Atlanta KAT FUQUA HITS IT OUT OF THE PARK!

By Emily F. Templeton

pion of their respective divisions & Remo then named Overall JR Grand Champion Hunter amongst over 200 sport horses. Her equitation horse Itteville finished 6th of 132 competitors in the Gladstone Cup. Heading north to a cool summer in Traverse City, Michigan the Fuqua Dream Team were first to ever compete in Jumpers and Dressage. Her newly arrived Dutch warmblood Gargarian from Holland carried her to Team Fourth and Individual Tenth in 1.20 meters or 4 feet high jumps at the invitational FEI North American Youth Championships, while DreamGirl scored three bronze medals in FEI JR Dressage. Not happy with the outcome, ten days later outside Chicago DreamGirl & Kat were led by Olympian Michelle Gibson trainer and Olympian groom Rafa Hernandez at the national Dressage Festival of Champions taking FEI JR Dressage Overall Trophy, hitting the cover off the ball and making the big leagues!

Onward and upward pushing all the limits, this summer turned out to be the most significant career changing season for the young competitor. The chameleon qualified and ranked number one, for not one but three hunter fall indoor championships, Pennsylvania National, Washington International and National Horse Shows. And no surprise, Kat placed Champion at each one; Consent was

Champion and Grand Champion at Harrisburg, Grand Remo was Champion at Washington in Tryon. Most amazingly the two hunters won for the second straight year Champion of their divisions, and Grand Remo was named Grand Champion JR younger in the final inning. But don’t forget DreamGirl who scored big, winning her Regional FEI PSG Championship in October in Atlanta. To top it all off the US Hunter Jumper Association named Kat the Southeast World Champion Hunter Rider Of The Year.

FIVE TOOL PLAYER, Kat polishes her equestrian discipline skills from three time USEF Pony Hunter Champion, to Champion World Hunter Rider, to high flying Jumpers to International Dressage and her ever elusive major championship goal of Big Equitation. Art Bodega will be proud to see where it all goes in the years ahead, and maybe five rings one day. Only time will tell for her mantra for the sky is her limit! Train hard, Win easy. But back in school for the rest of the school year in her maroon colored plaid uniform, Kat humbly states, “I couldn’t do it without my parents, trainers, and Lydia, our farm manager, all the people who help me manage my very loved horses. I just love hugging my horses and taking care of them at home. It’s our special time together.”