Unbridled Passion: Jan Drake's Journey of Photography, Publishing, and Helping Others
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This week's interview is like no other that I've featured on the blog before. Firstly because, I'm proud to say that this is the first time an author is featured on the blog! I know firsthand how difficult writing and publishing books can be, and I look forward to featuring more authors down the line (here's me hoping one day I'll get to interview my favorite authors, cough cough Sara J Maas).
So, to kick off the author category, I had the immense pleasure of interviewing Jan Drake, a woman who cannot be confined to just one term. She's an author, photographer, co-founder, fundraiser, and Equine Facility & Development Manager at the National Ability Center in Utah. But more than all of that, Jan Drake is an incredible human being. Someone whose love for horses has lead her to the most fulfilling work.
I learned about Jan through her book, Wild Horses of The West. This book is a stunning display of photographs capturing the majestic wild horses that roam the Utah Mountains; a world rarely seen by anyone. A friend of mine had Jan's book on their coffee table and the cover photos immediately drew me in. But what kept me reading was the captions. I was fascinated by the in-depth knowledge of the Onaqui herd's dynamics and the horses' individual personalities. I thought, “wow, this is someone who pays attention.”
Jan started working with the wild horses in 2008 when she got invited to see them at the Cedar Mountain Gather. This was where she connected with the the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which supervises the Wild Horse and Burro Program. The non-profit Jan is a part of, called The Intermountain Wild Horse and Burros Advisors, oversees and administers all the birth control darting for the wild Onaqui horses. “Back before The Wild Horse Free Roaming Act was declared in 1971, ranchers could just go out on the range and gather up wild horses for their own uses. Now that these horses are protected, the BLM is tasked with understanding what the land can sustain in order to provide for the herd.” This is why the foundation administers birth control. “A wild horse herd can double itself in four years, with a growth rate of 25%. But with birth control, our birth rate this year was 6%.” Without this human intervention, the land might not be able to sustain a large herd and this could lead to catastrophic consequences for the wild horse population. But contrary to other wild horse programs, the foundation draws the line at human intervention at administering the birth control. They are committed to keeping these horses as wild and free as possible.
Through her work with the foundation, Jan spent an enormous amount of time with these horses. Through this, she was able to combine her love for the wild horses and her passion for photography. After twelve years of documenting and photographing the Onaqui herd, Jan had a serious backlog of photos that became the foundation for her book. But, this book was actually never in the plans for Jan. She recalls, “I don't consider myself a professional photographer. It's a hobby. The book came about by chance.” A co-worker of hers who used to work in publishing had the idea for the coffee table book using Jan's photographs, and after pitching it to the publisher, Jan was able to complete the book in just eight months.
As a published author myself, I know that this is no mean feat. Writing the book itself is a full time job, but the marketing that comes after publishing is even more difficult. This was especially the case for Jan since the book was released during the pandemic. Initially it didn't receive a lot of traction, but once the world opened back up again, things started to pick up and now the book has sold over 6,000 copies. Jan said, “it's amazing, but what's even more amazing, is the publisher gave $1 of every pre-order back to the National Ability Center,” where she is the Equine Facility and Development Manager. “So, the book gets more people aware of what's going on out on the range. You get to talk about what the National Ability Center does, and it's been a win-win.” When I asked her if there was another book in the pipeline, she responded, “the passion hasn't gone out of photography, but it's been refocused to my volunteer work with the horses,” and the work she does with the National Ability Center.
Previous to our interview, I had never heard of the NAC, but Jan gave me a brief history and shared some incredible stories from her experiences there. The National Ability Center in Utah was started by Meeche White and her husband Pete Badewitz, a Vietnam Veteran. With a grant from the Disabled Veterans of Utah, the pair was able to fund ski lessons for veterans. The center has now grown into a place for people of all ability levels to participate in activities they never thought they could like ski, do ropes courses, or ride horses. “The National Ability Center empowers individuals of all abilities by building self-esteem, confidence and lifetime skills through sport, recreation and educational programs.” Jan started as a volunteer in their assisted equestrian activities in 2001. Jan had just moved to town and thought it would be a great way to make friends. Once she saw what these horses were able to do for people of all ages, she was hooked. Jan recalls one particular story that really moved me,
“We had some young adults on the autism spectrum, very high functioning. And we were working with a few male Mustangs just for groundwork. And Zach, in the beginning, would come in, stand by the wall, and wait for his lessons, didn't really socialize much. And then after working with this Mustang, named Fly, he gained so much confidence. He would see somebody struggling with their horse and say, 'Hey, can I help you?' One night we had a black tie event, where we took some horses, and Zach went along with us. When it was time for Zach's parents to come pick him up, his mom was going berserk because she couldn't find him. They thought he was out with the horses, but, he was in the ballroom chatting it up with guest about horses. So here's a kid on the autism spectrum that doesn't like to do social things, and that horse gave him confidence.”
This is just one of the many stories she told me over the course of our interview. I became so enthralled with her work that I asked if I could come and check out the place, maybe even volunteer, because to see interactions like that in person, that's magic. Overtime, Jan became the resource manager tasked with caring for the horses and the facility, which she did for almost 20 years. Now, she is the Equestrian Facility and Development Manager tasked with the more high level interactions, like fundraising, to bring awareness to the program and ensure that it can continue to impact people's lives.
What I enjoyed most about our interview was seeing the magic that unfolds when you follow your passions. Jan's love of wild horses, and her passion for photography, brought her to her book, which helps feed her love of helping people at the NAC. I am truly inspired by her unwavering pursuit of her passions. She demonstrates the amazing outcomes when you follow your heart. Furthermore, she is an incredibly enterprising woman whose quick thinking and good nature has served her well in business. One of my favorite quotes that I think sums her up pretty well is that she, “knows no strangers.” She helps those who need it, no matter what. I will take that sentiment with me because, especially those of us who live in cities, we can get pretty jaded. But it's interactions like these that remind me to spread kindness, even if it means going out of my way because we need that, and we need more people like Jan in this world. So I encourage all of you today to do something kind for a stranger.
If you want to support the incredible National Ability Center, please visit their website to make a difference today. Additionally, check out Jan's book on Amazon and gift it to your horse-loving friends.
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