Arizona
Nationally known equine and Old West photographer Robert Dawson donated a picture of Brent Naylor and Big Papi to the Charros. This picture was one of the images for a book called Living Western Horsemanship featuring ten of the top clinicians including Buster Welch, Al Dunning, Bob Avila, Ronnie Richards, Jake Barnes, Leon Harrel, Ron Ralls, Craig Cameron, and John Lyons; it also includes a special tribute to Ray Hunt.
According to Naylor, Robert Dawson took pictures of a number of horses including Big Papi, a stud by Rowdy Yankee out of Pennys for Sail.
“This is Brent’s special horse,” said Brent’s wife, Brandy. “It was tough to get him shown. He’s so smart. He thinks before it happens.”
Dawson agreed that the horse is special.
“I liked the action shots and I liked the conformation of Big Papi,” he said. “He looked really relaxed and he was doing it like he was born to do it.”
Dawson has worked with Al Dunning for many years; Dunning helped him establish contact with the trainers for the book.
“I put together a list of trainers, called them and told them they needed to be in the book,” Dunning said.
Fifty per cent of the proceeds from the sale of each book goes to a local FFA in Oregon. The Oregon FFA makes the book available to other youth organizations as a fund raiser. Any club can contact the FFA through the web site www.livingwesternhorsemanship.com and get information on how it can be used to raise money. All of the trainers donated time for the interviews. They talk about how the horse industry has changed their lives, giving insights into the lives of top champions.
Dawson is concerned about preserving the American Western lifestyle. In 2006, pictures he donated raised $15,000 for Agriculture in the class along with Primedia Publications.
“The American Western lifestyle will die out unless we step forward to start educating kids on how to get into horses and take care of the land,” he said. “These fundraiser books educate these kids and bring them back. There’s no better way to teach respect and integrity to a child then through a horse. I do anything I can do to promote the Western lifestyle. My dad took us out every Saturday and Sunday riding. I want kids growing up now to have that type of experience.
In addition, he has helped raise more money for the Linsenhoff UNICEF Foundation, a foundation for children in need founded by dressage rider Ann Linsenhoff.
His next book Training by Inspiration., written in collaboration with Al Dunning, is due out soon. For more information, visit his web site at www.dawsonphotography.com.
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