Prolific Young Rider Kat Fuqua Named 2025 Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy Recipient
Wellington, FL – The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation awarded the 2025 Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy to rising dressage and jumping athlete Kat Fuqua at its Gold Medal Club reception held on January 17, 2025, at the National Polo Center in Wellington, Florida. The award is presented annually to a junior or young rider in an Olympic discipline who exemplifies the U.S. Equestrian Team’s ideals of sportsmanship and horsemanship….. click for link to article Jump Media photo
“ “She’s maybe not the flashiest mover or biggest horse, but she’s always on it and very consistent.””
In the NEWS
Video: Kat Fuqua Lives A Triple-Gold Dream With Dreamgirl At NAYC
THE CHRONICLE OF THE HORSE : Published August 5, 2024
Competition closed out on Sunday at the 2024 Discover Dressage/FEI North American Youth Dressage Championship with Atlanta-based Kat Fuqua emerging as a triple gold medalist in the Young Rider section.
She kicked off the week winning team gold Thursday with her USDF Regions 3/5 teammates, sisters Alicia and Allison Berger of Wellington, Florida, then followed that with wins Saturday in the FEI Individual Test (70.97%) and Sunday in the freestyle (74.35%) on Dreamgirl, the 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Spielberg—U-Vira, Goodtimes) she calls “my ride or die.”
“It’s really, really special [to be undefeated at this NAYC],” she said Sunday. “I’m just so proud of Dreamgirl, and it’s even more important because it’s with Dreamgirl. I’m so excited. Every day I felt like we were just getting better and better. I’m so proud of her.”……click for link to article Kat Fuqua and Dreamgirl. Avery Wallace/USEF Photo
Reese Kofler of Dressage Radio Show, affiliated with United State Dressage Festival, interviews Kat with her recent selection for the third year of the YR European Tour. Listen to the interview.
May 10, 2025
2025
Excepts….Many athletes remember the moment they first felt and recognized pressure. “I was going into the final round at Pony Finals on top,” recalled USA Dressage athlete Kat Fuqua. “I remember feeling it in my stomach, it was the first time I really felt like this is going to be a really big deal if I do it well.”
……Fuqua also prioritizes moments where she feels in sync with her horse. “The most rewarding thing in the world is getting that light bulb moment with your horse and you feel as if you are really clicking,” she said.
2023
2022
Behind The Stall Door With: Grand Remo
Chronicle of the Horse: Kimberly Loushin l June 8, 2022 (Hit link for entire article)
Grand Remo is always camera-ready. If he hears the click of a shutter, his ears prick, and he assumes an attentive expression. If he were a person, he’d likely be looking for a modeling contract. Kat Fuqua's 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood (San Remo—La Molga V) has had plenty of time to practice his poses, as he has spent his fair share of time center ring, being photographed with a championship ribbon clipped to his bridle. His accolades include three circuit championships (2020, 2021 and 2022) at the Winter EquestrianFestival (Florida), two National Horse Show(Kentucky) championships (2020 and 2021), the overall title from the 2021 Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships—East (Pennsylvania), a championship at the 2021 Washington International Horse Show (North Carolina) and reserve at the 2021 Pennsylvania National Horse Show in the junior hunters. Most recently he earned grand junior hunter and large junior hunter, 15 and under, championship honors at the Devon Horse Show (Pennsylvania).
Fuqua started riding “Remo” in mid-2109, and when they’re not on the road or wintering in Wellington, Florida, the gelding lives at home with her in Atlanta. “When I first got him, he was a new type of horsefor me,” she said. “He was big, big-strided, fancy. He’s a little bit opinionated, but I sat on him and was like, ‘This horse is amazing. I’ve never ridden a horse like this before.’ His movement was really what sold him to us. He just moves so beautifully. He’s a really good horse. I love him.” We went behind the stall door to learn more about the side of the gelding that center-ring cameras don't capture. • Remo knows exactly how special he is, and it shows in his personality. He’s very self-assured, so much so that he sometimes looks down on those around him. “He’s very judgmental, and he’s a little bit arrogant," Fuqua said. "He just knows always to put his ears forward no matter what. He knows he’s beautiful. He’s very self-entitled. He doesn’t care about other horses. He doesn’t get jealous because he knows he’s beautiful. He doesn’t care.” click for rest of article
The Plaid Horse: Devon, Pa. – May 28, 2022 – Junior hunter competition wrapped up in the iconic Dixon Oval Saturday afternoon at the 2022 Devon Horse Show. Both Large and Small Junior Hunter competitors vied for the Devon Grand Junior Hunter Championship title, sponsored by Courtyard Marriott, taking to the ring one last time with the hope of accumulating the most points throughout the two days of competition to claim the coveted honor. In the end, it was Kat Fuqua who hoisted the “Ovation” Perpetual Trophy, donated in 2014 by Dr. Betsee Parker, after riding to top placings aboard her own Grand Remo.
Paul Jewell (USA) designed courses on the final day of junior hunter competition that challenged exhibitors to ride forward and accurately, navigating through several long combination lines and sweeping turns. Fuqua and Grand Remo, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, rode around the track with ease, impressing the judges enough to clinch a winning score of 92 in the $4,000 15 & Under Large Junior Hunter Stake and a second place in the $4,000 Large Junior Hunter Handy 15 & Under with a score of 88. hit photo link for rest of story
2020
Special Awards
James ‘JIM’ Brundage Memorial Trophy – Brixton (Owner: Dr. Betsee Parker / Rider: Kat Fuqua)
2019
Kat Fuqua was destined to be a rider. Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, with grand prix dressage parents and a barn filled with talented horses, Kat started her riding career when she was only 1 year old. “My mom and dad got me miniature ponies and after that I just kept on riding,” she said. Now 12 years old, Kat has reached a level of accomplishment in her riding that keeps her in the winner’s circle, all while traversing the world of middle school. At the 2019 Pony Finals, Kat and Prestige, her 8-year-old Belgian Riding Pony, captured the Marshall & Sterling/USEF Pony Medal Finals. Not only is she a pony wonder-kid, Kat has also moved into the equitation and junior hunter rings with trainer Jimmy Torano. Sidelines had a chance to catch up with Kat at her Collecting Gaits Farm outside of Atlanta to find out more about her ponies, her horses and her life.
Do your parents still ride? My mom sometimes warms up my horses for me, but my dad doesn’t ride anymore. He used to ride after work, but when I was born, he’d rather come home to spend time with me.
What do you like about training with Jimmy Torano? I really like training with him because he’s a really good equitation trainer and ultimately it helps me with the hunters, too.
What are some of your favorite shows? My favorite show is either the Washington International Horse Show because I love being in the city, or Lake Placid. I get to spend time with my friends I compete with outside the show. I rarely get to do that, so it’s special to be in New York.
What’s your favorite thing about being part of the horse world? Being in a sport with live animals and having that connection with the animal is my favorite part.
Have you had a funny horse moment that still makes you laugh?
My pony Ladybug, Finesse RF, she’s my medium pony. When I go in her stall, she threatens to bite me, but she never really does. She just chomps at me, and pins her ears back and she gets really mad. She just threatens and clacks her teeth; it’s really funny. JJ Torano has taken over the ride of her. He was third overall at Pony Finals. She loves him and never pins her ears back with him.
What are your life goals (at the moment!)? One of them is to get good grades at school. And for the horses, I want to make it to the Olympics.
What’s your favorite thing about school? Do you do online school or go to a school? I go to a regular school, Holy Innocents Episcopal School. I really like French. It’s my favorite subject at school.
Do any favorite horse show wins stand out in your mind (other than Pony Finals)? This year’s Junior Hunter Finals is my favorite, when I won the small junior round over fences with Calvaro. That was my first junior hunter win at a really big champion show.
What are your feelings about Pony Finals this year? My pony Prestige ended up Champion, which was huge and I was really, really excited. Then we won the pony medal at Pony Finals on the last day. It was my first time winning an equitation championship.
Who inspires you? Definitely my trainer Jimmy Torano because he is an amazing jumper, equitation and hunter rider. Taylor St. Jacques has always been one of my idols because she’s really competitive in the jumpers right now. She’s won a lot of pony and junior championships.
What talents do you feel you have? Riding is one of them, but ice skating is something I feel I could be OK at, and jumping (on foot, like hurdling). I like that a lot.
What’s your favorite item of clothing to wear? I really only wear my school uniform and my riding clothes. I like purses. I usually like just some cute jeans and shirts, and a pair of my tennis shoes. Or if I go out fancy, I like high heels.
Most embarrassing thing you’ve ever worn? Probably at Halloween, when I wore my zebra costume. I didn’t really look like a zebra. I just looked like I had a bunch of stripes everywhere. It was kind of embarrassing on Halloween just trick-or-treating. No one knew what I was!
What’s your favorite meal? Dinner. I like pasta and steak.
Favorite type of pizza? I like barbecue chicken pizza. I had that in Kentucky with one of my best friends.
Something people don’t know about you? I like to ice skate and I have two birds. They are both parakeets, Taco and Pegasus. I got them at the beginning of WEF this year, and they kept me company at the horse show. They came home with us.
What would be the best gift in the world? Personally, to receive a hundred packs of Snaks Fifth Avenchew treats. They are my favorite to give to my horses.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Flying, definitely! I would love to fly everywhere.
What’s something everyone should try at least once? Riding a horse. It’s a great experience!
Lexington, Ky. – The 2019 USEF Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm came to its conclusion on Sunday with the Marshall & Sterling/USEF Pony Medal Finals taking center stage at the Alltech Arena. A total of 197 young athletes competed for the coveted title over a solid track designed by Jasen Shelley. A total of 20 riders with four from the small section, 10 from the medium section, and six from the large section returned for the second round over another challenging course. Judges Thomas Brennan and Ken Smith required no further testing, and Kat Fuqua was declared the 2019 champion.
Fuqua (Atlanta, Ga.) rode Prestige, her eight-year-old Belgian Riding Pony gelding, to the top of the leaderboard after the first round. She and trainer Jimmy Torano planned to hold on to the position at the top of the leaderboard with another smooth trip over the second-round course.
“The first round I wasn’t too nervous because I had already been champion [with Prestige earlier in the week], so I was just going in to have fun,” explained Fuqua. “For the second round, I was definitely a lot more nervous. I just trusted [Prestige] and talked to him and tried to relax.”
Fuqua executed the plan, delivering a flawless round. For the awards, the top ten who entered the ring had delivered strong performances, but it was ultimately Fuqua who was announced as the champion.
“I was really shocked; I was really happy. It was a big relief,” said Fuqua of the win.
Maddie Tosh (Milton, Ga.) claimed the reserve champion title with Bit of Love, Betsee Parker’s 13-year-old Welsh Pony cross gelding, while Shiloh Roseboom (Corona, Calif.) took home third-place honors with Buzzworthy, Enchantment Farms LLC’s 11-year-old Welsh pony gelding.
2018
2017
Junior, amateur, and professional hunter riders guided their horses around the grass derby field at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center’s Equestrian Village on Saturday morning in the $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby. The class was awarded in two sections, a junior/amateur section and an open section, and consisted of first and second rounds, where the top 12 competitors returned for a handy trip. Kat Fuqua of Atlanta, GA, won her second big class of the weekend. After winning the $5,000 USHJA Pony Hunter Derby on Friday, she bested a field of 20 juniors and amateurs aboard High Noon 3E. The pair earned scores of 83 in the first round and 84 in the second round for a combined total of 167.
Speaking of her third experience showing the gelding in a national derby, Fuqua said, „It feels really good to win the derby. This is the first horse derby I’ve placed in with him. I loved doing the victory gallop, and he felt really good on the grass field. I train with Liz Reilly and Keri Kampsen; they’ve helped me improve a lot.“ One of the youngest in the class, Fuqua started riding the 2003 Canadian Sport Horse, owned by Float On Equestrian, LLC, earlier in the winter circuit and also shows him in the Children’s Hunter and Equitation 11 & Under divisions. „We call him ‚Hippo‘ in the barn,“ she continued. „He loves attention (and) treats and is really friendly. My favorite thing about him is his smooth stride. I’m really proud of my horse!“