Possibly some blood, sweat, but minus the tears, went into capturing the image that was selected for the 2025 Williams Lake Stampede poster.
Long-time rodeo photographer Liz Twan's face-on image of all three pickup men and four horses in one frame at the 2024 Stampede was chosen.
Twan said she tried all weekend to get the perfect shot.
“It took me until Monday," she told the Tribune. “I kept cutting off one of them or getting half a horse or something.”
She also knew it would look “pretty cool” to submit the photograph in black and white for the poster contest because it would emphasize the subjects more, which it does down to such details as the flared nostrils of every single horse.
“I was happy they chose it. It’s so different than regular rodeo shots," she said.
Depicted in the photograph are Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association stock contractor CF Rodeo’s pickup riders Tyson Cardinal, Gary Rempel and Chona Archachan.
Twan, who knows so much about rodeos and photographing them, said the bucking horse in the photo is Double D, who was born and raised in the Cariboo Chilcotin by Jack Palmantier and purchased by Vern McDonald of C5 Rodeo.
"I wanted to get a photograph for Jack of Double D," she said.
Twan began taking photographs at rodeos, including the Williams Lake Stampede, before she was a teenager.
After meeting cowboy/horseman and rodeo competitor, Bronc Twan, in 1976, and then marrying him in 1978, she got “serious” about it.
“I like everything,” Twan said about doing rodeo photography. “That’s why I like rodeo. There are so many things going on. I take pictures of the crowd, I take pictures of the workers, I take pictures of everything.”
Williams Lake Stampede Association director Liz Crosina shares the merchandise portfolio with Lorina Byer and the two of them chose Twan’s photograph from all the submissions.
“When we saw Liz’s picture we said ‘wow, that’s it,’” Crosina told the Tribune. “What made it even more special is that Liz did it. She’s been such an integral part of the association with all of her pictures she’s done over the years. It was like it was meant to be.”
Crosina described Twan as an “amazing lady,” and said the Stampede appreciates everything she has done over the years.
“It was nice to have the opportunity to showcase one of her photographs.”
Since posting about the winning photo on the Stampede’s Facebook page there have been numerous positive comments.
“The community is really recognizing what she’s done. It was definitely our honour and I’m glad it worked out,” Crosina said.
Twan learned a couple of days before the Stampede Dinner and Dance her photo had been selected and it was announced during the dinner to the public. A framed copy of the poster garnered $700 at the dinner and dance auction, purchased by Corby Hansen.
There will be 350 copies of the poster and postcards printed, plus the photograph will be the cover of 100 calendars.
“The Williams Lake Stampede Association is so thankful for the interest from our community in our poster contest,” Crosina said.
