Photo Contest

Action Photos third place is winner Jeanne Sharp

Details: January 6, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

Jeanne Sharp of Elbert, Colo., took this third placed Action photo of her dog Maisie competing in Field Lure Coursing in Peyton, Colo.

"Maisie is a 4-year-olf shepherd/cattle dog mix," said Sharpe. "I picked her up as a rescue when she was 8 weeks old. She's been coursing for about two years .Coursing is really popular out here."

"It's mostly sight hounds that compete, and they chase a lure on a string," she said. "This was an 800 yard coursing competition. There's usually about 25 dogs in each competition. They're judged on how fast they are, how close to the lure they are and how they stay on the course of the lure."

Sharpe also hunts, but it's coyote hunting, not fox hunting, in Colorado.

Sharpe said they have about 60,000 acres they hunt over.

action sheppard running Sharpe

Candid Photos Honorable Mention Photos by Tara Ziegler and Susan Aceto

Details: January 22, 2026; By Staff Writers

Two very cute photos of children with their pets.

Tara Ziegler of Oxford, Pa. took the photo on the left of their 3-year-old daughter Hannah Contreras at their home this summer with one of the chicks they raised.

Susan Aceto took this photo on the right of her grandson and his dog, Leon.

candid child w chick Ziegler

candid grandson on his dog Aceto

Action Photos second place winner is Andi Bates

Details: January 5, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

Andi Bates of Glen Mills, Pa., took this photo of a game at the Brandywine Polo Club in Kennett Square, Pa.

"I started going to polo games about two years ago," said Bates. "This was the last game of the season. This photo is of riders from two different teams fighting for the ball." action polo 4 riders Bates

Pets Photos third place winner is Laura Hirth

Details: January 9, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

Laura Hirth of Harleysville, Pa. placed third in Pets with this photo of her OTB thoroughbred Petey and her Australian shepherd.

"They look like they're talking to each other," said Hirth.

"I've had Petey for four years, and I trail ride him," said Hirth. "He loves dogs. I have six Australian shepherds. Ryder is an elite trick dog. He did tricks like opening a gate, getting my boots and riding a skateboard for the competiton. He also did agility."

pets 3rd place horse yawning over dog Hirth

Action Photos first place winner is Dianne Rose

Details: January 5, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

Dianne Rose of Yardley, Pa. won Action Photos with this photo of a pair of dogs jumping in unison.

"The photo is of the 4-year-old border collie Night Cap and the 18-month-Shetland sheepdog Daiquiri practicing for team agility (if it was a competition class) in Yardley," said Rose. "They're my sister Janet's dogs, and she got them each when they were about 8 weeks old."

"Janet's been competing in agility competitions for a long time," said Rose. "The border collie has his first degree and is working on his next degree. The sheepdog has just starting competing. The border collie also does herding competitions."

action collies jumping DianneRose

Pets Photo second place winner is Cheryl Allerton

Details: January 8, 2026; By Staff Writers

Cheryl Allerton of Douglassville, Pa. took this photo of her dog and cat, Echo and Clover, that she entitled "Line Dancing."

pets 2nd place dog cat line dance Allerton

Candid Photos Honorable Mention by Virginia Lippincott and Joyce Farley

Details: January 22, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

Virginia Lippincott of Downingtown, Pa.took the photo on the left of an Amish farmer driving a six-in-hand.

Joyce Farley of Dushore Pa., sent this photo on the right of a boy and his dog intently watching something in a pond.

candid boy dog at pond Farly

candid amish driver hand jnkins

Pet Photos first place winner is Carol Dicicco

Details: January 7, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

Carol Dicicco of Chalfonr, Pa., won first place in Pets Photos with this photo of a herd of horses.

"This was taken on a ranch in Colorado," said Dicicco. "The wranglers were chasing them in to eat breakfast.That's dust hanging over them."

"This was a huge property," she said. "I would call it a vacation ranch, as it had a lot of activities like fly fishing along among with riding."

pets 1st place herd ofhorsesin rain Diccio

Candid Photos Honorable Mention by Karen Kohl-Trauger and Susan Aceto

Details: January 20, 2026; By Staff Writers

The photo on the left is by Karen Kohl-Trauger of Sprakers, N.Y., of her daughter, Carrie and her son, Christopher, who dressed their 4-h project calf up as a racehorse for the 2025 Fonda Fair costume contest. Including jockey and groom! "

The photo on the right is by Susan Aceto and is of their son, who was goat sitting, with a pet kid. candid man w baby goat Aceto

candid Carrie Trauger and weanling Karen Kohl

Candid Photos Honorable Mention by Todd Trumbone

Details: January 19, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

Laura Hirth of Harleysville, Pa., send in this photo taken by Todd Trombone.

As stated with the first Honorable Mention photo, these photos are presented in no particular order, and some of them could almost have been winners, like this one.

"This photo was taken while we were on vacation in Rhode Island with our entire Aussie family," said Hirth.
candid woman 4 dogs harbor Hirth

Candid Photos Honorable Mention by Jan Cobb

Details: January 19, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

Jan Cobb of Upper Back Eddy,, Pa., the leader of Round A Bit 4-H Club, took this photo.

"This is Hayden McTear, a 6-year-old participating in the Round A Bit 4-H handling skills clinic and club show," said Cobb.." She is using Dottie the 18-year-old molly mule. Dottie is owned by Gary Sholtis"

candid boy leading donkey Cobb

Candid Photos Honorable Mention by Virginia Lippincott

Details: January 17, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

Virginia Lippincott of Downingtown, Pa. took this photo of Child enjoying mare and new foal at Castlerock Farm in West Chester, Pa.

candid girl w hors Jenkins

Candid Photos Honorable Mention by Kimberly Gerard

Details: January 16, 2026; By Staff Writers

Laura Hirth of Harleysville, Pa., sent in this photo taken by her friend, Kimberly Gerard in Fleetwood, Pa.

The photo is of Hirth and Olaf the goat.

candid goat on irl Hirth

Candid Photos Honorable Mention by Judith Jefferis

Details: January 16, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

Judith Jefferis of Unionille, Pa. took these photos.

The one on the left is of her daughter Jennifer Files and her great-granddaughter Ahlana McElroy on Leroy and the second is of Jefferis on Leroy.

candid girl child on cowJefferis

candid me on cow Jefferis

Candid Photos Honorable Mention by Karen Kohl-Trauger

Details: January 14, 2026; By Staff Writers

Karen Kohl-Trauger of Spakers, N.Y., send in this photo.

"This is my daughter, Carrie, reunited with one of our foals," said Kohl-Trauger. "She had handled him since birth until we sold him as a yearling. We got to visit him when he was training to race. I think he remembered her! Photo taken at Saratoga racecourse, Saratoga, NY."

candid girl armsaroundhorses nose KarenKohn

Candid Photos Honorable Mention by Sandy Williamson

Details: January 14, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

Sandy Williamson of Bechtelsville, Pa., took this photo of Madison Temkin on Fernhill Bertus competing at the Fair Hill 5*.

Candid Madison Temkin on Fernhill Betus

Candid Photos Honorable Mention by Jan Cobb

Details: January 12, 2026; By Staff Writers

Jan Cobb of Upper Black Eddy, Pa., took this photo.

This is my husband Gary Sholtis and his 18-year-old molly mule Dottie," said Cobb. "Dottie is asking for cookies."

candid man on tracter w ass Cobb

Candid Photos Honorable Mention by Judith Jefferis

Details: January 12, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

Judith Jefferis of Kennett Square, Pa., and Clark, Wyo., took this photo, using her pet hostein cow as a novel way of getting a Christmas tree home.

"My ranch manager, Jerry Hill, riding Numbers- using Leroy as a “pack horse” to bring in his Christmas tree," saod Jefferis of her ranch manager in Wyoming.

candid cow w Xmas tree jeffris

Candid photos third place winner is Bill Vendetta

Details: January 3, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

Bill Vendetta of Cochranville, Pa., placed third in Candid photos with this picture of his nephew Logan feeding a horse a carrot.

"My nephew Logan is 4," said Vendettta. "He was visiting with his father. He'd never met any horses before, so he was a little apprehensive, but we assured him it was okay, and that the horse would just take the carrot and not his fingers."

"The horse is Bullet, one of my Pair Pleasure Driving pair," said Vendetta. "He is paired with Bandid in competition."

Candid Boy carrot horse Venditta

Candid Photos Honorable Mention from Virginia Lippincott

Details: January 10, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

Now that the Candid, Action and Pets winners have been announced,we return to Candid Photos Honorable Mentions.

There are so many very good photos that there is no particular order to these Honorable Mention Photos.

Almost all have been separated by venues, subject and photographers only, not by how good they were judged to be.

A few of them could easily have been winners.

This first Candid Honorable Mention was sent in by Virginia Lippincott.

The picture here was taken of Nancy Marcinko at Liberty Archery Clinic at Turn Key Equestrian in in Quakertown, Pa.

In the clinic archers were shooting arrows to at least 4 targets while trotting on horseback.

This photo was taken by an unknown/unnamed bystander.

candid girl shooting arrow Ginny

Candid photos second place winner is Cesar Contreras

Details: January 2, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

Tara Ziegler of Oxford, Pa., sent in this photo taken by her husband Cesar Contreras of their daughter Hannah running towards their chickens.

Hannah had just turned three when this picture was taken," said Ziegler. "This was the first year since she was born that we had chickens. Wehad gotten them earlier as chicks."

"We just incubated some eggs, so we'll have baby chicks," said Ziegler. "We also have goats, and we're surrounded by Amish with horses."

candid girl with chickens Ziegler

Candid Photo First Place winner is Walt Szybowski

Details: January 1, 2026; By SARA CAVANAGH

Walt Szybowski of Hawley, Pa. won the Candid Photo with this great photo of a deer eating a snack from the lips of his wife Heidi.

"We have a farm in the Poconos," said Szybowski. "We have all rescues, horses, cows, pigs and dogs. We love our rescues."

"This is a sweet deer," he said. "He's been around Heidi for about three years. We have deer all around, but we named him Special. He'd follow Heidi when she was mucking out stalls. When we were sitting on the porch, he's come up, We'd able to pet him."

"I was sitting right next to my wife when Special came up, and I took this picture," said Szybowski.

candid deer and girl ginny son