Kelly grew up around horses; first with trail riding in Colorado and later hunt seat and dressage after her family moved to Florida in 1974. During college, she volunteered at the Horse Teaching Unit at the University of Florida where she learned about barn management and caring for breeding stallions, brood mares, and their foals. In 1990, her graduation present was a horse or her own: a saddlebred mare named UF Klass Act. With Klassy, she continued to compete in hunt seat and dressage, discovered fox hunting and was awarded her colors, trail riding, and passed their Parelli Level 2. UF Klass Act is now 26 years old and still sound; although mostly retired she still gives a few young riders their first mounted experience.

Kelly continued her dressage and hunt seat training in central Florida, teaching beginning hunt seat lessons at a show barn in Tampa in the early and mid 1990's. During that time she spent many hours riding and traning with breeders of nationally recognized plantation shod Tennessee Walkers and sane Paso Finos.

In 1997, she and Klassy moved to the Treasure Coast where they both still reside with a few more equine friends. Kelly has severved on the board of directors for Twin Rivers Saddle Club since 2006 and served on the board of ERAF as the intake/adoption coordinator from 2008-2010.