This was Difficult!

STILL LIFE
My most challenging shot was not so difficult to set up. I just walked out between the goalposts at the number two field at the Eldorado Polo Club in Indio, California. I had a Nikon (I can't remember the model), three frames a second, a 300mm F2.8 manual focus lens, and color film loaded and ready to shoot.
It was a weekday, so the players were either practicing or playing for tournament positions for the weekend. I had been freelancing in the area and looking for sporting action to cover for the local press. The club was new back in eighty-four or five and only had four fields. And there I stood.
After watching the action for a few days, I stood about 10 yards off the end line between the goalposts with a monopod and camera in hand. Most fast action was generally over when the players passed through the end line, or so I thought.
The action started about midfield. The field is 300 yards long and 160 yards wide. It started slowly enough but steadily grew in speed as both players were very engaged. Before I knew it, they were the two horses weighing in at about a thousand pounds each and running at forty miles an hour with polo players locked in battle in front of me. I was locked in after I realized there was no alternative to get out of the way. I could hear the horse's heavy breathing, the hooves pounding as they hit the ground, and as they brushed my shoulders, I could smell the leather. So, the difficult part of the shot was staying still and fully engaged in focusing.