"Though I visited and photographed Saumarez at stud at the beautiful Haras du Quesnay in Normandy, France, this sculpture was inspired by a photo taken of him after winning the Arc de Triomphe. Traditionally, a victory blanket is thrown over the winner's hindquarters as he parades in front of the cheering crowds at Longchamp. I worked very hard at capturing the juxtaposition of exhaustion and triumph that I saw in the photograph."