Happy 2nd Anniversary to Abigail Boatwright Communications!

Two years ago today, I left the Paint Horse Journal and struck out on my own as a freelancer. It's been such an adventure and step of faith. I've been blessed with great editors and found some awesome opportunities. I like reviewing my progress... and looking forward too! I'm going to take a quick look back at ABC's Year in Review if you don't mind:

Publications:

I still write articles for thePaint Horse Journal (woo hoo!) and take photos for Paint Horse Racing occasionally. Both Paint Horse Racing and Paint Horse Connection have gone digital, and in place of Connection in print is Chrome, a lifestyle publication for APHA. I've been writing quite a lot for that magazine this year.

I covered the 2012 NRHA Cowtown Classic and 2012 NRHA Futurity for NRHA's The Reiner. I also wrote a medical article for the publication. I'm sad this year's Cowtown has been canceled and I'll have *just* had a baby during this year's Futurity, so I'm missing my reiners this year!

I've been a regular contributor for Western Shooting Horse since September 2011 and I continue to write two articles for each issue. I've started profiling some ranches with long histories this year and taking photos for my articles with WSH, so that's been a fun addition.

I've written several articles for the American Quarter Horse Journal over the last year, including one from my trip to Australia covering an exciting event called campdrafting. I also wrote a piece about the Australian Outback Spectacular dinner show in Queensland for America's Horse -AQHA's member magazine.

I've written several articles in the last year for Horse & Rider as well! Still one of my favorite horse magazines after all these years.

I covered the Cowtown Classic forQuarter Horse News last year, and this year I covered the APHA Youth World Championship Show reining classes too. I just turned in a profile for QHN honoring the late Gunner - one of the most influential Paint Horses in reining history. It was such an honor to write about him for QHN. 

I wrote an article for Western Lifestyle Retailer for the 2012 fall issue. WLR is a special edition published by Cowboy Publishing (Quarter Horse News, Barrel Horse News, Western Horseman) In January, I started a regular assignment writing the Special Advertising Section for Western Horseman each month.

That's another newsstand publication with huge circulation--and one I love reading every month! You won't see my byline, but that's mine! It's been really interesting talking to so many companies I've never spoken with before.

• Future plans: I have a few more magazines I'd like to start working with so I've been trying to think of story ideas that fit them! I'm pitching stories for the rest of this year and early next year soon. Because I'm expecting my first baby in November (Yay!) I'm taking November and December off and I'll be picking back up in January next year. I'm excited about the work I have assigned already and looking forward to what this next year brings in editorial! 

Social Media clients:

Last year I began integrating social media reports into my services for social media clients. It's been a great way to tangibly monitor our efforts.

I still work with Salon Friends, providing photos, social media coverage and press releases/media work. It's a great company that got its start around the same time I did, and I've loved watching it thrive.

D. Jones Clothiers is another one I've worked with for two years, and that company's social media presence has grown tremendously. We utilize Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Mailchimp--and after several years with a traditional blog, we're integrating a Tumblr blog. We're revamping the company marketing strategy in conjunction with some really exciting projects, so I can't wait to see what its future holds.

Veritas Life Events s a new company I began working with last year. it's a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of teenagers in a holistic way, which includes exciting trips to places like the Grand Tetons. Social media presence includes Facebook and Twitter, but the future will hold expansions of our current strategies.

I recently started a Facebook fan page for my own work--ironic that it has taken me this long to do it, but I'm liking it so far as a way to aggregate my published work and photos.

• Future Plans: I love the companies I work with, and I hope to improve our strategies to fit their changing needs.

Writing clients:

In the last year, I've written a bio for Jena K Photos, press releases for Salon Friends and marketing work for APHA -- press releases and show coverage from the World Shows especially. This year I even did my first video news production--I wrote parts of a script and put together a short news video that APHA's video team shot and edited at the World Show.

• Future Plans: This aspect of my company fluctuates, but the irregularity of these projects makes it fun to step out of the traditional writing style I typically use. It's collaborative and exciting, and I look forward to doing more.

Photography:

I've shot several portrait sessions, bridal sessions and recently, a wedding that I am currently editing. I invested in even better equipment. I'm learning to shoot video--a critical skill for the direction I'm headed in editorial.

Some photos of mine were used in a Barrel Horse News article, and APHA still uses my photos for marketing and social media--it's always fun to see them pop up!

I've photographed several covers this year, including America's Horse, for which I earned a second place award at AHP (the photo above) :-) I have a cover for Paint Horse Connection, two for Paint Horse Racing and two for the Paint Horse Journal. 

• Future Plans: I'm learning to shoot video--a critical skill for the direction I'm headed in editorial. I recently purchases some equipment to help towards that goal, and it should improve my photography as well. I keep attending seminars and webinars to improve this area--I feel like I can always do better!

This next year will be really interesting for my freelance career. I'm working a LOT right now, which is a blessing. I love what I do and it fires me up to have a full plate. I am still going work next year, but I'll be integrating life as a mom as well. We will see what that looks like, but for now, it's full steam ahead. :-)

Thanks for reading! I appreciate it!

Cowtown Classic Coverage in Quarter Horse News

The

NRHA Cowtown Classic

is one of my favorite horse shows to cover. Talented reiners gather at Will Rogers to duke it out for some serious cash. Last year I covered the show (candid photos too) for both NRHA and Quarter Horse News. Check out the QHN coverage below. To read the complete article, go HERE.

Custom Clothing Article and Cover in May 2013 Paint Horse Journal

Recently I wrote an article for the Paint Horse Journal about creating your own show clothes with James Saubolle of Elite Show Horses, Heather Lynn Meyer and Suzi Vlietstra of Hobby Horse Inc. I also took the photos with several Youth riders. The Journal published one of my photos on the cover too! Below are the photos and article. You can read the article HERE.

International Shipping article in Barrel Horse News

Last fall, Barrel Horse News used some of my photos from my overseas trip to with Nedpoint for an article about international shipping. Check it out! This is the first time my work has been published in Barrel Horse News. You can read the article HERE.

Chris & Bec's Outback Wedding

Last year, Zach and I traveled to Western Queensland for the wedding of Bec and Chris Brayley. Bec and I met at Texas A&M while she studied abroad. We've kept in touch ever since, and it's been a dream to visit her homeland ever since. As luck would have it, we got to go to her wedding, and we had the privilege of photographing it. We've just said goodbye to our dear friends Chris and Bec after they came to visit us in Texas this past week. It was a privilege to share this couple's special day and I hope you enjoy the photos. The wedding preparations were held at a historic home on Maryvale sheep station, and the wedding took place at Chris's parents' sheep station in Morven. It was one of the most fun weddings I've ever attended!

Equine Mental Health Therapy article for Horse & Rider

Mental health disorders and therapy are a topic close to my heart. With so many tragedies in the news lately especially, I feel strongly about the need for more research to find therapy that works. One such method that has seen great success is the incorporation of horses into therapy. My article for the April Horse & Rider explored equine facilitated psychotherapy for troubled youth, sufferers of disorders such as schizophrenia and especially individuals afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder. Surprisingly, horse therapy also has a place in corporate team building. I hope my article is informative to you. If you have any questions about this avenue of therapy, you can contact one of the sources in the article at PATHintl.org or you can email me at abigail@abigailboatwright.com and I can send you on to one of the other contacts I gathered during my research.

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Horsemanship Pattern Trends with America's Horse Daily

My friends at GoHorseShow.com posted a link to one of my articles from AQHA today. America's Horse Daily published an article I wrote for the Journal about trends in horsemanship patterns at Quarter Horse shows. I'm happy to share it with y'all too! Here's the link for the full article online.

Courtney and Cade photoshoot - part 1

I can't believe I didn't post these photos before! This shoot had all my favorite ingredients: family, horses and beautiful light. It was so much fun! I've photographed Courtney and Cade every year, and these are actually from last year. It's always so much fun. I've got photos from this year to show you as well, but I'll save it for another post. So without further adieu, here you go!

America's Horse Cover - September 2012

I absolutely love this photo. The editor of

America's Horse

asked me to shoot some photos of a youth World Show competitor the magazine was featuring for an article. Andrew and his family met me in Fort Worth and we headed down to the Trinity River for some photos. It was very hot, but both horse and owner did a great job. Check out the cover for AQHA's member magazine!

Two-part Arena Series in the American Quarter Horse Journal

I've had the pleasure of writing about arenas several times for several publications since I was an intern at AQHA. I feel like every time, I delve a little deeper, and I love getting to talk to experts in this highly technical and broad field. Following are two articles I wrote for the American Quarter Horse Journal. The first talks about building your own arena, and the second talks about caring for the footing. .

Part 1

And here's part 2.

Sliding plate article in American Quarter Horse Journal

As often as I've ridden horses using sliding plates, I kind of took them for granted. Every reiner has them--it's just expected. But when I was asked to write this article for the American Quarter Horse Journal, I got to delve deeper into the history of sliders and learn exactly how they help (and can hinder) a horse's stop. Hope you enjoy!

Western and English Spur Articles in the American Quarter Horse Journal

I've just realized I've been sitting on these articles for a bit, for no particular reason. I'm happy to share them with you now. It was fun writing this two-part series  for the American Quarter Horse Journal about style, fit and usage of English and Western spurs. I hope you enjoy them too! 

And here's the Western article:

Baby Olivia Portraits

When Charlene asked me to photograph her newborn baby Olivia, I jumped at the chance to try something new and creative. I'd never shot infant photos before, so I didn't know what to expect. What I encountered was a sweet family, a mother with a zen quality I hope will rub off on me as a mom someday, and a surprisingly cooperative Olivia. It was a pleasure to capture such an intimate moment in your lives. Thank you for the opportunity.

And now for some of my favorite images!

Lynch Family Portraits

I'm making an end-of-year push to get some blog posts out to y'all, and this one was a really fun afternoon. Erin Lynch and her family invited me out to their grandparent's ranch last fall to take some Christmas photos for the grandparents. It was a sweet idea and all the cousins and siblings had a great time. Thanks for letting me capture your family Erin!

JEH Equine Reproduction Specialists Photoshoot

These photos are from a commercial shoot I did for JEH Equine Reproduction Specialists. The vet clinic has the latest and greatest in equine breeding technology, so it was really neat to learn about their business. Many of the photos from the shoot have been used in articles I wrote for The Reiner and the Paint Horse Journal, and JEH made brochures, billboards and even a calendar using the photos. Here are some photos from the shoot.

Livestock Publications Council Awards Contest--WINNER!

In 2011 I wrote an article for the Paint Horse Journal  about social media for equine businesses. I'm excited to tell y'all that my article won first place in the Marketing Article, Association category at the 2012 Livestock Publications Council Awards Contest as part of the Agricultural Media Summit in Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 7. It's such an honor! Here's a press release from APHA about all the awards the association won at the contest. Below is my article.

Happy Anniversary Abigail Boatwright Communications!

One year ago today, I packed my office up at the Paint Horse Journal and said good bye to my assistant editor job of nearly five years to become a full-time freelance writer and photographer. It was a scary decision, but one I felt God led me to make and He has shown His guidance a lot in the last 12 months. I'm so thankful for the projects, clients, experiences and support I've received and I am excited about what the future holds.

If you're interested in a recap, a few of the highlights from this past year include:

Publications: It's been a pleasure getting to write for multiple publications. I continued to write features for Paint Horse Journal, Paint Horse Connection and Paint Horse Racing. After attending the AAEP convention in San Antonio last November, I began writing more technical health articles for APHA and other publications--something I'd previously shied away from because medical is a tough area to write about. These topics have really stretched me as writer. In February I traveled to Amsterdam with a horse transport company and wrote a story for the Paint Horse Journal about it. Last August I began writing for the National Reining Horse's The Reiner, doing both event coverage (reining--my favorite event!!) and feature stories. I wrote for Haslet Style, Wise County Style and North Texas Magazine in 2011, getting some experience in lifestyle magazines. In September I became a regular contributor for Western Shooting Horse magazine--my first newsstand publication. In fact, I got to interview Chris Cagle last week for WSH--I never thought that type of thing would happen to me! In January, I began writing for the American Quarter Horse Journal--a publication I interned for in college and it's been a pleasure to work with them again. Recently, Horse & Rider magazine asked me to write an article for them. It was almost full circle, because Horse & Rider was one of the very first magazine subscriptions I ever had at 8 years old--and now I write for them. That publication is also on newsstands with a greater circulation than any magazine I've worked with before. I'm set to cover some horse events for Quarter Horse News later this summer.

• Future plans--I love every magazine I write for, and I'm excited to share the articles I have coming down the pike. I hope to write for even more new publications in the future. In the next year, I hope to write for other genres--women's interest, travel, lifestyle and even more equine publications.

Social Media Clients: Social media was initially a big facet to my freelance career, and it's grown so much in the last year. I started with launching Salon Friends' social media presence, photography and public relations from the ground up, and began working with D. Jones Tailored Collection doing social media, photography, newsletters and blogging. I worked with Tara Wilson Events for several months after creating a social media marketing plan, doing blogging, press releases and pitches and social media. I've done social media marketing plans and training for several businesses, and in the last few months I've launched social media programs for Breaking Bread the Healthy Way and Veritas Life Adventures. I also recently began blogging, social media and e-newsletters for the legendary Les Vogt.

• Future plans--I love every social media client I have. The variety of industries is exciting and I'm learning so much about each of their businesses. I've taken classes to enhance the skills I bring to my clients. I hope to improve performance on all platforms for my clients and perhaps gain a few new businesses.

Writing Clients: One area I've really enjoyed exploring since I've started freelancing has been writing copy. I worked with photographer Kari Crowe on her bio page and I wrote bios for the Salon Friends stylists and service team. I wrote press releases and menu descriptions for Panama City, Panama, hotel Tantalo Hotel/Kitchen/Roofbar. I wrote several press releases for the American Paint Horse Association this summer. I recently wrote all of the web copy for Breaking Bread the Healthy Way's new website. I've been working on web copy for Les Vogt as well.

• Future plans--Copy is a fun aspect of my job. I enjoy working with clients to make the words they print match their brand and goals. I am excited to see what businesses I work with in the future.

Photography: I've done portraits for a while, and after leaving APHA I've worked with quite a few more portrait clients. Capturing relationships between families and people with their horses is so rewarding to me. I even got to photograph a wedding in Australia in March. Unfortunately, I'm behind in blogging these sessions, but you can see them on my proof site. :-) I've done corporate photography for JEH Equine Reproduction Specialists (used on billboards, calendars and brochures), D. Jones Tailored Collection, Salon Friends and Breaking Bread the Healthy Way. My photos have appeared in Western Horseman-- a huge magazine that I've always wanted to work with. I've shot event coverage photos for APHA's marketing department. My photo was the cover image for the AAEP Convention Wrap-Up (published by The Horse--wow!!). My photos will be appearing in AQHA's member magazine America's Horse later this year.  I earned a third place award at the 2012 American Horse Publications Seminar Awards competition for a Paint Horse Journal cover photo I took in 2011. I've worked a lot on my techniques and processing and I've invested in better equipment in the last year.

• Future plans--Photography is the area I'm most focusing on improving. I am shooting another wedding in 2013 and I have more portrait clients this fall. I'm doing event coverage and editorial photography in the next few months. I hope to expand my repertoire of genres and improve in every area.

What does the next year look like? I'm not sure. I've got several areas I'm working to improve. Now that Zach and I are based back in DFW (we were mainly set in San Antonio from November--June) I hope to grow my business even more in this area. The future is exciting! Thank y'all for your support--I never thought I could be my own boss, but now that I'm here, it's amazing what I've been able to do. I hope to always improve and I work hard to learn something new every single day.

Paint Horse Competition of the Future - April 2012 Paint Horse Journal

2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the American Paint Horse Association. To commemorate this milestone, the Paint Horse Journal has run articles that take a look back--and more importantly, look forward. I wrote an article that shared predictions from industry professionals on the state of Paint Horse competition. I think it's really interesting, and I hope you do too.

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Miss Mareners article in July 2012 Paint Horse Journal

Miss Mare-ners was probably my favorite article idea that I pitched and wrote while working at the Paint Horse Journal. The articles are about a horse advice columnist that gives advice to worried and annoyed horses from around the country. Miss Mare-ners appeared twice while I was at APHA and I got to bring her back for a third article this summer. Miss Mare-ners wouldn't be half as great a character--or article series--without awesome illustrations by APHA's Dave Clowers. Laren Dubin has been the perfect source for a wacky topic like a horse advice columnist. I couldn't have done it without either of them and I'm grateful that APHA let me bring back my favorite horsey character--pearls and spectacles and all. I'm excited to show y'all this article. I love it and I hope you do too!

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International Horse Shipping article in June 2012 Paint Horse Journal

Earlier this year I had the coolest opportunity. I got to visit Amsterdam, and on the flight over I was a groom for Nedpoint. Flying with horses beats the pants off flying normally, and the story I got from the trip was one-of-a-kind. During the trip, I also got permission to take photos of the transport facilities that have not been previously allowed. My story appeared in the June 2012 Paint Horse Journal. Let me know what you think!