10 Dan Hubbell: Rodeo Photographer Extraordinaire By Lisa S. Pearce Icenogle (AA, ’79)

ro rodeo photographer Dan taking photos, and Hubbell asked him if about color photography developing Hubbell (’68) is no stranger to the he was willing to sell his equipment. and printing and worked my way up to P rodeo arena. He came to Casper Clore was. manager,” said Hubbell. College from a ranch in Pinedale in the After his year at , Ten years later, when Casper Color fall of 1967 to study and rodeo. The young Hubbell and Mike went to California to closed its doors, Hubbell searched bareback rider soon discovered that rodeo. Hubbell soon discovered that he for a location to open up his own he really didn’t like the study aspect of was going broke rodeoing; however, he photofinishing business but instead ended college, but what he did get from his was able to sell some of his photos to other up managing Shakey’s Pizza for three year at CC provided him with the tools contestants. As in college, after he finished years. After Shakey’s, he went to work for he needed to become a world-class competing, he would take photos and then Stoval Beverage. rodeo photographer. develop the film and print the photos. “I It was during his time with Stoval While Hubbell was still in high school, had darkrooms all over the place,” he said. Beverage that Hubbell got back into Mike Hubbell (AS, ’72) returned from In those early days, Hubbell would find rodeo photography to take photos of his Vietnam with a gift for his younger a motel room that wasn’t too expensive daughter, barrel racer Denise (Hubbell) brother: a Minolta camera. At Casper with no windows or develop the photos Olson (AS, ’91), who was competing in College, Hubbell found himself taking in a camper on the bed of a pickup. In all high school rodeo. Following high school, photos at the rodeos he competed in after these makeshift darkrooms, “space was Olson attended Casper College and he made his ride. Somehow, Hubbell cramped, and nothing was large enough.” competed on the CC rodeo team, which isn’t really sure how, but Casper College He returned to Casper and began was undergoing a coaching transition as physical science instructor Norm Weiss work as the janitor at Casper Color, a her dad’s coach, Dale Stiles, retired and found out that he liked photography. photofinishing lab. “I learned everything Tom Parker took over the reins. From “Norm Weiss was a good photographer himself,” said Hubbell. “One day, he asked me if I would like to learn how to use a darkroom. ‘I have a darkroom at my home, and I can teach you how to do what you need to know,’ he told me, and then asked if I was interested. ‘Yes, sir,’ I replied.” With Weiss’ teaching, Hubbell discovered that he liked darkroom work. On weekends, Hubbell would travel with the Casper College rodeo team, compete in bareback, run to his vehicle, grab his camera, and then shoot photos of the other events. Back in town, he would develop the photos from that weekend’s rodeo in Weiss’ darkroom. To be successful, however, Hubbell knew that he needed to have his own photo enlarger and equipment to develop his film and photos. The chance appeared when a former Casper College student, Bob Clore (AA, ’66), decided he was going to quit

Neil Williams (CERT, AAS, ’14, AS, ’15) worked to hang on while Dan Hubbell captured the moment in this image.

Dantan Bertsch (AS, ’15) was launched out of the chute atop this horse as Dan Hubbell froze time with his camera. 11 Casper, she went to the University of “Dad taking photos at my rodeos helped and then turned pro with his career, and he was able to help me “a high-caliber barrel horse named Lucy.” along the way too,” Olson recalled. She Hubbell went to all of Olson’s rodeos and also remembered her father’s darkroom snapped up the action. work: “He had the best color out there; the Of course, Hubbell had graduated to color was amazing.” color photos thanks to his time at Casper The first rodeo that Hubbell shot all Color, and as things progressed, through digital was the National Western Livestock taking photos at Olson’s rodeos, he was Show in Denver in 2002. According to able to leave his job at Stoval Beverage in Hubbell, the “speed” of digital gives him 1989 and pursue rodeo photography full more free time and, “It’s nice to be able to time as Hubbell Rodeo Photos. Hubbell view your image.” However, he also feels moved up to a fifth wheel to travel to that much of the skill and technique of Rodeo photographer Dan Hubbell. rodeos and develop film, and then finally the darkroom has been lost. Digital has to a 40-foot trailer with a custom-built also increased the number of people who Finals Rodeo 19 times in a row and a darkroom. However, that all changed have become photographers, including total of 21 times. He is also the official with digital photography. those in the rodeo arena. Currently, photographer for the College National 59 photographers are recognized by Finals Rodeo and has shot it for the the PRCA, so the competition between last 21 years. photographers is real. Nine months out of the year, Hubbell This past December, Hubbell was and his wife Linda live in a fifth wheel. “I named the Professional Rodeo Cowboys like to travel and don’t like to wake up in Association Photographer of the Year at the same place,” Hubbell noted, adding, the PRCA Awards Banquet on December “I’ve met some really great people along 5, 2018. Interestingly enough, when the the way.” PRCA established the award in 2000, He gave up his customized darkroom Hubbell was also the winner. when he went digital. When he is finished Hubbell has been the official shooting for the day, he hands Linda photographer for the PRCA’s National the photo card from his Nikon D4S. She

The Casper College Agriculture Department is one of the college’s top departments, and each year graduates outstanding students. Hannah Ostheimer, left, and Trey Yates, right, are just two examples.

Ostheimer, who grew up along the Casper College biology instructor Will Hannah Ostheimer. Tongue River at the foothills of the Big Horn Robinson’s animal biology class. She was Mountains chose Casper College, she said, also the Sheridan WYO Rodeo Queen. Miss Rodeo Wyoming for a few reasons. “Partly because it was Following her time as Miss Rodeo Hannah Ostheimer (AS, '16) graduated close to home and also because I could have Wyoming, Ostheimer will head back to UW with distinction with a degree in agriculture my horses and ride whenever I wanted to, to work on her doctorate in animal science from Casper College, and that same which has always been important to me. with a focus on equine nutrition. “I am an year won the American Quarter Horse Plus, CC is affordable, I loved my teachers equine nutrition nerd! I love to read the labels Youth Association Show Jumping World and the students, and it is a wonderful size, on horse feeds, research what is good for Championship. In 2018 she graduated which was why I chose to return to Casper my horses, and pick a diet plan that works magna cum laude from the University of for my last year of my bachelor’s and did the for each horse. I would love to work for Wyoming with her bachelor’s in biology. She UW at Casper distance program.” a company like Platinum Performance, has put her education on hold temporarily During her last year at Casper, when she creating feeds for performance horses of all since August of last year when she was was working on her bachelor’s degree, disciplines, including rodeo horses,” she said. crowned as the 62nd Miss Rodeo Wyoming. Ostheimer was a teaching assistant for 12 downloads those images onto her laptop to catch up on printing photos. In June Arizona, home and start all over again and then prepares them for sale and they work the CNFR and the Greeley in February. distribution using Adobe Photoshop, Stampede followed by Cheyenne Frontier Hubbell likens his profession to Elements, and Lightroom. She has a photo Days in July. They catch up with printing ranching: “You are married to it and doing printer as well to print out any photos that again in August and then from the latter it all the time but despite the hard work a client wants right away. part of August through September cover and occasional disappointment you love Their year starts in February at the the rodeos in Washington and Oregon. In doing it. That’s simple enough. I just love Tucson Rodeo. From there Hubbell, October they might come back to Casper what I do, and I am lucky I have been able Linda, and their pets, Tally the cow dog before heading to Amarillo, Texas, for the to make a living out of being a professional and Winslow the Siamese mix, work the Working Ranch Cowboys Association rodeo photographer.” April rodeos in California and return to World Championship Ranch Rodeo. They Casper, where they have a home, in May then spend a few months in their Tucson,

Trey Yates was captured by Dan Hubbell's camera as he roped the back legs of a steer at the 2018 College National Finals Rodeo. Team Roper But before the excitement of the NFR, because he wanted to be coached by Jhett Yates, along with team roping partner Kellan Johnson, and it made sense because he was Trey Yates ('18) is keeping up a family Johnson, took the gold in team roping at the competing in college rodeo with Kellan. tradition. Both his grandfather, Dick Yates, 2018 College National Finals Rodeo. Yates At the close of 2018, Yates found himself and father, J.D. Yates, were team ropers. was riding for Casper College, and Johnson, in third place in the world standings with J.D. Yates is well-known in the rodeo son of Jhett Johnson, (Casper College $226,900. His first place in the average business himself, having qualified for 21 rodeo coach and 2011 Professional Rodeo standings at the NFR alone netted him National Finals Rodeos competing as a Cowboys Association world champion team $129,308. When he is home at the family team and steer roper. Yates qualified for roper), was riding for . ranch near Pueblo, Colorado, he helps with and appeared in the 2018 National Finals Yates spent three years in college rodeo, the work and practices roping every day. Rodeo for the first time. Yates paired up with rodeoing for , third-time qualifier Aaron Tsinigine, and the Laramie County Community College, and pair took first place in the average standings his final year for Casper College. Yates following 10 rounds of competition. decided to come to Casper for his last year 13