Vote for Paralympian Kate Shoemaker and Her Horse Quiana for USEF International Equestrian and USEF International Horse of the Year |
Kate Shoemaker riding Solitaer 40. Photo by Lindsay Y. McCall |
Lexington, KY – December 20, 2022 – Paralympic Dressage athlete Kate Shoemaker and her horse Quiana have been nominated for the USEF International Equestrian and International Horse of the Year. To vote for Shoemaker and her horse please click here. Voting is open now through 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 29. The USEF International and National Equestrians of the Year will be named on January 12, 2023, during the Pegasus Awards Dinner Celebration. The International and National Horses of the Year will be named on January 14, 2023, during the SmartPak/USEF Horse of the Year Awards Dinner Celebration at the 2023 US Equestrian Annual Meeting in Lexington, Ky. |
Photo: Matt Turer/US Equestrian |
USEF International Horse of the Year QuianaQuiana 2014 Rheinland mare (Quaterstern x Rubina, Rubinstern Noir)Owner: Kate Shoemaker Quiana began her partnership with Paralympian Kate Shoemaker in January 2022, and the pair quickly became a winning combination. Quiana and Shoemaker won their first CPEDI3* together and helped the Adequan® U.S. Para Dressage Team earn the silver medal at CHI Al Shaqab in Doha, Qatar. They finished in the top three in the Grade IV classes at their next CPEDI3* in Randbøl, Denmark, including a personal-best 75.813% in the Individual Test. The impressive results secured Quiana and Shoemaker a spot on the Adequan® U.S. Para Dressage Team at the ECCO FEI World Championships in Herning, Denmark. The duo helped the U.S. earn a team bronze medal and qualify for a team berth at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Quiana and Shoemaker closed out the World Championships by scoring a personal best 80.275% to win the silver medal in the FEI Para Dressage Grade IV Freestyle and being the U.S. team’s highest-placing individual medalists. Following their World Championships success, Quiana and Shoemaker finished their remarkable 2022 season by sweeping the Grade IV classes at the CPEDI3* in Riesenbeck, Germany. With Quiana’s help, it was the first time that Shoemaker topped the podium at an international competition in Europe. Kate Shoemaker. Photo by: ©Taylor Pence/US EquestrianUSEF International Equestrian of the YearKate Shoemaker Becky Grand Hart Trophy The Becky Grand Hart Trophy is presented to international-level non-Olympic athletes. Kate Shoemaker shone on the international stage, most notably at the ECCO FEI World Championships in Herning, Denmark, where she was the U.S. team’s highest-placing individual medalist. In Herning, riding her own mare Quiana, she scored a personal-best 80.275% to win the silver medal in the FEI Para Dressage Grade IV Freestyle. The pair also contributed the highest score toward the Adequan® U.S. Para Dressage Team’s team bronze effort, which qualified the U.S. for a team berth at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Riding Quiana and Solitaer 40 during 2022 season, she also earned a team silver and individual overall CPEDI3* championship in Doha, Qatar, as well as top individual CPEDI3* results in Wellington, Fla., and a team victory and individual reserve honors in Tryon, N.C., among other notable achievements. Shoemaker’s contributions to para dressage in 2022 went beyond her own competition performances. Through her mentorship and coaching, and through training and lending horses, she has made a lasting impact on the sport. In 2022, she helped put together four horse-and-rider partnerships, including helping her Herning teammate Roxanne Trunnell secure the ride on Fortunato H2O. In October, she also coached a pair of up-and-coming riders at the Perrigo CPEDI3* at Tryon: overall winner Fiona Howard and junior rider Genevieve Rohner, who achieved a personal best score. |
About The United States Para-Equestrian Association |
United States Para-Equestrian Association Mission Statement To Help Develop, Promote, Support, and Sustain all USA Para Equestrian Athletes for Regional, National, and International Competition with a focus on Paralympic Equestrian Sport. United States Para-Equestrian Association Vision Statement The vision of the United States Para Equestrian Association (USPEA) is to provide leadership for equestrian sport in the United States of America for athletes with an eligible physical impairment, promoting the pursuit of excellence from the grass roots to the Paralympic Games, based on a foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare of its horses, and embracing this vision, to be the best national Para Equestrian Association in the world. About USPEAThe United States Para-Equestrian Association (USPEA) includes every recognized equestrian discipline that is practiced by athletes with an eligible physical impairment with a focus on Paralympic Equestrian Sports. . The USPEA is a network of current and past athletes, owners, officials, event organizers, and equestrian enthusiasts. The Association assists athletes to get involved and expand their knowledge and experience in the Disciplines of Para-Equestrian.USPEA was created to fill a need to assist Para Equestrian disciplines when they came under the governance of the FEI. While Para Equestrian disciplines were originally segregated, they now are integrated in international sport. As each individual Para Equestrian discipline develops, it is USPEA’s mission to always serve as an advisory resource with the ultimate goal that the established able-bodied discipline affiliate will integrate within their organization.In 2010, the USPEA earned its 501 (c)(3) status and became a recognized International affiliate association of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) working together to grow the FEI recognized disciplines by helping to provide press, educational information, symposiums and competition opportunities for athletes with eligible physical impairments.For more information about the USPEA please visit www.USPEA.org or contact USPEA Secretary ellie @uspea.org.The USPEA is a USEF Recognized National Affiliate. The USEF International High Performance Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, USOPC, and USEF Sponsors and Members. For more information please visit US Equestrian at https://www.usef.org/compete/disciplines/para-equestrian. USPEA accepts tax-deductible donations, and they may be sent to USPEA c/o Ellie Brimmer, USPEA Secretary, 12359 Westhall Pl, Wellington, FL 33414. To view an online version of this press release please visit: https://uspea.org/category/recent-uspea-press-news/Media Contact:Name: Lindsay Y. McCallEmail address: Lindsay@uspea.org |