Trainer Jason Canton finds Dream Girl in Holland and takes Kat
to qualify for FEI Children’s Dressage Championship and Second
and Third Level Regional Championships, and to earn the USDF
Bronze Medal with scores in the 70s. Photo by Meg McGuire
takes Kat to win 19 division championships at JR Hunters
and ponies, and is ranked 2nd in the country for World
Champion Hunter Rider, and her top hunters ranked first
and second, as of August 13th, third for her large pony.
While her heart is in jumping, her mother focused her skills
on good flat riding. “I have always made certain that Kat’s
foundation is dressage based. I Even hired our family friend,
Bronze Medal Olympian, Michelle Gibson to help her in
2015. When I met World Cup Grand Prix Jumper Jimmy
(Torano) in 2019, and watched him ride, I knew this was the
guy who good teach my daughter.” says Shereen Fuqua.
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The thirteen year old, and four-time USEF Horse of the Year
Champion, from Atlanta, was born to Grand Prix Dressage
parents, and major sponsors of equine sports through their
farm, Collecting Gaits. The little girl began sitting on her
miniature ponies given as gifts at her one year old birthday,
and has never stopped. Kat has racked up a list of national
championship accolades that rival that of many full time
professionals. She has won well over 225 division championships
with her hunter ponies and horses
since she started showing at age five.
Since 2014, she began learning to jump ponies with Mindy
Darst, a well respected USEF Hunter & Pony Judge in Wellington,
FL. United States Hunter Jumper Association started
ranking Kat every year since 2015 for their Zone Horse of the
Year awards for her multiple ponies and hunters. By 2018,
United States Equestrian Federation awarded Five Horse
of the Year awards and Grand Champion and Reserve
Champion to Kat for her Large Pony Brighton, Medium
Pony Finesse RF, Small JR Hunter under 15 RS Levitation, and
Leading Pony Hunter Owner for the second year in a row.
By Spring 2019 after taking home top ribbons from the
indoor circuit over the years including Championships at
Washington International & USEF Pony Finals, Kat hired
the Hunter/Jumper Big EQ Judge and Champion himself,
Jimmy Torano to polish her skills. Jimmy was instrumental in
training Kat to Champion at the 2019 Pony Medal competition
and to Champion for the second time at USEF Pony
Finals with Prestige. Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) of Wellington
awarded multiple Circuit Championship awards for
the past four years including Equitation Rider under eleven,
when Kat was just nine years old. Already in 2020 Jimmy
40 www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com
Kat Fuqua jumps
from Hunters to
Dressage with ease,
and in her words talks
about training her
Champion Junior Hunters
Consent, Grand Remo,
Cornell22, and
competing her
Dressage Mare,
DreamGirl.
Kat with Cornell22 Champion Small Junior Hunter under 15 & Consent
Reserve Champion with Trainer Jimmy Torano at 2020 WEF World
Champion Hunter Rider Week. Photo by Lindsay Brown
About Kat…
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