BY KAILI KOZLOWSKI
Kennedy Kozlowski was usually one of the first people at the barn and one of the last to leave. Long before her own riding time began, she was already hard at work cleaning stalls, throwing hay, filling feed buckets, and helping wherever she was needed. Even at horse shows she wasn’t competing in, Kennedy still showed up, ready to work and support the barn and her friends, from morning until the last horse was tucked in for the night.
For Kennedy, that work was never optional. It was simply part of having a horse.
This year, Kennedy and her pony Bijou, known around the barn as Juno, qualified for the Large Regulars at the 2026 Pony Finals, something Kennedy had dreamed about for years. For many riders, Pony Finals is a major milestone, the kind of accomplishment people work toward throughout their entire junior career. For Kennedy, reaching that goal meant even more because of how she got there.
She earned it herself.
Kennedy started showing Juno last year in the Low Children’s Pony division. At the time, both of them were still figuring things out. Kennedy was adjusting to a completely different type of pony, and Juno was stepping into a division she had never done before either. Nothing about the partnership came easily or instantly.
Before Juno, Kennedy’s pony Cupcake was dependable, straightforward, and almost effortless in comparison. Juno was different. She had a much bigger step, a lead change, and a personality that required patience and consistency. Kennedy had to learn how to ride her effectively, and Juno had to learn to be ridden by Kennedy in return.
What makes their story special is that they figured it out together.
Since Kennedy started riding Juno, the pony has never once had a professional ride. Every improvement came directly from Kennedy’s own work in and out of the saddle. Every better round, every smoother lead change, every step forward was the result of hours spent riding, schooling, and learning through trial and error.
And Kennedy’s work didn’t stop when she got off the pony.
At every horse show, Kennedy handles nearly everything herself. She feeds, wraps, loads equipment, packs the trailer, cleans stalls, lunges, schools, and prepares Juno for the day. She is even teaching herself how to braid. While many riders her age rely heavily on trainers, grooms, or parents behind the scenes, Kennedy has always wanted to know how to do every part of the job herself.
That same attitude carries over into her everyday life at Hunters Ridge, Inc., where Kennedy spends part of nearly every week cleaning stalls and feeding horses. She works to help contribute to Juno’s care while also building the kind of horsemanship skills that can’t be learned only from riding lessons. The work is physical and repetitive, but Kennedy has never avoided it. If anything, she takes pride in it.
What makes it even more impressive is that she balances all of this while maintaining a high honor roll average and taking advanced classes at school. Homework often gets squeezed into long days at the barn or weekends at horse shows, but Kennedy has learned how to manage both worlds with the same level of commitment.
When Kennedy and Juno went to the Syracuse PHA Show, Pony Finals was not even part of the conversation. It was only their second time ever competing in the division. The goal at that point was simply experience: learning how to handle the competition, improve each round, and continue building confidence together. But over time, things started clicking, and Juno’s talent in the show ring stood out.
Kennedy didn’t just show up for the fun parts. She showed up for every part of it: the early mornings, the difficult rides, the physical work, the setbacks, and the responsibility that comes with caring for a pony properly.
As Kennedy’s mom, and occasionally her back-up trainer when the incredibly kind and supportive Lindsay Lindke is away, I’ve had a front-row seat to the amount of effort she has put into this goal. What makes me proud is not just the Pony Finals qualification itself, but the independence and work ethic Kennedy has developed along the way, and the growth Juno has allowed her to accomplish. She has learned how to solve problems, how to stay patient when progress is slow, and how to keep working even when things are difficult. She has learned that success usually comes from consistency more than talent, and that improvement happens long before anyone sees the final result in the show ring.
Qualifying for the 2026 Pony Finals Large Regulars is an incredible accomplishment, especially considering where Kennedy and Juno started. What makes their story special is that they figured it out together. With Kennedy now beginning to outgrow Juno, the pair’s qualification for the 2026 Pony Finals feels like a fitting celebration of the partnership they built from the ground up. Kennedy put in the work herself, every step of the way.
Kaili Kozlowski is a wife, mother of two amazing teens (who both happen to be equestrians), and a 4th grade teacher in Buffalo, New York. She is also an instructor at Hunters Ridge, Inc. in Lockport, where she co-coaches both the IEA team and Canisius University’s IHSA team. In her free time, Kaili enjoys tent camping with her family, reading, and spending time with all her furry friends.
