Skips Alibi

Skips Alibi by Skipper's King was owned and campaigned by Charlie Dees of Pretty Penny Ranch in Scottsdale. He was a great roping and halter horse all at the same time. Charlie wanted to do a post card photo of him so we hauled him to a grass area near a huge factory with Camel Back Mountains in the back. This is perfect light to show muscle tone just about sundown. Wonderful warm desert light. When photographing for promotion the horse owner pays the bill, but the trainer or showman normally handles the photo shoot. I always have the handler stand at an angle so they will be cropped out of the photo. Handlers come and go, but one great photo will often last the horse's whole life. Today every handler jumps right under the horse's jaw so he can't be cropped out. It is more important to a trainer to be standing front and center for his personal promotion than the stallion. If there is feelings over it, I would take some of each. Let the trainer have his and the owner have what he wants -- everybody is happy.

To share some historical photos with my old horse friends I am adding photos of famous horses and short stories about them. One or two are going on facebook daily under Mike Kelly, Lee Jones and AQHA Halter Horse History facebook accounts. These are photos taken before the Texas Longhorn business gulped down all my time.