It’s safe to say that Kelly Birkenholtz has a genuine love for horses.

When she started training under the guidance of Pat & Sara Heeley, the 34-year-old Iowa native already owned four …including the buckskin mare on which she learned to ride. Today she owns seven…including “Bucky” who is now 24.

Birkenholtz was born in Grinnell, Iowa. The daughter of George and Barb Hafkey, she was around horses all her life. Her grandfather grew up using horses for work and her dad rode horses to school.

“He had a pony named Thunder that I’ve heard a lot about,” she says with a laugh.

Kelly and her sister, Beth, started to become involved with horses by playing with their family’s pony on the farm.

When Birkenholtz was 12 she bought Bucky, then a 2-year-old, with funds she raised selling 4-H animals, and the two learned together.

“She was a very quiet 2-year-old, very safe and gentle,” she recalls. “I was actually afraid of horses before her.”

The pair started showing at a 4-H level and just enjoying each other and the local horse industry.

“Beth took over Bucky, started Pony Club events with her and I bought another horse. I tried eventing with, but decided it wasn’t for me, Birkenholts says. “I sold that horse and went back to Western Pleasure with my next horse.”

Once she graduated from high school, Birkenholtz earned an Associates Degree in Agricultural Business from Des Moines Area Community College and immediately started working for a local co-op.

After 11 years of service, she left two years ago to farm with her husband of nine years, Troy, and her father-in-law in Newton, Iowa. The family currently farms 5,000 acres of mainly corn and beans.

During this time, she tried her best to stay involved with horses, but it wasn’t until six years ago that Birkenholtz started showing at the larger AQHA circuits. Kelly says she and Sara Heeley “go way back” and when the Heeleys opened their training facility in Van Meter, Iowa, she moved all of her horses there.

Success came quickly for Birkenholtz after that.

She was the Novice Amateur Western Pleasure Champion at the 2010 Region 3 Show aboard Impulsive Shyster and returned in 2011 to again win the Novice Amateur Western Pleasure Champion this time with Ment To Be Famous.

“She’s very involved,” says Pat Heeley. “If we’re picking out a horse for her, she’s involved in that process. She comes to ride at least once a week. She lives just over an hour away.”

But Birkenholtz says one of her greatest accomplishments came much earlier.

“I won a Blue Ribbon training saddle at my first Reichert Celebration in 2007 by out running everyone in the class going backwards!” she laughs. “Best prize ever!”

Today, Birkenholtz owns and competes with some very talented horses.

Bein A Little Lazy is a 2009 bay mare by Lazy Loper and out of Investment A Ward. The two won the Breeders Championship Futurity 2-Year-Old Non-Pro Limited and Intermediate Western Pleasure at the National Snaffle Bit Association World Show in 2011. They were also the NSBA Reserve High-Point 2-Year-Old Intermediate Non-Pro Western Pleasure Champions that same year. She is now in training with Joni and Craig Nelson pursuing her new career in Trail and Performance Halter

Suddenly So Shameles, sired by Touch of Sudden and out of So Good Im Shameless, is a 2010 roan gelding, with a long list of accomplishments. In 2012, Shamus was the 2-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Champion and 2-Year-Old Limited Open Reserve Champion at the Tom Powers Futurity. At the NSBA World, he was 2-Year-Old Non-Pro Limited Reserve Champion and Intermediate Champion. He was the 2-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure Stakes Reserve Champion, tied for the 2-Year-Old Open Stakes Reserve Championship, and won the NSBA 2-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure at the Reichert Celebration.  Shamus and Birkenholtz placed fourth in the 2-Year-Old Limited Non-Pro Western Pleasure at the Congress. They earned the Reserve NSBA Non-Pro Intermediate Western Pleasure High Point Championship.

Birkenholtz also owns A Sleepy Trophy Wife, a 2011 sorrel mare by Too Sleepy To Zip and out of Whoz Been Good, who will make her show debut this year.

Birkenholtz purchased Iresistable Assets, a 2012 sorrel filly by Protect Your Assets and out of  Im Ziply Iresistable last fall, quickly trained her to do longe line and she was the Iowa Open Longe Line Futurity Champion then placed seventh in the Open Longe Line at the 2013 Congress.

“She likes to get up there and show in the Non-Pro 2 and 3-year-old classes,” says Heeley. “We get them started, but she’ll get on them when they’re 2 and 3.”

This year Birkenholtz moves up to the Open Division of Non-Pro competition.

“I’ve got mixed feelings,” she laughs. “The competition is a lot stouter. These people have been in the business a lot longer than I have so it’s a little intimidating.” She says she’s enjoyed being a Limited Rider for the past two years, “but I guess this is why we do it.”