Equestrian Photographer Andrew Ryback Captures the Magic of Showjumping
by David Graver | All photographs courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography
January 2026
Originally published in Douglas Elliman Equestrian Winter 2026.
There is a magnetism to showjumping born from the bond between horse and rider—the precision, the thrill, subtlety, and discipline. Beneath the beauty and elegance, the high stakes stir the spirit of competition. All of this is evident when attending a competition, and all of it can be deftly conveyed in showjumping photography. To perfect such imagery, equestrian photographers must capture both the artistry and athleticism of the horse–rider partnership. And very few can.
For Ocala, Florida–based photographer Andrew Ryback, his wife Stacy sparked the passion—and his path into the equestrian world. “My first ever horse show experience was while we were dating and she asked me to come watch her horse show,” Ryback tells Elliman Equestrian. “Of course, I brought my camera and from that point on, I was hooked! It’s been well over 20 years since that day, and I can’t imagine our lives without horses and equine photography.”
Even before Stacy, the photographer knew there was something artfully intriguing about horses. “There’s an awe factor with these animals that not many others can convey. I think it’s because we are able to get so close to them and bond with them as opposed to other large animals that may not be as tame,” he says.
As a child, Ryback had a ‘how to draw horses’ book, which became one of his favorite things to do. “It was quite obvious from an early age that my skills were not with the pen and pencil, but with the camera, so I switched my artistic focus to photography,” he adds. “However, remembering some of the lines from that book helped me to create those visually compelling images.”
His approach to capturing an equestrian image centers around a three-part mantra, which he uses to educate his team: timing, focus, and framing. “Each image needs to have all three of those elements in order to be perfect. If one of those elements is off, then the image is ruined. There are opportunities to be creative with each one of those elements, but the execution must be solid,” he explains.
Ryback is often on the road to competitions with show days as the focal point of months of preparation. “Our typical show day starts the night before with scheduling photographers and support staff—though, in the grand scheme of things, this starts months prior with travel schedules and photographer availability,” he says. “We like to rotate the ring assignments throughout the show so that the photographers experience different rings each day. This allows them to not become complacent, and it gives our customers a variety of different image styles as well.”
An hour before the first horse enters the ring, Ryback and his team scout the courses and rings to determine the ideal location to position. “On big class days—Grand Prix, Hunter Derby, etc.—we’ll walk the courses together, much like the competitors themselves, looking for the shots we want to capture,” he says. “It’s one of my favorite things to do because when I’m in the ring with my team, I see things one way and they may see them another way; however, we all encourage and influence each other to find the best spots and jump angles.”
“We’ve been with the World Equestrian Center, Ocala since day one,” Ryback says—noting his observations about the strength and prestige of the equestrian facility. “I’m so proud of my team for the talent and creativity they have brought to WEC Ocala and being able to set the stage for the images of this facility has been quite an honor. While I do have favorite things about all the shows I’ve been to, the one that I can now call my home—WEC Ocala—is really special to me.”
When Ryback is at other locations, he’s always looking for shots that convey the beauty of the facility and portray the competitor in the best way possible. “Too often, I see other photographers in the industry providing tightly framed photos that show no scale or detail with regard to the show itself,” he says. “It ends up just being another competition photo that could be from anywhere. For me and my team, it’s important that the whole story is told and the show/facility is a part of that. ‘The hotel shot’, for instance, is a signature shot that we developed here at WEC Ocala. Sure, we could crop it tightly and get a nice jumping photo out of it, but what our customers really love is that they get the whole story with our images. They can always crop in if they like, but they can never ‘crop out.’”
In addition to equestrian photography, Ryback has amassed a body of fine-art imagery. This, too, is driven by the desire for personal creative fulfillment. “I always have my camera with me and I’m always looking at the world for an image that I would love to hang on my wall,” he says. “I love to travel, and my wife and I typically book our vacations to places that I’d love to photograph. If we’re driving somewhere, perhaps to another horse show, it’s not uncommon for me to pull over or make slight detours to capture images along the way.”
In many ways, his pursuit of images elsewhere has honed his ability to capture the majesty of horses. This is furthered by another one of Ryback’s passions: aviation. He’s taken to the air for five years now, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, both of whom were private pilots. In fact, Ryback recently bought back his grandfather’s plane. “It needed a bit of work and updating, but it’s just about ready to take to the skies again,” he says. “This time, with its third generation of Ryback at the controls. Flying has really given me more freedom to seek out photography opportunities and see the world from a whole new perspective.”
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