Val Kiphart

Valerie Kiphart didn’t grow up with horses in the backyard, but they were always part of her world. It’s something she laughs about now, especially given how involved her family has always been in the industry. Her mother, Connie works the office for countless shows and serves as the NBHA state director, while her dad, Bruce is constantly on the road hauling to events. Despite all that, there were no horses at home, at least not at first.

From the moment she could talk, Val wanted horses. Before she was even two, someone gave the family a pony, and that pretty much started everything. From there, it was a steep learning curve and very much a family deal. Her parents were right there with her through it all, learning and working just as hard, and they’ve always been incredibly supportive.

Over the years, Val has become known not just as a competitor, but as someone who really thinks through breeding, development, and the long term future of her horses. Having owned or partnered on several studs, she’s intentional, sometimes very picky, about what she considers a true stallion prospect.

For Val, it starts with breeding and conformation. A stallion must be bred in a way that makes him desirable to the public, and built as close to perfection as possible. When pairing a stallion with a mare, she looks critically at what needs to be “cleaned up” and expects the stallion to complement those weaknesses. Only after those boxes are checked does disposition come into play. She often asks the hard questions: Can the horse mentally handle being a stallion? Can he manage the pressure that comes with it?

Performance matters too. While not every stallion will have a long competition career, injuries and circumstances happen, Val believes the ability to perform is still a key factor. With so many stallions standing today, she knows that being exceptional isn’t optional; it’s necessary.

For newcomers trying to understand the futurity world, Val is quick to acknowledge the pressure that comes with it. Futurities, in her words, are a horse’s first competition year, where they go head-to-head with others also running their first season, often for significantly larger purses. It’s a space where reputations are made quickly, for better or worse, and where preparation shows immediately.

That same philosophy carries into how Val approaches starting young horses. Everything that’s physically ready is introduced to the barrels at three years old, but the timeline beyond that is never forced. Ideally, she plans to run them as four year olds, but mental readiness ultimately decides the schedule. Some horses need more time, and Val is firm in her belief that pushing too soon is never worth the risk. If a horse struggles with pressure, she backs off without hesitation, choosing longevity over shortcuts.

Ask Val what the industry has taught her, and the answer comes without pause: humility.

Horses have a way of building you up and humbling you just as fast, and Val’s seen plenty of both. She’s had competitors step up with advice when they didn’t need to, and she does her best to pay that forward. Being on both sides of it has shaped how she operates, and she believes staying humble and open minded is key in an industry that never stops teaching.

Out of all the shows she attends throughout the year, one stands above the rest: the Congress. For her, there’s nothing quite like running down the alleyway into the coliseum. It’s a tricky pen with a lot of pressure, and that’s what makes it such a rush. It’s the kind of run that reminds her why she loves this sport.

For Val, success isn’t about being in a hurry or chasing attention. It’s about doing right by the horse, making good decisions, and showing up day after day to put in the work. The kind of work that happens quietly, long before anyone’s watching, and long before the wins ever come..