Julie’s StoryJulie’s love for Golden Retrievers began over 25 years ago with the purchase of her first Golden, Rhea, from a backyard breeder. After researching both Golden Retrievers and English Springer Spaniels, Julie decided that the Golden’s intelligence, heart, and eager-to-please nature made it the perfect first sporting breed — and it quickly became a lifelong passion.
Julie spent many years competing in obedience, first with Rhea, UD, and later with OTCh Dax, UD. Through these early experiences, she developed a deep appreciation for the breed’s versatility, trainability, and unwavering willingness to work. Several years later, OTCh Fire, UDX came onto the scene, reigniting Julie’s enthusiasm and inspiring her to begin breeding multi-purpose Golden Retrievers — dogs capable of excelling in both the show ring and performance venues while remaining beloved family companions. From Fire’s very first litter came Julie’s first home-bred Obedience Trial Champion, OTCh Shine, UDX, marking a proud milestone in her breeding program. Today, Julie has retired from active competition and from teaching obedience classes, but her passion for the breed remains as strong as ever. She loves attending shows, cheering from ringside, and being part of the PrairieWyn Goldens legacy as she watches her daughter — and now her grandchildren — carry on the tradition of training and showing Golden Retrievers. |
Holly’s passion for showing dogs began back in 1995 when she trained Julie’s retired OTCh dog, Dax, for UKC obedience and 4-H competition. Together, they earned numerous Highest Scoring Junior Handler in Obedience awards.
In June 1996, Holly and Dax traveled to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to compete in the UKC Top Gun International Obedience Competition, where they won First Place in their class and another Highest Scoring Junior Handler title. Holly went on to show Dax to the UKC U-CDX level. Around that same time, Holly began entering Dax in 4-H Fair competitions, where she was introduced to showmanship and handling classes. After a few sessions, it became clear that Dax wasn’t quite cut out for the “show dog” lifestyle, so Storm stepped in to help Holly learn Junior Showmanship. With Storm’s personality and patience, Holly discovered how much she loved the art of handling. After proving her dedication and skill, Julie gifted her Wyndy—a “real show dog”—and from that moment on, Holly was hooked. That partnership marked the beginning of what would become a lifelong passion for dog showing and breeding. Building a LegacyMany wonderful dogs have followed since those early days. Bindi, Holly’s high school graduation gift, helped her continue developing as a handler. Later came Mason, a Best in Specialty winner and group-placing Golden Retriever, and Jameson, another Best in Specialty winner who embodies the type, temperament, and structure Holly strives for in her program today. Each dog has played a part in shaping Holly’s journey, teaching lessons in teamwork, patience, and the joy of true connection between handler and dog. TodayWhat began as a 4-H project has grown into a lifelong commitment and the foundation for PrairieWyn Goldens. Holly continues to breed, train, and show Golden Retrievers with an emphasis on soundness, temperament, and versatility. Her dogs excel in conformation, obedience, and performance events, while also being cherished family companions. Holly enjoys mentoring both juniors and adults who are interested in learning to show dogs, sharing the same excitement and confidence that sparked her own journey decades ago. Life has changed a bit since those early show days—Holly is now married and the proud mom of a two-year-old daughter, who already loves spending time around the dogs. Holly can’t wait for the day her daughter steps into the ring beside her and starts showing dogs herself. 
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