Photography was a career of coincidence for one of the industry’s most well-known photographers.

If you’ve competed at any of the premier breed events, chances are you know Jeff Kirbride. And if you don’t know him personally, you know his work and have likely purchased his photos that commemorate your big win.

After graduating from high school Jeff went to work for a horse trainer in Ohio. As he was leaving his first position and in the process of accepting a job with a different trainer, photographer Harold Campton, asked Jeff to come to work for him.

“I’d never taken fixed pictures before,” Jeff reminisces, “I decided to give it a try because I knew I could always come back to training horses.”

Photography of any kind requires skill, talent and a good eye, but in the 1980s when photography was filmed based, it was even more critical to “get the shot” because the photographer wouldn’t know until the prints were developed if the angle and the lighting had been right. “Harold taught me how to use a camera,” Jeff says.

Working under Campton, Jeff had the opportunity to shoot some of the industry’s leading competitions. He gained experience at the Quarter Horse World Championship Show, the Appaloosa Nationals, the All-American Quarter Horse Congress and others.  “I worked for him for two and a half years, ‘till he fired me,” he explains, “after that I went into business for myself.”

Though Harold taught Jeff the fundamentals of photography, Jeff credits halter horseman, Ed Dingledine, with teaching him how to be a good photographer. “I learned more from him than from anything else,” Jeff explains, “he taught me how to look at a horse.”

Since 1987, when he went out on his own, Jeff has become a familiar fixture at breed shows across the country. For more than 25 years he has served as the official show photographer at Quarter Horse, Paint Horse, Pinto Horse, Palomino Horse Breeders and Buckskin horse events.

Above all else, Reining events are his favorite event to photograph. “It’s my favorite because I am passionate about the discipline and show in those events,” he says. He and wife, Chereé, have raised and sold top Reining horses that can be easily identified by the KR prefix in their registered name.

KR Little Conquistador, a stallion the couple bred and raised, has sired over $750,000 worth of money earners in the National Reining Horse Association.

“I hope he’ll get to $1 million in offspring earnings before I die,” Jeff laughs, “he has a ton of quirks and a ton of personality. You get one great one in your lifetime and that would be him.”

In addition to shooting western breed events, he has occasionally done work for Arabian and Gaited horse events. His work also includes commercial photography that has included horse trailer, belt buckle, and feed manufacturers.

Perhaps, Jeff is most widely known as the official show photographer for the All-American Quarter Horse Congress, an event he has covered every year since 1999. Combined with his time photographing for Harold Compton, Jeff has photographed Congress 20 times.

“I’m probably the only official photographer that has spanned two centuries,” he jokes.

In case, you hadn’t heard, 2013 was his last year as the official photographer.

“I thought the pinnacle of my career would be standing in the pen during a 2-year-old Western Pleasure class at the Congress,” he reminisces, “but when that day came, I didn’t know my name or where I was I was so tired.”

Retiring as official show photographer was not a decision he made lightly. “The hardest part to me was that the show meant too much to me, it was too important to me,” he explained, “the stress and the quality at which we did the event and the service we provided may have only been trapped in my mind because of what it meant to me.”

Part of Jeff’s success as the official photographer was his insight on the event. “I had a little different perspective on Congress than other show photographers,” he says, “I showed there in 13 & Under events and later as an adult,” he says.

The 2007 and 2008 show seasons were his highest volume. He staffed 22 people, six or seven of which were photographers to help cover all the rings. In 2013, he brought 18 staff members to the event.

“Times are changing, the Congress is hard to do with its size and the time required before and after the event,” he explains, “it ties up resources and expenses sit on the credit card for hotels, paper and envelopes.”

What most people don’t realize is the investment in the equipment needed to make Congress successful. It wasn’t just a single camera.

During his tenure as official show photographer, he purchased preview screens, cameras, lights and more to produce the quality photographs exhibitors have come to expect.

The amount of equipment Jeff purchased specifically for the annual Congress show is enough for him to orchestrate three smaller shows in the same weekend!

While he is no longer the official show photographer, he hasn’t ridden off into the sunset.

“I’ve been talking with Shane Rux (the official photographer for 2014) and work with him,” Jeff says, “I’ll still get the enjoyment of Congress without the headaches and without being as tired as I was in the past.”

Jeff looks forward to see what else might pop up in photography work for his business. He plans to cover smaller shows and increase the number of on-site farm shoots.

“I want to see what else is out there in life, something other than big horse shows,” he says.

Working as the official show photographer has given Jeff more than a career. “A lot of the breed shows are very friendly and like family,” he concludes, “I’ve watched their kids grow up. It’s been interesting and a lot of fun.”