Buck Cancer Project Feature: Jenna & Monkey

Every year, my Buck Cancer Project gives me the honor of gifting a photo session to an equestrian whose story embodies courage, connection, and the healing bond we share with our horses. This year, I had the privilege of photographing Jenna and her sweet horse, Monkey—and their session is one I won’t soon forget.

Jenna is a brain cancer survivor. Her last surgery was in 2020, and this year she celebrates an incredible milestone: five years cancer-free. When she talks about her journey, she always comes back to one constant source of comfort, Monkey.

To hear her describe him is to instantly fall a little in love with him yourself. She says he’s “like a big puppy dog,” always wanting his daily cookie and soaking up every moment of attention. His stall isn’t just where he lives, it’s her safe place. One of Jenna’s favorite things is simply sitting in there with him, relaxing in the soft quiet that only a horse can offer. That bond is what carried her through some of the hardest chapters of her life.

During our session, Monkey's gentle personality showed up in every frame. The way he leaned into Jenna’s touch, the softness in his eyes, the unspoken understanding between them, it was clear that this horse isn’t just a support; he’s a partner, a healer, and a steady heartbeat in her story.

Celebrating Jenna’s strength and the love between her and Monkey is exactly why the Buck Cancer Project exists. It’s about honoring the beautiful ways horses help us heal and reminding riders that their stories matter, every messy, hopeful, miraculous part of them.

I’m so grateful Jenna trusted me to capture the bond that helped her through the darkest moments and now carries her through the brightest ones. She is thriving, living fully, and embracing life five years cancer-free—and Monkey, of course, is still getting his daily cookie.

Here are a few of my favorite images from their session with Noctello and her other horse Cheyenne.