The making of an equine artist
Rodeo. Racing. Breeding. A lifetime learning the horse from the inside out.
Jim joined the Fresno State rodeo team, riding bulls and broncs. Because he could not hear the buzzer, arena clowns signaled when eight seconds had passed. His work with ranch horses between semesters sharpened the visual memory that would later animate his sculpture.
Jim embarked on a professional career conditioning Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds. He learned to read structure, stride, fitness, and temperament with the precision of both a trainer and an artist.
Among the horses associated with Jim’s racing years was Wine Sipper, a compact Quarter Horse remembered for his versatility across sprint distances. His stable also included record-setting runners and accomplished performance horses.
Jim gave up his trainer’s license to devote more time to the growing demand for his art. The knowledge remained embedded in every work: the different build of a Quarter Horse, the length of a Thoroughbred stride, the balance of a jockey over speed.
From the archive
“The former racehorse trainer has become one of the world’s foremost Western artists.”
The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal, January 2007
Read the archived profile