An unbelievably sad and tragic news has shocked the Arabian community in Poland and abroad. During his holiday in Poland, on the 20th of July, the well-known breeder, trainer and presenter Wojciech Kowalik passed away due to a heart attack. Lately he was employed as the manager and co-creator of the Saudi Arabian Athbah Stud, with whom he achieved great successes. In 2007 he was chosen as Best Handler of the Polish National Show at Janów Podlaski. An Animal Husbandry graduate from the University of Agriculture in Cracow. During college he trained at the Academic Equestrian Club and in 1982 began working at Skrzydlów Stud. Two years later he was employed as the main breeder at Białka Stallion Depot. He spent many years abroad, working at studs in Sweden and Great Britain, among others.
„Arabian horse breeding has lost an extremely important person”, says the president of the Polish Arabian Horse Breeders Society, Izabella Pawelec-Zawadzka. “He was without question one of the most important people in Polish breeding. We had high hopes that after his return from foreign contracts he would take on important duties here in Poland. He was a man of enormous talent, extremely gifted, world renowned. I had the fortune to recommend him several times for various jobs, also at the very beginning in Białka. Very versatile, not only a trainer, but also a breeder, who bred among others the stallion Boreas, a chief sire, in a very short time and from a small herd of broodmares. He presented horses superbly and had many victories to his name. Lately he withdrew from showing and returned to the judge A list. This is an enormous, enormous loss. Such people are not born every minute. He passed away in the prime of his life and professional career.”
A horse like a good wine – an interview with Wojciech Kowalik
