Business

Mentoring the Next Generation: A Conversation with BFL Canada’s Stephanie Kirton

BFL Canada's VP talks about what it is like working as a broker for this 100% Canadian-owned, employee-owned company.

Angestone and BFL logos; a blonde woman with show ribbons.

Stephanie Kirton, vice-president of BFL Canada.

By: Horse Sport staff | July 3, 2025

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you're listening to an article from horse sport.com. mentoring the next generation: a conversation with bfl canada’s stephanie kirton by: horse sport staff. for more than three decades, stephanie kirton has been a familiar face in canada’s equestrian insurance industry. as vice-president at bfl canada, one of the country’s leading privately owned brokerages, kirton has built her career around a simple formula: work hard, stay visible, and surround yourself with the right people. bfl is 100% canadian-owned, and employee-owned too, with a unique structure where top brokers have the opportunity to earn shares and become a partner in the company. bfl is a one-stop shop where you can insure your horse, your home, your farm, your benefits, and your manufacturing business with one call. now, as she begins transitioning leadership to the next generation, kirton sat down with us to talk about mentorship, building a successful equestrian-focused team, and what it really takes to succeed in this unique field. advertisement scroll to continue with content q: you’ve been focusing on mentoring younger staff. what’s driving that priority right now? i’ve been in the business for 35 years now, and it’s time to make sure there’s a next generation ready to step up. it can’t just be me holding down the fort. i want to mentor the younger professionals in our company. i take them to horse shows and events so they can meet people, and so people start recognizing their faces. we’ve also got an office at caledon equestrian park now, which gives them a place to work out of a couple days of the week and then they can walk around the show grounds and get to know the community. bfl also offers a lot of sales focused education courses for our staff. q: who are some of the young equestrians you are mentoring at bfl? we have several! in ontario there is mackenzie wray, who was on canada’s winning nayrc team in 2019 and started at bfl about a year and a half ago. michelle nikolov rides with anne auty and shows her own horses, breeds a few, and started about the same time as mackenzie. we also have julia howe, who is based in the niagara region, lives on a farm, and runs a boarding stable. she specializes in farm insurance, but works across all aspects of our business. kirsten barrien has been part of the bfl equine team for five years, representing the alberta saskatchewan region. growing up in horse country and on a farm, she participated with the dewinton pony club and now plays with the calgary polo club. in british columbia we have ashlea kadar, who has been riding for the majority of her life. she grew up showing in the ontario hunter divisions, but has now taken a dive into the western world. all of these young professionals are looking to produce and build their careers in the horse industry. q: what’s the biggest lesson you share with new insurance brokers? it’s simple: you’ll make as much money as you’re willing to work for and you have to be visible. that means pounding the pavement, going to shows, being available to your clients. trainers, veterinarians—they all need to know you. you can’t hide behind a keyboard in this industry. and we help our team with that—whether it’s handing out bfl-branded horse cookies from the equine bakery (the founder started at 13 and is 18 now, by the way—amazing young entrepreneur), socks from ride every stride, or other swag. it’s all about making connections. it’s also very important to have the best support staff behind the scenes and an incredible claims team that are available 24/7. q: what do you think makes a good leader in this business? first and foremost, you have to believe in your team. i have 17 people on my team across canada, including brokers. hiring the right people is critical. they need horse knowledge—that’s non-negotiable. many of the people i hire are university graduates whose parents say, “okay, time to get a real job,” and they want to stay in the horse world, but also have weekends off and a proper career. insurance is recession-resistant, so it’s a great fit. q: what advice do you have for someone just starting out who wants to become a leader like you? work hard. be dedicated. believe in your company and your products. when i started, my weeks were packed with office work, cold calls, farm visits, and horse shows every weekend. it takes that kind of commitment to build a career, especially in a specialized field like this. but the rewards—building relationships, being part of the horse world, and growing your career—are worth it. &&>

For more than three decades, Stephanie Kirton has been a familiar face in Canada’s equestrian insurance industry. As Vice-President at BFL Canada, one of the country’s leading privately owned brokerages, Kirton has built her career around a simple formula: work hard, stay visible, and surround yourself with the right people.

BFL is 100% Canadian-owned, and employee-owned too, with a unique structure where top brokers have the opportunity to earn shares and become a partner in the company. BFL is a one-stop shop where you can insure your horse, your home, your farm, your benefits, and your manufacturing business with one call.

Now, as she begins transitioning leadership to the next generation, Kirton sat down with us to talk about mentorship, building a successful equestrian-focused team, and what it really takes to succeed in this unique field.

Scroll to continue with content

Q: You’ve been focusing on mentoring younger staff. What’s driving that priority right now?

I’ve been in the business for 35 years now, and it’s time to make sure there’s a next generation ready to step up. It can’t just be me holding down the fort. I want to mentor the younger professionals in our company. I take them to horse shows and events so they can meet people, and so people start recognizing their faces. We’ve also got an office at Caledon Equestrian Park now, which gives them a place to work out of a couple days of the week and then they can walk around the show grounds and get to know the community. BFL also offers a lot of Sales Focused Education courses for our staff.

The BFL CANADA Equine team recently spent the day at Woodbine Racetrack.

Q: Who are some of the young equestrians you are mentoring at BFL?

We have several! In Ontario there is Mackenzie Wray, who was on Canada’s winning NAYRC team in 2019 and started at BFL about a year and a half ago. Michelle Nikolov rides with Anne Auty and shows her own horses, breeds a few, and started about the same time as Mackenzie. We also have Julia Howe, who is based in the Niagara region, lives on a farm, and runs a boarding stable. She specializes in farm insurance, but works across all aspects of our business. Kirsten Barrien has been part of the BFL equine team for five years, representing the Alberta Saskatchewan region. Growing up in horse country and on a farm, she participated with the Dewinton Pony Club and now plays with the Calgary Polo Club. In British Columbia we have Ashlea Kadar, who has been riding for the majority of her life. She grew up showing in the Ontario hunter divisions, but has now taken a dive into the western world. All of these young professionals are looking to produce and build their careers in the horse industry.

BFL Horse Cookies!

Q: What’s the biggest lesson you share with new insurance brokers?

It’s simple: you’ll make as much money as you’re willing to work for and you have to be visible. That means pounding the pavement, going to shows, being available to your clients. Trainers, veterinarians—they all need to know you. You can’t hide behind a keyboard in this industry. And we help our team with that—whether it’s handing out BFL-branded horse cookies from The Equine Bakery (the founder started at 13 and is 18 now, by the way—amazing young entrepreneur), socks from Ride Every Stride, or other swag. It’s all about making connections. It’s also very important to have the best support staff behind the scenes and an incredible Claims Team that are available 24/7.

Q: What do you think makes a good leader in this business?

First and foremost, you have to believe in your team. I have 17 people on my team across Canada, including brokers. Hiring the right people is critical. They need horse knowledge—that’s non-negotiable. Many of the people I hire are university graduates whose parents say, “Okay, time to get a real job,” and they want to stay in the horse world, but also have weekends off and a proper career. Insurance is recession-resistant, so it’s a great fit.

Q: What advice do you have for someone just starting out who wants to become a leader like you?

Work hard. Be dedicated. Believe in your company and your products. When I started, my weeks were packed with office work, cold calls, farm visits, and horse shows every weekend. It takes that kind of commitment to build a career, especially in a specialized field like this. But the rewards—building relationships, being part of the horse world, and growing your career—are worth it.