The Horseman Photographer: Jeff Kirkbride

Click here to read the complete article
154 – March/April, 2025

By Brittany Vermeer

It’s often been said that when one door closes another one opens. But in order to take advantage of the opportunity, you must be willing to change course and step confidently into the future, even if you don’t know what’s on the other side.

Few people know that if it wasn’t for a job falling through, we might be writing about Jeff Kirkbride, the horse trainer–instead of Jeff Kirkbride, the photographer.

Kirkbride started out as most horse-crazy kids do, by showing in 4-H. “My sister was the horse crazy one,” he says. “I was just the little brother that went along.”

Throughout his youth career, Kirkbride maintained most of his show horses himself, with outside help from horse trainers. He competed in Showmanship, Horsemanship, Western Pleasure, Trail, and Reining. “Reining was my favorite, because it was a little more exciting, and I didn’t like wearing hunt pants,” he says.

After graduating from high school, Kirkbride went to work for Ed Dingeldine, “fitting Halter horses and making AQHA Champions.” After working for Dingeldine for two-and-a-half years, Kirkbride was on track to become a professional horse trainer. He planned to take a position working for Greg Whalen, but the job fell through.

A chance encounter with photographer, Harold Compton, would change the trajectory of his life.

“Harold Campton asked if I wanted to come to the Appaloosa World Show and Quarter World and set feet at the backdrop. By the end of the show, I had an offer to work with Ted Turner, with Edgewood Farms that had Mister Conclusion, and an offer from Harold to learn how to take pictures,” Kirkbride says.

“I decided I would give it a shot. If I didn’t like it, I would go back to working with horses. I never looked back.”

An Evolution in Photography: Taking Time to Develop

Click here to read the complete article
154 – March/April, 2025