Rebecca Hart and Kat Fuqua were recognized for their sporting achievements by the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation at its Gold Medal Club reception in Florida this month. Kat received the Lionel Gerrand-Hermes Trophy, while Becca was awarded the Whitney Stone Trophy.
Becca rode Floratina, a 17-year-old Hanoverian mare to a clean sweep of gold medals in Paris, marking the rider’s fifth consecutive Paralympic Games. She rode to a personal best score of 83.53 percent in the freestyle test to end the Games with three gold medals.
“I am incredibly honored to be selected for this trophy,” said Becca.
“It is an incredible testament to just how far para dressage has come as a discipline. I have loved helping to bring adaptive sport forward and hope to be able to continue to do so. It’s an honor and a privilege to represent the USET Foundation, USEF (the U.S. Equestrian Federation), and my owners and sponsors on the field of play.
“I’d like to acknowledge my personal support team and the amazing horse owner and sponsor, Rowan O’Riley,” stated Becca.
“We wouldn’t have enjoyed these results without her dedication not only to me, but the entire discipline of para dressage. Team success comes when we plan and work together, and Rowan was an integral part of that.”
Becca Hart with USET Foundation President Kristi Mitchem and Chairman Jim McNerney. (Photo Jump Media)
“When I first started in para, we didn’t have access to the support and programs that we do now,” she explained.
“I love that we have been able to develop this program so much with the help of the USET Foundation. I have watched this discipline grow from a struggling fledgling sport into having the number one-ranked team in the world. The financial and structural support from the USET Foundation and USEF — on top of the huge amount of effort from sponsors, owners, and my fellow teammates — are what made these results possible.
“I want to see more para riders coming into high performance sport,” she said. “Disability is often considered a weakness, but it’s actually a strength. When we embrace our differences and change our perspectives, the entire community becomes stronger.
“My advice to any aspiring Paralympian is to figure out how to make your body work for you and find a solid support team; one that can think outside of the box. You can teach your horse a language that is unique to you and your abilities. Be organized and persistent in working towards your goals.”
The Whitney Stone Cup is given in memory of the late Whitney Stone, who served as president and chairman of the board of the USET, and was instrumental in creation of a civilian team when the Army no longer fielded teams in competitive horse sports after 1948.
Other winners of the award have included show jumper Michael Matz in 1980, dressage rider Debbie McDonald in 2004 and eventer Boyd Martin in 2020.
Previous winners of the Hermes Trophy include Olympic medalists Greg Best and McLain Ward, which prompted Kat to say, “I’m really excited because the riders that have received the award previously have gone on to achieve unbelievable accomplishments as professionals. The fact that I’m on that list alongside those athletes is really special.”
Kat claimed triple Young Rider dressage gold at the FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC) riding Dreamgirl. She is eighth on the FEI Dressage World Youth rankings with Dreamgirl and was named the 2024 U.S. Dressage Federation Young Rider of the Year.
The 17-year-old athlete rode on the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s European Young Rider Dressage Tour. Also a jumper rider, she competed internationally in both her disciplines at the same show, Hagen in Germany.
Kat Fuqua and Dreamgirl at Aachen. (Roya Brinkman Photo)
She trains primarily with her mother, Shereen Fuqua, and U.S. Equestrian Dressage Youth Coach George Williams.
“I started in hunters and came up through the ponies and junior hunters, and the championships in the hunter ring taught me a lot about how to deal with larger competitions. The European Young Rider Dressage Tour, which I went on in 2023 and 2024, was one of the most transformational programs for my career. Competing on a team at NAYC taught me about working well with other riders, even if I didn’t know them,” she said.
“It highlighted the importance of teamwork and prepared me for the pressure of competing on a team. NAYC couldn’t have been a better experience because my goal is to be selected to Nations Cup senior teams. This is the perfect stepping stone.
“I’d like to thank the USET Foundation and USEF for supporting me and my career along the pathway,” added Fuqua. “Also, thank you to my parents and my groom Pepe, who has been with us since I was nine and is Dreamgirl’s best friend.”
“If you’re ever invited to anything, like a pathway program, even if it feels like a lot of work, just do it,” she advised. “It might be an open window to something you don’t see now. You could meet someone who could completely change your career, or you could learn something that will help you transform your riding.”