only strengthened over time. In fact, it wasn’t long before Megan realized that BlackJack had become her best friend.

But it didn’t start with Blackjack–it actually started with a pony at the fair named Pineapple. Megan was hooked after her first ride, and she begged her dad for her own pony. It took a few years, but eventually, he bought her a feral, two-year-old welsh pony when she was eight. “I spent many hours in the saddle,” she recalls, “and even more on the ground watching him run away after he bucked me off.” 

Megan has owned a number of horses in her life, but Blackjack was special from the beginning. “At first, he was my childhood best friend, my confidant, and my comforter,” she says. “As I’ve gotten older I realize I wouldn’t be anywhere near the person I am today without him in my life.” Megan tells me about how much Blackjack taught her about patience, toughness, and even vulnerability. “He’s been my rock when all I wanted to do was give up.”

During our session together, I had the opportunity to photograph Megan’s two other horses, Jose, her main show horse, and Mistique, an upcoming show horse that Megan has owned since she was just a foal. I also met Avery, Megan’s incredibly sweet dog. It is evident that Megan has made for herself a family amongst her charming posse of four-legged creatures, but Blackjack continues to be the one she finds herself going back for, even as he gets older.

“I am so lucky to still have him around,” she says, “and be able to give him the life and comfort in his old age that he gave me when I was a child.”