From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 26, 2023) — Renowned equine photographer Katey Barrett, whose work was an integral part of Santa Anita’s opening day Winter Meet souvenir calendar for more than three decades, passed away following a bout with cancer this past Sunday, Oct. 22 at age 91 according to her sister, Jane Barrett.
“Katey had been on hospice and was diagnosed with cancer a couple of months ago,” she said. “She was at Santa Anita and took beautiful pictures for more than 40 years. She received many awards and she was dedicated to serving animals, all animals. A lot of people have been calling and expressing what she has done for them personally, in their lives.
“Katey was a very selfless person.,” Jane Barrett continued. “She was dedicated to helping with the operation of a wild horse sanctuary near Mt. Lassen and keeping the horses free. She was very dedicated to that place. She hadn’t been up there in a while because she was unable to travel.”
Born in Hibbing, Minnesota, Barrett came west to dabble in Hollywood in the late 1950s and found work shortly thereafter on hit TV shows such as My Three Sons, Family Affair, Bonanza and Mission Impossible. She also worked on the production of a movie starring Don Knotts entitled The Shakiest Gun in the West.
Extraordinarily talented, Barrett’s still images were instantly recognizable and were an exemplification of how she viewed life and the spectacular animals that so enriched hers.
The following is a quote from her website which serves as a window into how she approached her craft: “So there you have it. (I’m) a self-taught wanna-be director, still looking through the lens as though it’s going to be a movie and ‘freeze-framing’ when I see the moment…”
Katey Barrett is survived by her sister Jane and two brothers, David and Jim. At her request, there will be no memorial services. Donations in Katey’s honor are welcome to Wild Horse Sanctuary, P.O. Box 30, Shingletown, CA, 96088. info@wildhorsesanctuary.org (530) 474-5770.