Havre photographer wins international award

Press release

A photo by Havre farm and ranch photographer Todd Klassy was awarded top prize in an international photography competition based in Bonn, Germany - the first time the award was given to a photographer from the United States in 14 years.

The Star Prize for Agricultural Photography presented by the International Federation of Agriculture Journalists recognizes excellence in agricultural photography from around the world.

Photographers compete in three categories - people, production, and nature - from which an overall winner is selected. Klassy's photograph of a cowboy moving cattle on a rainy day in the Bear Paw Mountains near Lloyd was the photograph selected by the judges as the winner of the people category. It was then selected by the judges as the overall winner among entries from more than 30 countries.

The award was presented today at the 2016 IFAJ Congress in Bonn, Germany.

Klassy learned he won the award when he received a text message from Germany where the awards ceremony was taking place.

"They invited me to attend but didn't tell me I had won anything until today. My little brother got married this weekend in California so I just couldn't make it."

A delegation of American agriculture journalists and editors accepted the award on Klassy's behalf.

Although the annual competition has been running for more than 20 years, this is the first time since 2004 a photographer from the United States has won an award from the IFAJ Star Prize for Agricultural Photography contest.

Klassy said he knew the photograph was a good one the moment he pressed the shutter button on his camera.

"I just finished photographing on a ranch in southern Blaine County when a spring storm moved through the area." Klassy said. "I decided to follow the storm looking for opportunities to make a photo. As I winded my way through the gravel roads in the Bear Paw Mountains I stumbled upon some ranchers moving cattle to greener pastures. I hung back and watched as they moved cattle in the rain. Polite as most cowboys and ranchers are in Montana, they approached me and said I could pass through the middle of the herd, but I declined. And I am sure glad I did."

"I pressed the shutter when the cowboy, his horse, and his dog lined up perfectly with steam rising over the Bear Paw Mountains in the background," he said.

In the past year the photo has been published several times by many different publications, including Western Horseman and National Geographic.

"I am elated," Klassy said. "I couldn't be happier. When you make a career for yourself as a farm and ranch photographer this is a pinnacle of achievement. I couldn't be more honored."