Clay Peterson

Beginning in 1962 Clay Peterson was chief photographer of the Salinas Californian for 36 years. He was best known for prowling the sidelines, ball fields, track meets and basketball courts of every school in the Salinas Valley. Many of the most iconic sporting events in Salinas Valley were caught on camera, who braved the sidelines of high school football on Friday nights, and particularly Hartnell College football on Saturday nights where there were only a few feet between the playing field and a cement wall at Salinas High Stadium. His photographs were often picked up by AP and UPI wire services and printed in papers throughout the state, county and country. His coverage of the California Rodeo Salinas earned him the reputation as one of the top rodeo photographers in the country. One of his most classic photos was of a saddle bronc rider on a bucking bronco that was chosen by the Salinas board of directors to be used as the poster to promote the 2008 rodeo. He also photographed Oakland Raider and San Francisco 49er football, the Crosby Clambake golf tournament at Pebble Beach and auto and motorcycles races at Laguna Seca Raceway.