Greg Lovett
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY
Palm Beach Post

Cox's vast reach takes in the Big Ten, the Big 12, SEC, ACC, Ohio Valley Conference, National League, NFL, NBA, Atlantic Ocean and Rocky Mountains. All are settings for sport's infinite variety. Yet for the third time its photographers have won in the Best of Cox Sports category with photos from -- rodeo.

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Greg Lovett, an enthusiast of the sport since childhood, captured first place with work from that realm this year and also in 1999. Meanwhile, Grand Junction's Dean Humphrey was the winner in the Community Division in 1996 with a rodeo action shot.

Turning in good work from the arena just comes natural for the Palm Beach Post's Lovett.

"I saw my first rodeo with my father," Lovett recalled. "The whole family would go together. The people at a rodeo characterize the type of culture I grew up in back home in Arkansas. I immediately feel at ease when I'm at one of them."

The Palm Beach veteran has probably rendered unstable more than one wall at home driving nails to display his many Best of Cox plaques. Yet he retains a zest for news photography.

"My enthusiasm is still very high," he said. "I don't believe perfection is obtainable, and it's probably not a healthy goal to have. Instead, I concentrate on personal growth. I try to make my pictures better than they were the year before."

"It's true — Greg is enthusiastic, though his real strength comes from his efforts," says Assistant Managing Editor Pete Cross. "When Greg covers an assignment and long-term projects, he is thoroughly prepared. He knows the subject matter inside and out. While working on his Lake Okeechobee project [part of his entry in Best Photographer], for instance, Greg read reams of material on the lake, which helped him form a knowledgeable mental image on the subject."

Adds Cross: "Greg is a real pro and a wonderful photographer who constantly amazes me with exceptional and meaningful images."