FHI’s secret weapon: Charlie Mann
“Jack of All Trades and Master of Each and Every One”
You will recognize Charlie. He is the guy with that long camera lens getting shots of every rider as they go out on the XC course. You may not realize that Charlie has also become the “Mr. Fixit” for Fair Hill International. When there is a problem, anyone will tell you, “Ask Charlie!”
In his own words:
“It started out by overhearing a conversation about needing people to volunteer to help mow. I was like, ‘I could do that, I did it for a couple years out of high school, I am close and could give them a couple hours a week.’ Then Amy mentioned to Mary that I was “handy.” Mary perked up when she heard that, mentioning FHI had a lot of equipment that needed some TLC. I asked her to send me a list. There was nothing on it that I felt I could not handle. I have said for years that I am a Jack-of-all-trades and a master-of-none. It would be nice to put all those odd job experiences to work at one place. I think what sealed the deal is when I figured out what was draining the battery on the old John Deere tractor. When I told Mary that it was fixed, she was so happy she almost started to dance.”
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Charlie grew up in Frederick, Maryland with a single mom who had 3 or 4 jobs to make ends meet. His work life started early. At the age of 14, he hung out at the local hardware store making a nuisance of himself until the owner, Bill Stultz, started giving him chores to do. After some time, the owner called his mom to ask if Charlie could come to work for him. Charlie credits Bill with his insatiable desire to learn how things work and how to use most any tool. Bill required him to memorize where each product was in the store and to read the manual for each. Bill also encouraged him to learn a little about everything because you never know when that knowledge will come in handy. He also learned the value of being a helper as he assisted customers.
His next major piece of good luck came when he entered 9th grade, having changed schools so late that the only elective still open was the photography class! That was just about “all she wrote” for his career. Photography was it! Moving to Washington, DC in the 80’s, he went to work in a photography lab and had a side gig of taking yearbook photographs. He landed a spread in “Horseplay Magazine” which started his path as an equine photographer. Charlie has been described “as a photographer photographing horses” where a lot of others are horse people taking pictures.
In the early 90’s, he took a seminar in how to sell photographs by utilizing Stock Photography websites. He later began working with the very photographer who gave the seminar, Jon Feingersh. His job was studio manager and to build sets for Jon’s stock shoots. It was Jon who encouraged him to attend the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He had learned a great deal and, by 2000, was ready to set off on his own by going to Sydney for the Olympics. Before leaving, on advice from expert Jim Duley at Penn Camera, he purchased his first digital cameras and began to make his work become profitable. He has been to 4 Olympics, numerous Pan American Games, World Equestrian Games, World Cups, selection trials, the Kentucky 3-Day Event and Washington International Horse Show, to name a few.
Then, of course, there are his dogs. With a litter of Golden Retriever puppies, in 2009, he started taking puppy photos of all their antics. His pictures are still available and are hugely popular.
About fifteen years ago, he started working for Amy Dragoo of AK Dragoo Photography at Plantation Fields and several other local horse shows. AK Dragoo Photography became the official photographer for FHI Horse Trials in 2018. Amy has been a real friend, and she has allowed Charlie to “play” with his photography. Riders do not usually have an expert in the field experimenting with the best and unusual shots. Charlie is that guy out on XC with several remote cameras and the longest lens imaginable, zeroing in on all the riders. Each division, from Advanced, to the CCI3*, to Beginner Novice, to starter trials, gets the same quality of care. He makes us all look good!
Charlie’s desire “to help” has led him to do much more than take photographs. He spends time helping the jump crews, repairing fences on XC and mowing, lots of mowing! His participation has become a mainstay at Fair Hill. Once Mary found out he is a consummate putterer, she made a list of all the projects and fix-it problems. He attacks everything with a vengeance and does not mind that the list just continues to grow. Recently he accepted the job of Photo Manager at the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, this October 16-20.
Most any day, you can find Charlie puttering around most anywhere on the property, big grin on his face and a ready joke. Usually there is a Golden Retriever close by.
