My world, our horses... Pam Nickoles

I am a lifelong resident of Colorado. I share a home with my husband, three rescue dogs, two horses and a feral cat. We've also rescued two wild Mustangs that are peacefully living out their lives on a private ranch in southern Arizona.

Living amidst the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains and experiencing the appealing blend of Western cultures found in Colorado and its surrounds, my photos inevitably reflect my deep love for the Western legacy and natural landscape that are so characteristic of the region.

My world has always revoled around a love of horses and I've had the privilege of sharing my life with a few over the years. However, it was filmmaker Ginger Kathrens' portrayal of a wild stallion in the Pryor Mountains of Montana that first inspired me to go see the wild horses for myself. It was an unexpected, life changing experience. Horses have always been in my blood, but the wild horses now hold a special place in my heart. Beautiful, hardy and very family oriented, I find them fascinating. My husband and I routinely make the wild horse ranges our vacation destination. I am very fortunate that I have such support for my passion.

Observing and documenting the wild horses over the years has motivated me to fight for their protection and preservation. The goal of my photographs is to better acquaint people with these incredible animals and hopefully inspire folks to act on their behalf. I'm often surprised by the reactions of people who, when they learn of my work, don't realize that wild horses still exist. Unfortunately, at the current rate of removal from their lands, that may not always be the case. My message and purpose is to enlighten folks about the plight of our living legends. Our wild horses are magnificent, spiritual creatures. They absolutely deserve saving, protection and their rightful place on our earth.

Three years ago, Danish born Jorgen Mortensen founded the non-profit charity organization, Rubaga Friends. For years, he and his family have contributed privately to different support programs for disadvantaged children. It made a profound impression when an “adopted” eight years old girl was killed during the Rwandan genocide. East Africa is therefore always on his mind when the talk is about the need of supporting underprivileged, especially children. Earlier on, a colleague and good friend decided to engage directly in support and development work and spent over quarter of a century in various Asian and African countries. Her work and determination remains an invaluable source of information and inspiration.

After retirement and resettling in Tucson, Arizona it came natural to consider a more direct involvement in support activity. On his mind was a program at a manageable scale directed towards a well-defined group of needy children. Together with his friend, who then worked in Uganda, it was considered and finally decided to invite the orphanage school, Rubaga Community School in Kampala, to cooperate on a support program for the 280 children in its care. Details of the charity program were worked out and approval obtained by public authorities. Good friends in Tucson joined Rubaga Friends as board members, fundraising activities were launched, and the first transfer of funds to the Rubaga School was ready in January 2008.

Various organizations have joined forces with Rubaga Friends, including Sam Hughes Elementary School, Pima Rotery Club and Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE), UA.

Whether rich or poor, black or white, young or old... life on earth is a challenge.

It gives every human the opportunity to do what the great Jack London adhered to relentlessly more than a hundred years ago.

Use Your Time.

It is the most important thing all can do with their brief existence. Doing it carries each individual deep; far beyond fame and fortune, fear and loss.

Those who use their time not only acknowledge the privilege they have been given. They also provide crucial inspiration for human generations that follow.

This is where we are; along with massive oceans, awesome lands, life in fantastic forms and an atmosphere that controls itself.

Maintaining real life on this planet is why we are here.

Use Your Time.

The short version of why I started Front Range Equine Rescue is because of the inspiration of my horse Dancer and the influence of Anna Sewell’s classic book Black Beauty.

As a child, I was full of that wonderful affliction known as “horse crazy.” Unfortunately, my family didn’t live on a ranch or farm or even close to anyone who did. As the youngest of six, it was highly unlikely we could afford a horse. So I settled for watching movies or television shows with horses and avidly reading (often over and over) the selection of horse books at the local library. At the age of ten, my parents surprised me with a series of riding lessons that summer which I kept up for many years to follow.

Then came a time when I wasn’t involved with horses for several years. While at work one day, an ad for trail riding caught my eye. I signed up to rent a horse later that week.

The second time I went to this facility, a horse named Dancer was brought out for me to ride. Dancer was an overworked, thin sorrel gelding with a scar on his nose and cracks down his hooves. I soon began volunteering at this filthy, rundown rental facility. Like Dancer, the other horses suffered from a lack of proper care. When they didn’t work as rental horses, back to auction they went. The owner didn’t care if they sold for slaughter.

One December morning, I asked if the owner ever sold the horses. The barn manager laughed and said they all had a price on their heads. When I mentioned Dancer, she turned serious and said the owner would never sell him. But the owner’s gambling debts must have been high because he did sell Dancer to me. My childhood wish had come true, I had a horse! With the help of others, I removed three other horses from that sad place before moving to Colorado. In the back of my mind, I wanted to one day start a horse rescue. I didn’t know how it would happen, but I believe Dancer did.

The ten years that I had Dancer in my life were the very best. With him at my side, I became capable of speaking out for all horses. His death in 2001 left me devastated beyond words, but his legacy lives on through the work of Front Range Equine Rescue. As a fellow boarder once told me, “Dancer is your very own special ‘Black Beauty’.” While many of the horses have touched me deeply, only Dancer could have led me to this heart warming and heart breaking work that will forever be part of my life.

As a medical professional with close to 30 years of experience in the field of radiology, I constantly meet women who are newly diagnosed with cancer. I learned many years ago that being surrounded by positive upbeat people plays a critical role in the recovery process.

I started Beat Cancer Boot Camp after taking part in an outdoor, military-based exercise program for the City of Tucson, AZ. A friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer, and I encouraged her to attend the class with me during her treatment. My friend and I both realized that attending the class had helped her to remain focused and strong, and I decided to develop an exercise program of my own that was dedicated specifically to empowering cancer patients, cancer survivors, and the people who love and support them. The first iteration of my program was called Breast Cancer Boot Camp, but the name was changed to Beat Cancer Boot Camp in 2008 in order to make it more inclusive.

The Beat Cancer Boot Camp program is based on the Navy Seals workout program, and the goal of the program is to make participants physically stronger which in turn gives them the mental strength that they need to battle their illnesses. The Beat Cancer Boot Camp, in addition to its physical component, places a lot of emphasis on mentoring, networking, and social interaction. Participants in my program learn that taking back whatever control you can of your overall health is important and goes a long way towards eliminating the feeling of helplessness that almost always accompanies a cancer diagnosis.

Several hundred women have gone through the Tucson-based program since its inception in 2004, and the program has recently been expanded to Ohio. Plans are under way to bring the Beat Cancer Boot Camp program to other areas of the County.