THE BIG STICK HORSE KID
As a child, Dan Cavanah was just like many other children, he had a passion for horses. Though he was not lucky enough to own a horse, he would play with brooms, mops, and plain ole sticks, 
letting his imagination run wild with his make believe horses, and the dream of someday having a big horse ranch. As the years passed he owned and trained several horses, and would often share his childhood dream with others. In 1990, a friend, Wes Seibold, gave him his first stick horse, named "Ole Gray," as a gag gift with a note that read, "This can be the first horse in that big horse ranch you always dreamed of. Good Luck!" Since then, Dan Cavanah has been an avid collector and is often quoted as saying, "Stick Horses are Yesterday's Memories and Today's Good Times."
After moving to Gilchrist County, Florida, Cavanah joined a local riding club to make new friends who shared his interest in horses. The only horse he had at that time was his trusted stick horse, Ole Gray. The kids all wanted to ride Ole Gray and the adults shared stories about the stick horses they had in their childhood. He later founded Woodin-stick Horses of America, Inc., (WHOA), to promote stick horse fun for kids of all ages from around the world while helping to preserve the stick horse heritage for future generations to enjoy.
That same year he developed the first stick horse website featuring the history and tradition of stick horses. He coined the word "WHOADEO" for rodeo styled stick horse activities and has helped kids around the world to enjoy Whoadeo fun.
In 2002 Cavanah was honored with a Guinness World Record™ for the "Largest Stick Horse Collection," and in 2003 was featured in a Ripley's "Believe It or Not®" syndicated cartoon.
A few years later this very special stick horse collection of over 500 pieces became part of the spectacular Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede Dinner Show®, and is beautifully displayed in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee where it is enjoyed daily by thousands of visitors from around the world.
Cavanah's passion for stick horses includes a passion to write children's books about stick horse tales. His first book "Tiny Timber Finds a Friend" was published in 2008 and is already consided a new children's classic.
The stick horse character,Tiny Timber, will be coming soon to stores in your area as an adorable plush stick horse toy with Tiny speaking a special message to all kids and will come with a soft cover "Tiny Timber Finds a Friend" book. Check with your local retail stores for availabilty in your area.
Dan Cavanah is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Gilchrist County Character Council, Gilchrist County School District Advisory Council, ICCMA InternationalCity/CountyManagement ;Association, and Trenton International Rotary Cavanah is also the Town Manager for Bell, Florida and takes great pride in being an affiliate of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library by founding and sponsoring the Bell Imagination Library that provides free books to children from birth to 5 years of age living in the 32619 zip code area.
To learn more about the Imagination Library click on the link below:
Visit: www.imaginationlibrary.com/
Visit: www.bellimaginationlibrary.com
Visit: www.dixiestampede.com
Visit: www.facebook.com/dan.cavanah
Tiny Timber says,"Stick Horses are for the young at heart."