Fuqua Fantastic at USEF Junior Hunter National Championships …
Fuqua Fantastic at USEF Junior Hunter National Championships, I ♥️ New York, & Lake Placid Horse Shows
EQUINIUM SPORTS _ Devon, PA (August 2, 2019) - The Brandywine Horse Show's Dixon Oval and the beauty of upstate New York set the stage for some of this summer's top hunter jumper events, and a number of fantastic rides put in by Kat Fuqua and her team of equines. Celebrating her twelfth birthday on July 25th, Fuqua's elegance and effectiveness in the saddle rounded out her final days as an 11-year-old with the USEF Junior Hunter National Championships at Devon, the I ♥️ New York Horse Show, and the Lake Placid Horse Show Series in upstate New York to capture a number of top national titles and, under the tutelage of Jimmy Torano of JET Show Stables. Fuqua continues to compete as show age 11 and stands out in the Large Pony Hunters, Equitation, and Junior Hunter Under 15 divisions.
The USEF Junior Hunter National Championships welcome only the top competitors, emphasizing the essentials required both over fences and on the flat to make a truly spectacular hunter showcase. Held July 8-9, 2019 at the Devon Horse Show grounds in Devon, Pennsylvania, the Championships saw Fuqua's two Junior Hunter mounts, Cupido Z and Calvaro (aka Elmo), qualified as the top 24 and top 15 of all Junior Hunter mounts in the country. Elmo went on to clinch 1st in the $4,000 Small Junior Hunter Under 15 with a 9th overall placing. Cupido Z finished 2nd under saddle and 6th in the handy over fences.
Cupido Z once again led the field at the I ♥️ New York Horse Show, taking Champion Large Junior Hunter Under 15 by winning first over fences and first under saddle. With Equitation as her newest discipline, Fuqua rode Cornell 22 to 5th in the ASPCA / Maclay Horsemanship Trophy Class. In the Ponies, Chic in Time (aka Spicey) jumped to Reserve Champion Large Pony Hunter after finishing first under saddle and first in the hunter conformation. Spicey also won Reserve Champion Pony Classic. Prestige (aka Prince), who has been on a winning streak since this winter, swept the Larges taking Pony Champion with two firsts over fences and Champion in the Pony Classic out of a field of 18.
Prestige (aka Prince) kept up his unstoppable winning streak during Lake Placid, jumping to Grand Pony Champion and Large Pony Hunter Champion, including first under saddle and two firsts over fences. JJ Torano, who had never shown a Large Pony before and had been flatting Prince since the spring, helped guide Prince to his Champion and Grand Champion titles while expanding his own horse show experience.
"The Junior Hunter Championships were really great, especially for Calvaro," said Fuqua. "It was my second year riding in these Championships and our results made me feel really great. So far this summer my highlights have been getting Champion on Cupido Z at the I ♥️ New York show, which included younger and older riders in it so it was a special moment. Out of the ring I loved paddle boarding on the lake with my friends and my dad. The Equitation was also very exciting as I'm improving a lot with Cornell 22 and tried the WIHS Jumper Phase as well, where we had to go faster and do a lot of tight turns. The ponies were fantastic as always; Spicey and Prince coming in Champion and Reserve was great, and having JJ help Prince finish first against a lot of top riders was really fun."
Fuqua's schedule took her from Lake Placid to BreyerFest, the Lexington Horse Park, and soon to USEF Pony Finals, where she will defend her 2018 Grand Pony Hunter Champion title. Kat Fuqua's passion for horses is reflected not only in her highly decorated Pony Hunter, Equitation, and Junior Hunter rider results, but also in the joy and dedication she shows each time she swings into the saddle. Based out of Atlanta, Georgia and under the guidance of trainer Jimmy Torano, every aspect of Fuqua's riding, training, and show career reflects a unique ardor for equines and horse sport. She balances her equestrian lifestyle with attendance as a full time soon to be 6th grade student and takes pride in developing alongside her horses. In addition to riding, Kat enjoys spending time with her school friends and her favorite subject is French.
