EXCEL EQUINE - Key Persons
Co-owner David Williams has been in the animal feed business since 1979, when he opened Burkmann Feeds in Danville, Ky., an animal feed maker that has since expanded into other parts of Kentucky and Tennessee.
Agriculture and science have always been central to David's life. As a youth, growing up in Shepherdsville, Ky., he raised and showed livestock and was active in in 4H and Future Farmers of America. David's focus on agriculture continued at the University of Kentucky, where he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in animal science and at Iowa State University, where he earned his Ph.D. in animal nutrition.
In his adopted hometown of Danville, where he lives on a horse farm, David has been involved in everything from his church and the chamber of commerce to 4-H and a community land trust. He raises thoroughbreds and, of course, he feeds them the Excel Equine feed blends that he and co-owner and fellow scientist Kent Thompson develop.
Jenelle Klingaman, originally from the state of Wisconsin, completed her undergraduate studies at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT in Animal Science with an emphasis on Livestock Management. Jenelle then finished her Masters program in Equine Physiology at Middle Tennessee State University in Murphreesboro, Tennessee where she assisted the Collegiate Stock Horse Team and the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association and riding program. While at MTSU, Jenelle's research focused on equine exercise physiology and nutrition completing the thesis portion of her degree. She serves as an Equine Sales Specialist and Nutritionist with Excel Equine. She is serving Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio horse owners and feed stores. Jenelle and her husband live on their farm in Bloomfield, Kentucky and she is active in the barrel horse industry.
Job Titles:
- Co - Owner
- Managing Partner
Kent Thompson is involved in everything from marketing to manufacturing here at Excel Equine® . He formulates new premium feed blends, answers customers' questions about their horses' feed issues, oversees production at our mill in Louisville, Ky., arranges shipments of feeds to our customers at thoroughbred racetracks in the Southeast and travels to Florida, Louisiana and other states to work with new distributors as Excel Equine's distribution network expands.
An animal nutritionist with a Ph. D in animal science, Kent is the force behind Excel Equine‘s expanding line of premium feed blends. Because of his expertise in animal nutrition, which requires a knowledge of chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, animal behavior, economics and food processing, Excel Equine has become known for equine feeds that are nutritionally sound, formulated to meet the varying nutritional needs of horses of different ages and breeds, and appealing to the horses that eat them.
Kent has had a lifelong interest in horses and animal nutrition. He grew up on a farm in upstate New York, where he worked with and showed draft horses, before he headed to Cornell University to earn his bachelor's degree in animal science.
Kent had always loved Thoroughbred racing, and so he moved to Kentucky, racing's heartland, to do his graduate work at the University of Kentucky, where he earned his master's degree and his doctorate, both in animal science. After a two-year post-doc appointment in the UK Department of Veterinary Science, Kent taught on faculty for that department for six years. From there, he developed new feeds for horses at Purina Mills, taught at Midway College and was an equine nutritionist for Buckeye Nutrition in Ohio. Kent then saw an opportunity to be in business for himself, and with a partner, bought Tapp's Feed, an animal feed mill based in Shelbyville, Ky. In 2014, Tapp's merged with Producer Feeds of Louisville to create Excel Equine .
When he's not at work, Kent is on his farm in Shelby County, where he has his own horses. Of course, they eat Excel Equine premium feed blends.
Job Titles:
- Director of Sales & New Markets
Liz is a graduate of Wilmington College of Ohio, majored in Agricultural Business. She grew up in the Kalamazoo, Michigan area, actively involved with the American Ranch Horse Association (ARHA) and the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC). Liz started riding and showing at 6 years old with the local 4-H program and the Michigan Interscholastic Horsemanship Association. After college, Liz worked with a Michigan cooperative and trained with Purina Mills in feed and nutrition. She now resides in southern Indiana with her husband, horses, cows, and dogs.