She Shoots The West livestream benefit concert and auction, 7pm, November 7, 2020.
Photo of Kim Taylor by Mary Durant, copyright and used by permission.
With guest writer Terri Mason, editor, Canadian Cowboy Country Magazine
She is known for capturing the essence of the Canadian cowboy. From the grizzly bear ranges of British Columbia to the miles and miles of native grass of the Great Plains, Kim Taylor is not only capturing the harsh lifestyle and poetic beauty of a hard-earned career in the saddle but has recently turned her attention to capturing the fastest disappearing ecosystem in the world — native grass.
In August 2020, miles from the ranch headquarters, multi-award-winning Western photographer Kim Taylor and a cowboy guide were scouting the ranchland on horseback, seeking places to get the best shots for her internationally-collected calendars and daytimers.
While picking their way through a heavily-engaged beaver run area, the horse Kim was riding broke through the tightly woven canopy of slough grass over the sharpened sticks and mud of a massive beaver run connecting the dams. Panicked and thrashing as he went down, the gelding landed on top of Kim, immediately pinning her beneath the saddle, then severely injuring her as he thrashed and lunged to escape the dam.
Kim’s injuries are severe — a broken neck, broken ribs, broken wrist and head injuries — but she’s still fighting.
Released from hospital after weeks in the intensive care ward, the self-employed shooter has hired home care to help her on the long road back to health.
And this is where you come in...
Hosted by Hoss Fritz, the hour-long fundraiser will feature western singer, songwriters Ryan Fritz, who cowboys in southern Alberta, and Ben Crane, western cartoonist and record producer. There will be an online auction featuring a canvas print of the above photo of Kim taken by and graciously donated by award-winning photographer Mary Durant. Other items are already filtering in at this early stage; if you wish to donate in that arena please contact Hoss Fritz at hoss.fritz@gmail.com and he'll gratefully accommodate your item. A GoFundMe donation campaign is also part of this event, and both it and the auction will remain open for several weeks after the livestream fundraiser concert. Additional links will be posted here as soon as they are up.
Thank you, folks, for caring about a fellow human being in great need, and for choosing to give of yourself. There's something deeply satisfying that happens when we get our eyes off our own difficulties - and we all have them - and choose to help out someone else. God bless yer socks off!
Our prayers and thoughts are with Kim during this incredibly difficult time. We look forward with great anticipation to her complete and full recovery. Think of the stories she gets to tell!
These photos © Kim Taylor, all rights reserved, used by permission.
Sharm and I have been friends with Kim for over 30 years, back in the heyday of the Canadian cowboy poetry gatherings and festivals. Quite probably the nicest gal you'll ever meet, we were drawn to her by her quiet manner and her incredibly artistic eye. When we were told of her wreck it hit us like news of a family member would, and when asked if we would like to be involved in a fundraiser to help defray mounting expenses we hit the door running. Longtime friend and fellow western singer, songwriter and performer Ryan Fritz, who cowboys in southern Alberta, called me with the idea of some kind of a concert, which is the only thing either of us knows how to do. Within hours of the conversation, people were in place to help us navigate the murky waters of cyberspace performance. Neither one of us are tech savvy but we happen to know some who are.
A huge thankyou to our team; Terri Mason, editor of Canadian Cowboy Country Magazine, along with the magazine's owner Rob Tanner, have graciously offered their expertise in promotion and online auction and fundrasing protocol, as well as inclusion of event advertising on all their social media platforms. Hugh McLennan, host of the syndicated radio show Spirit Of The West, has given the fundraiser airtime and endorsement, and Ryan's son Hoss will host the event and monitor online interaction during the hour. We even found a young feller, Duncan Flemming, to run all the computer wizardry during the livestream and Sharmon Crane will run several cameras - alot like chewing bubble gum and walking simultaneously. That's why Ryan and I stick with playing guitar and singing.
See you there.
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