A great photograph is separated from a good one because it captures a moment in time that tells a story on its own.
Chase Lebenberg’s photograph of the moment Mickaelle Michel realised she had won the Gr 1 Daily News 2000, and thus become only the second woman to win a Gr 1 in SA history, achieved just that and duly won him the Equus Award for still photography.
Chase tells the story of the picture, “This season we were fortunate to welcome international jockey Mickaëlle Michel to South Africa. She arrived with a résumé many riders would envy, having raced in France, Japan and Australia. Earlier in the season she claimed the WSB KZN Guineas (G2) aboard Star Major for the Crawford stable and in May 2026 her long-held ambition came true. Mickaëlle took the elusive Grade 1 victory in the Daily News 2000 on Star Major, breaking into tears of joy as she crossed the line. Deeply moved, she thanked the South African racing industry for its support this season.”
