Don Laurence Jewellery

Our first job of the month was for Don Laurence Jewellery, and what a banger it was! We had the pleasure of creating a brand video that involved driving a 1960s Ford Mustang around the Cotswolds. With top models Tom Piontek and Mazie Hazelhurst showcasing the beautiful jewellery, the shoot was a success – and the video and photos really do look incredible.

WellChild Awards

The WellChild Awards is something we’ve filmed for the last four years. It’s a heart-warming event, attended by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. His presence, of course, adds pressure – especially from a logistical perspective. We film the evening and then create an edit on-site to be played after dinner. Fear not: Billie was on hand to deliver a superb video within the tight turnaround. A big well done to her – it’s never easy! Pete and Danny were busy filming all of the content, Danny had his usual spot on the red carpet and captured all of the celebrity guests. WellChild are a remarkable charity and do a fantastic job of organising the awards every year (20 years running). The main celebration, of course, is for the children – some truly inspiring individuals who deserve all the recognition.

K&M Racing

Back to racing work, we headed over to Martin’s Hill, home of K&M Racing, to help with the first video newsletter of the ‘proper’ winter season. Graeme McPherson and David Killahena are flying with their training operation and have enjoyed great success. The winter horses are back in now and looking healthy – none more so than our very own super mare, Leave Her To Me, who will hopefully be back out in October. Exciting times.

Nicky Henderson x Old Gold Racing

The week commencing the 15th was all about one place: Seven Barrows. We paid two visits to the iconic Lambourn yard of Nicky Henderson for our client, Old Gold Racing. Going to Seven Barrows is always special, and it was fascinating to see the superstars of jump racing – notably Constitution Hill, Sir Gino, Lulamba, and Jonbon, to name a few. Nicky is always very accommodating (perhaps he senses my excitement at being there!). It was also great to catch up with Francesca Cumani; we’ve worked alongside her on many Old Gold projects over the years. Once we wrapped up at Nicky’s, we headed to Charlie Hills’ yard to film some Christmas content. Don’t get me started on Christmas…

HEROS

We also filmed the annual HEROS charity golf day at Remedy Oak in Dorset. Hosted by Harry Redknapp, it attracts many famous sporting faces, especially from football. Pete was assigned the task of filming interviews all day with Matt Chapman – although I think they spent more time winding people up! Matt accused me of spending too much time near the clubhouse, but in reality I was on a mission to convince Tony Pulis to apply for the Cheltenham Town FC job. He politely declined. We shot some fantastic footage and photographs, and the event was memorable – more so than some of the golf on display!

BASC

Next up was a trip to BASC’s base near Wrexham to film content for their deer management courses, as well as plenty of useful b-roll. We love working with BASC – the partnership takes us to amazing places, and because we work so closely together, we know each other well. Taking up shooting is on my list of hobbies, although I should probably focus on my already large list of activities I never have time to enjoy!

Then came a long trip to the North Pennines to visit Terry – a trainer of pointers (dogs, not horses). We first met him during our trip to Glenogle with BASC, and we’ve been creating a short documentary about shooting wild grouse. This time we wanted to record Terry reading a poem about red grouse. A five-hour drive for 30 seconds of audio may sound mad, but it will all be worth it. Sometimes you have to go the extra mile to create something special. Terry and his wife welcomed us with cake and coffee, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. They have been breeding pointers for many years, and we found it fascinating.

National Horseracing College

Two hours south of Terry, our next stop was Doncaster, where we filmed at the NHC (National Horseracing College). Unfortunately, what should have been an enjoyable and relaxed shoot turned into a nightmare. We came downstairs from our hotel in the morning to find that our truck had been broken into – smashed window, busted locks, and lots of equipment stolen. Thankfully, we had stored the cameras and laptops in the hotel. Lesson learned: we’ll never leave anything in the truck again!

When we arrived at the NHC, they couldn’t have been more understanding. They provided a full English breakfast, the maintenance team patched up the window, and Zoe from the NHC booked us a better hotel for our second night. Clients like that are invaluable to a business like ours – a huge thank you to the NHC for their help and kindness during what was a difficult day for CFC.

The filming itself went very well. The NHC is a fantastic place – if I were 16 again, I’d seriously consider going there. Working with horses makes you grow up fast: you gain responsibilities, you work in all conditions, and you’re up very early in the morning. It instils a strong work ethic you’ll carry for life. It’s also incredibly sociable – you meet people and go on a journey together. The racing industry really is like one big family, full of opportunity. I’d encourage anyone to work in racing.

The loss of equipment has led to plenty of ‘new kit days’ as we order replacements. What has surprised me is the poor build quality of modern equivalents compared with our previous models. Metal lights are now plastic, and buttons and dials just don’t feel the same. Aperture, sort it out!

Bresbet

Our month concluded back at Fergal O’Brien Racing, filming a season preview for their yard sponsor, Bresbet. At this time of year, lots of dreams are intact, and it’s an exciting period for any NH yard. The team were asked to provide a horse to follow for the season. If I had to pick one, it would be Cool Customer. I really like the look of him – he was unlucky not to win his point-to-point in Ireland.

What have the team been up to?

On to our thrilling personal lives – not much to report! Billie enjoyed a much-deserved holiday in Croatia and came back refreshed. Pete and I have covered so many miles this month and worked most weekends. But it’s all worth it to grow our business. We love what we do – it never really feels like work. We joke that we’re on holiday every week (although maybe not quite the all-inclusive kind!).

Now onto October, with a large number of projects heading into the editing suite. I really can’t wait to share them with you! And of course, winter means one thing: the return of proper jump racing… 

Thanks for reading, and best wishes, 

Louis, Pete & Billie