Dr. Joe Ball, President

Dr. Ball grew up on a ranch on the Florida Mesa south of Durango, Colorado.  His family raised cows and horses and spent many summers exploring the mountains on pack trips with the horses and mules.  Growing up he was also active in 4H.

He graduated from Durango High School and his love of animals led him to Colorado State University where he graduated from Veterinary School in 1983.  Dr. Ball practiced large animal medicine on horses and cows for about 20 years in Southwest Colorado, and he is still practicing small animal medicine part-time in Bayfield, Colorado.

Since 2017, his love for Jesus placed him in an active role at Pine Valley Church in Bayfield, serving on Church Council and at the After School Program for kids, the Handyman Ministry and the Firewood Ministry.  Now his combined love of Jesus, kids and horses has led him, together with his wife Kelly, into a healing ministry for hurting kids.

Kelly Ball, Vice President/Secretary

Kelly has been a horse lover since she was a year old and has been riding horses since she was 6.  She has been in the Durango, Colorado area since 1980.  Kelly received an Associates Degree in Horse Management & Training in 1984 in Cheyenne, Wyoming and has worked on several ranches working and training horses.  She has owned her own Quarter horses for 40 years, starting colts, breeding mares, raising foals, and given riding lessons to both children and adults. Kelly’s love of the mountains is why she spends as much time as she can riding trails at high elevations.  She spent years doing pack trips and completed the 486-mile Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango in 2013.

Kelly started using Natural Horsemanship techniques in 1998 and became interested in equine therapy for children in 2004.  She attended an Informational Clinic at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Bend, Oregon in 2009, and began a similar ministry called Victory Ranch in Cedaredge, Colorado from 2012 to 2013 for emotionally hurting children.

Moving back to La Plata County in 2014, she attends Pine Valley Church where she and Joe met, and in September of 2023, she and Joe were married. In May of 2024, they both returned to Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch’s Ignition Conference, with the dream of again beginning a similar ministry. In August 2024, they were granted the privilege of finding a property where they could begin this ministry and spent 3 months refurbishing the horse facilities and home.  They renamed the ministry to Victory Youth Ranch and started a Colorado Non-Profit 501(c)3 Corporation where they welcome children to come and experience the healing effects of a horse.