Mares and foals from Reed Thomas Quarterhorses
People ask me how I get myself into situations like a herd of horses heading my way at full gallop. Tuesday's first appointment is a good example about how I go about these things, if anything in my photographic life has a pattern.
Last year for the ongoing project, I photographed at the Mt. Pleasant, Utah rodeos - both of them, the locals-only friendly on July 1 and then two days later at the competitive events. On the arena wall, I noticed Reed Thomas's sponsor banner.
So, I came home and consulted the oracle, Google-giver-of-all. Reed has a website, and I read about the Top of the Crop sale coming up a few weeks later in Salina, Utah. I consult the map. Salina is on Highway 89. I invite/impress into service my friend Maggie, who has a horse and knows about this kind of stuff, to go to the Producer's Livestock Sale Barn. Maggie agrees on the condition that I do not allow her to buy another horse, so we leave her horse trailer at home.
At the auction, I introduce myself to a couple of girls that I recognize from the Mt. Pleasant rodeo barrel racing event, and it turns out they work for Reed. I promise to send rodeo pictures. I put two sets of photos in the mail, for the girls and one for Reed.
This March, I get a phone call from Reed, who is preparing for the 4th annual Top of the Crop sale and asks if he can use one of my photos for his brochure. Way cool, as far as I'm concerned. I ask if I can come photograph the new foals and we agree that I should call back in May or June.
I make a plan to photograph the Manti Mormon Miracle Pageant, and I follow-up with Reed, to coordinate the day so I don't have to make 2 two hundred mile trips to destinations 5 miles apart. It's a plan.
A real cowboy
Reed gets his horse trainer, Dean Barney, to come move the horses around. The foals are pasture-raised without a lot of experience with humankind, and they aren't going to willingly come anywhere near me, and Dean's help will be necessary to photograph anything other than hindquarters.
Some of the foals are sleeping, the rest of the herd is grazing when we arrive. We get out of the trucks, make a plan in the pasture, and Dean heads across the field to move the horses my way.
The horses bunch up at the end of pasture, as far away as possible from me. Dean heads off to persuade them to move toward me again.
Three passes and 22 minutes later, Dean's horse is sweating and we decide not to bother the foals anymore. Afterwards, they show me the merits of Reed's 3 stallions, which Dean trains. Then they take me down a side road to Reed's childhood hometown of Wales, Utah, where coal was first mined in the territory.
We found some shade in the Wales park. And now I know a little about about quarterhorse conformation, high school rodeo competitions, that cowboys are using cell phones to coordinate movements while driving cattle. Reed offers to introduce me to some friends along the highway in Arizona. I don't know if these photos will make it into the book, but Reed has lined up a cover story for a local horse monthly and needs a photo. We talked for a long time; I was almost late to meet the Pageant President at the Mormon Miracle Pageant.
I'll be sorry to miss the sale this year. R is glad - he's not sure that the lack of a horse trailer (or a ranch) would be enough to keep me from bidding on that pretty little buckskin.
