JOURNAL 220 - Magazine Production Blog Post #7

TOPIC: Start thinking about the structure of the piece (story or photo essay). What’s the lead going to sound like, what are the topics you’re going to cover, etc.

For Polo:

Still working on a few ideas for a lead.

I want to start with my primary source's backstory, touch on the annual work/break schedule of the horses and humans as athletes, talk a bit about the social culture of the sport, how it's perceived by the public compared to other equestrian disciplines, obstacles to playing polo as an amateur or professionally, and the dedication and intensity required to succeed.

For Saddle-Seat & Driving:

I have a cute idea for a lead and lead quote, but not sure if it's strong enough.

I want to focus on a few topics - misconceptions within the sport, how it has evolved over time, its comparison to other equestrian disciplines, and how the governing organization for the sport needs to modernize their public relations.

*For both stories, whenever I ask a source "What's your favorite thing about the sport?", all of them would pause, smile, laugh, and then say "The horses!".

There is realistically no financial gain from competing or winning competitions and people do it simply because of their passion for horses. I think I have to touch on this topic a little bit to explore why equestrians are totally insane and why you can never really quit the sport completely...