Best of the Country

The grand prize winner of our 2009 Rural Photography Contest is Robert Shoemaker of Canastota, New York!

Robert’s photo of his snuggle-licious golden retriever puppy, Sadie, outpolled three other funny, touching and beautiful reader photos to become Best Country Photo of the Year.

Country readers helped us whittle down the thousands of entries in our 2009 Rural Photography Contest to finalists in four categories, then chose Robert’s photo as the grand prize winner.

“We’ve subscribed to Country and Country EXTRA for 16 years, and it finally paid off,” Robert jokes. “It’s been a lot of fun.”

Almost as much fun as a golden retriever puppy?

“Sadie was just a few weeks old when we let her out to play in her first snow,” Robert remembers. “As you can tell, she was having a great time, and I caught her at just the right moment. I love to take pictures, but you’re always a little surprised when one turns out this well.

“Sadie turned 1 year old in September, so she doesn’t look like a puppy anymore,” he adds. “But she’s still a puppy inside. We live in an old farmhouse up a long lane on 30 acres, so she has the run of the place. She’s a country dog, 100 percent.”

As the grand prize winner, Robert receives a trip for two, valued at up to $3,200, provided by World Wide Country Tours.

You could win a trip, too. If you have a special country photo, you still have a few days to send it in for the 2010 contest. Entries must be postmarked by Dec. 1, 2009, to be eligible. Six finalists in four categories—Country Kids, Farm Animals, Country Scenery and Rural People—receive $100 each. Each category winner gets an additional $200 and the chance to compete for our grand prize.

Send us your best country photo, and a year from now, you could be planning a trip, just like Robert!

Official Contest Rules and Entry Information