Winners have been announced for the 10th annual Ranchland Trust of Kansas photography contest. Each summer, RTK invites amateur and professional photographers of all ages to submit photos that showcase the mission of RTK and Kansas’ ranching heritage. The mission of RTK is “to preserve Kansas’ ranching heritage and open spaces for future generations through the conservation of working landscapes.”
Justine Henderson of Minneapolis was the grand prize winner in this year’s contest. Her photo was taken in the hills near Saint George at the Lazy N Ranch during an evening of checking heifers.
The winning photographs will be used, with permission of the photographers, to promote Kansas’ ranching heritage and open spaces.
Henderson said, “The fact that my photo has not only won grand prize, but also will be used to support the preservation of a lifestyle and community I hold dear to my heart is more than I could ever ask for!”
Rachael Sebastian of Tribune won the Fan Favorite category by receiving the most votes on RTK’s Facebook page.
Her winning photo was taken at Horace in Greeley County. The cowboy in the photo is Garth Bullis, who is a pen rider for Irsik and Doll at Ingalls and also a cutting horse trainer. The horse, Metallic Juice, also known as “Juicy,” belongs to Laine Jenlink.
“A lot of my photography falls into the genre of western and cowboy art. This composition was inspired by cowboy artists such as Joel Phillips, who is a good friend of mine, and Tim Cox. I set up the shot and then Juicy dropped her head at the perfect angle that made the reins loop into an interesting shape, and the shot just came together,” she said.
All other category winners were chosen by a panel of judges. Winners in each category were: Landscape—Tony Ifland, Cedar; Livestock—Emma Miller, Emporia; People—Greg Kramos, Manhattan; Sunrise/sunset—Bruce L. Hogle, Leawood; KLA Member—Marisa Betts, Dorrance; Youth—Emma Rohrbaugh, Caldwell; and Honorable mentions include Crystal Socha, Augusta; and Jen Free, Randolph.
All winning entries can be viewed on RTK’s Facebook page or website, www.ranchlandtrustofkansas.org.
