Gone But Never Forgotten, Showing in Memory of a Fallen Friend

By: Brittany Bevis

“Horses were her passion and the symbol of her life.”

The above sentence, listed in the obituary of 23-year-old Kathryn Elizabeth Kowalczyk, gives a glimpse into the life of a young woman whose love of animals was a defining characteristic fondly remembered by her family and friends. Kathryn’s best friend, Joy Zabel, is helping to keep that symbol alive by caring for and continuing to compete with her late friend’s horse.

Joy and Kathryn met in science class nearly ten years ago when they were asked to pick partners for a group project. According to Joy, “she saved me from the Bunsen burner, and we were best friends ever since.”

“Kat and I had a friendship that changed over time, but in a good way, and it always involved horses,” she says. “We trained my first horse together, a 3-year-old Paint gelding (she did most of the work), and most recently showed Western Pleasure horses together under the guidance of my fiancé Jeremy Rosheisen.”

Kathryn and Splashin A Cool Dream, aka “Knoxville,” had been a team since the winter of 2013. Joy describes her friend as a “go-getter” who always had a natural talent when it came to horses.

“She did all of the groundwork herself and put the finish on Knoxville for Showmanship,” she says. “Jeremy started him in the spring of this year. Kathryn’s dream with Knoxville was to show at APHA shows and on a larger scale at the Color Breed Congress.”

She never got the chance to realize her dream. On August, 8th, 2014, Kathryn was killed in a tragic three-vehicle accident. According to the news report, an 81-year-old man ran a red light and struck a semi truck carrying a flat-bed trailer. The semi then ran into Kathryn’s truck and horse trailer. Although there were no horses in Kathryn’s trailer at the time of the accident, the force of the impact alone was enough to cause fatal injuries.

Kathryn was buried on August 14th, 2014 in Antioch, Illinois. She left behind her parents, Stanley and Lorrie; her sisters, Victoria, Carrie, and Stephanie; her fiance, Jason; niece Madeline, several aunts and uncles, and countless friends. Both her beloved Paint gelding Knoxville and POA pony Opie were left in the care of her best friend Joy and horse trainer Jeremy.

Almost exactly three months to the day following Kathryn’s accident, in early November, Joy and Jeremy headed to Tulsa, Oklahoma to compete at the Color Breed Congress. Accompanying them on the trip was Knoxville, who Joy planned to show in Kathryn’s memory.

“I felt it was important to show Knoxville at the Congress because I know that it was a goal close to Kathryn’s heart that she wanted to accomplish with him,” she says. “Knoxville is a fantastic young prospect with more heart than any horse I have ever had the pleasure of showing.”

Looking forward to 2015, Joy plans to continue showing Knoxville in Halter and Showmanship at local APHA shows. In addition, Knoxville will make his under saddle debut as a 4-year-old in Western Pleasure.

“I know she would be so proud of him, and we hope to continue making her proud.”