PLACERVILLE — Paula Jean Zdenek, a longtime El Dorado County resident, equine trainer and part-time journalist, died peacefully Feb. 7, 2026, at Gold Country Health Center in Placerville following a brief illness. She was 73.
Born Aug. 27, 1952, in Phoenix, Arizona, Zdenek later settled in El Dorado County with her family and built a life centered on horsemanship, education and community involvement. She was the daughter of Bert Zdenek Jr. and Hope (Roper) Zdenek, both longtime county residents.
Zdenek owned and operated Whispering Hope Equine Training Center in Rescue, where she trained horses and coached riders for decades. Her approach emphasized cooperation over force, influenced by natural horsemanship clinician Leslie Desmond and California stock horse trainer Bobby Ingersoll. Family members said Zdenek studied evolving training methods and applied them in both instruction and stable management.
Her connection to Ingersoll extended beyond the arena. While working as a part-time journalist for the Mountain Democrat and several horse publications, she assisted with editing work on his book, The Legendary California Hackamore & Stock Horse. Earlier in life, she attended major competitions and recalled leaving college classes to watch Ingersoll compete in the first Snaffle Bit Futurity.
A 1970 graduate of Rio Linda High School, Zdenek attended college in San Francisco before leaving to pursue her professional path in the horse industry in the early 1970s. She remained active in class reunions, including her 55th reunion last year. Over the years, she competed in and won multiple horse shows and built her Rescue training center into a recognized local operation.
Beyond her business, Zdenek participated in civic and professional groups, including the Sacramento Gold Trail Mounties and Hangtown Toastmasters. Friends and clients described her as direct, humorous and generous with her time, often reducing boarding or lesson fees to help those facing hardship.
“She believed working with a horse was a partnership, not a battle, and she carried that same generosity into how she treated people,”
her family said in a written remembrance.
Zdenek is survived by her sisters, Donna Hutchinson of Hemet and Brenda Gerolomy of Orangevale, and by Barrie Gerolomy and their children. She is also survived by numerous cousins, including Albert J. Zdenek Jr. of Miami, who considered her like a sister.
A public memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Green Valley Mortuary, 3004 Alexandrite Drive in Rescue, with a reception to follow. Family members said all are welcome to attend.
