Impressive

In 1967 the first All American Quarter Horse Congress was the start of an event phenomenon like no other. Blair Folck was the leader to kick off this massive undertaking. It was only 3 days, but attracted over 5000 entries. Now it is the largest single-breed horse show in the world. I was 25 years old in 1967 and worked the first 21 events.

Blair, who lived at Springfield, Ohio, called me in 1970 with an urgent need to photograph the greatest young stallion in the breed. He had bought him for $3500 and couldn't get a good photo. I flew to Ohio and it was heavy clouds for 3 days. I wanted bright sun to make his youthful muscles shine in the photos. Blair's family were leaders breeding Jersey cattle and had bred some of the greatest. I rode around town with Blair---killing time. I stayed with Blair and Nancy. They had kids about my age. I shared an upstairs room with Tim and Stuart. Nancy was a sweet and kind person who also was a good cook and a devoted Jehovah Witness. After four days I successfully remained seriously Baptist.

Finally it looked like clouds forever so we took disappointing photos with cloudy light. I flew back to Colorado. This was the first of 3 times I photographed the great Impressive. I photographed him at ages 1,2, and 6.

Impressive really showed his strong Thoroughbred long lean look. He was triple bred Three Bars. Although he was "impressive," I wondered if he would develop the Quarter Horse muscle, but he did. He was nervous to handle and much like a spoiled kid. No one had ever had a serious obedience discussion with him, which made him very difficult to work with.

Everyone who ever owned Impressive made a lot of money. He was bred by Perry Cotton of California. Blair and Nancy bought him from Nick McNair of Oklahoma. Dean Landers and Jerry Wells bought him from the Folcks for a pretty penny. By the Congress of 1971 Fennel Brown of Union, MO had purchased Impressive and had him in the Million Dollar Stallion Alley. Fennel said, "No one had enough money to ever buy Impressive again."

Impressive was developing fast and had won some major show Championships. Fennel needed new photos. Impressive was one of dozens of famous stallions who was taken out to the Ohio State Fair Grounds race infield. When we took his photos he was one of the first to wear my new Fitted Halter. A couple dozen hardened-horseman followed us to the infield to watch the photo shoot.

Everyone was talking and jumping up and down trying to help get ears up. I can't remember everyone, but Denny Thorsell and Wayne Jordan were there. It was a wreck as Impressive was hunting a reason to be moving all over. Although we did get rear, side, head and this front shot, it was a battle. He was stunning and a new dimension in Quarter Horse quality.

Fennel Brown called 4 years later and had not been able to get a really good correct photo of Impressive at maturity. I drove to Union, Missouri and took lots of photos, color and black and white. (Prior to this time color ads were costly and most people could only afford black and white photos.) We had environmental control. No one was jumping around in the wrong places. Impressive was a champion to work with. It was an easy job.

Impressive, age 2 at All American Congress

I thought Impressive would have looked better not so fat. For the front view photos I used a low camera elevation to make him look taller and more Three Bars looking. We stood him in a perfect grass spot not far from his stall. Fennel built a barn with a luxury suite for Impressive and immediately next door he had a bed room for himself. Fennel slept in the next stall from Impressive for as long as he lived. Sort of like a banker sleeping in the bank vault.

He was the 1974 World Champion Open Aged halter stallion, the first such World Champion in his breed, despite carrying only 48 halter points in total. He is famous for his highly successful progeny, having sired 2,250 foals. Nearly thirty of his offspring went on to be World Champions themselves. Impressive was highly sought after for breeding, despite at one time carrying the outrageously high stud fee of $25,000.

In twenty years of traveling with two cases of cameras and lens, I had the great joy of seeing nearly all the great stallions, Secretariat, Bold Ruler, Leo, Three Bars, Depth Charge, Skipper W, Jet Deck, Cutter Bill, Poco Bueno, Assault, Go Man Go and Trigger.