Photo of horse at sunset is reminder to live in the present

As the setting sun colored the Minnesota clouds pink and purple, Lyndsay Bertie glimpsed a moment of magic in her barn.

Through the open door, she saw her adopted horse, Jazz, waiting for dinner in the glow of the sunset, while the farm’s only chicken, Darryl, sat cozied inside, bathed in the golden warmth of a heat lamp. The silhouettes of hay bales and horse stalls retreated into the shadows.

"It was one of those moments where you feel so connected," she said. "I thought, 'I've got to get a picture so I can come back to this feeling in the future.'"

With one press of her phone's camera, Bertie immortalized forever what she felt was a sense of "pure grace and majestic calm."

The scene so moved Bertie that she printed it poster-size and hung it in her house.

"I thank God for it everyday," she said.

Living in the moment

The special photo reminds Bertie to live in the present, she said, naming it: 'There's Always Something To Look Forward To.'

When times are tough, "hold on, hold on," she said, "because something might suck right now, but there's always something to look forward to. If you just wait it out, you're going to get it."

That hope reminds her of Jazz, who did not always experience such beautiful, evening stillness.

Bertie adopted him a year ago through friends who rescued him from a boarding facility that had mistreated and starved him, she said.

"Never in a million years did I think I would end up with a horse," she said. But when she met Jazz, "it was an instant 'I love you.' I knew this was meant to be. And now he is such a happy, well-kept horse. It’s pretty cool when a horse falls in your lap!"

Now Jazz follows Bertie around the farm like a dog and is so relaxed, he doesn't have to be tied up. He dutifully wears costumes Bertie puts him in, she said, like a Santa hat and patterned scarf.

"He must roll his eyes at me because I have actually seen him stick his tongue out when I put a witch hat on him for Halloween as if to say, 'What is she doing?'" Bertie laughs. "But he soaks up the love and attention on a daily basis."

A good feeling, win or lose

It was Bertie's first time entering a photography competition, and she enjoyed every minute.

"What was so special for me is it gave everybody something to vote on that felt good," she said. "It's that kind of stuff that really brings people together, instead of a divide, and gives you a common ground that comes from a place of happiness."

Her photo was even featured on a local news broadcast. →

As nice as it was to win, she equally enjoyed getting to view and vote on the photos of other competitors.

"Whether you win money or not, there's camaraderie," she said. "And then if you do win some money, what a beautiful thing to be able to say you won a photo competition and you can choose what you want to do with the money."

New shoes and other goodies for Jazz

Bertie's winnings were spent on Jazz, naturally.

He got new shoes, specialty feed for senior horses, protective leggings, a rain sheet, fly protector blankets, treats and even a scratching pole to rub up against.

"It was amazing to be able to spoil him even more," Bertie said, smiling.

If she wins the year-end final competition, Bertie wants to use the winnings to support organizations that take care of abused and retired horses and use the photo to fundraise for items other caretaker barns around the country need.

Tell your story

Bertie's advice for new entrants into the competition is to choose a photo that is meaningful to you, then tell the story behind it and a little about yourself in the caption and profile sections.

"I like to see who the person is who took the picture. I love to read a little bit about them and know why they took the picture," she said. "If it's special to you, it might be really special to somebody else."

Even if you don't win, know that your artwork has now been seen by thousands of people around the world, Bertie said, "and they got to enjoy it for a second."

Everyone is welcome to enter a photo in the next upcoming competition at AmericasFavoritePhotos.com

View Lyndsay's
Winning Photo