Competition closed out on Sunday at the 2024 Discover Dressage/FEI North American Youth Dressage Championship with Atlanta-based Kat Fuqua emerging as a triple gold medalist in the Young Rider section.

She kicked off the week winning team gold Thursday with her USDF Regions 3/5 teammates, sisters Alicia and Allison Berger of Wellington, Florida, then followed that with wins Saturday in the FEI Individual Test (70.97%) and Sunday in the freestyle (74.35%) on Dreamgirl, the 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Spielberg—U-Vira, Goodtimes) she calls “my ride or die.”

“It’s really, really special [to be undefeated at this NAYC],” she said Sunday. “I’m just so proud of Dreamgirl, and it’s even more important because it’s with Dreamgirl. I’m so excited. Every day I felt like we were just getting better and better. I’m so proud of her.”

Fuqua designed her own floorplan for the freestyle, which scored a winning 74.35%, and has changed the music several times since she started riding it a year ago. The current classical soundtrack was selected at the end of the winter season this year, and Fuqua says it matches Dreamgirl’s energy.

They set the tone for their week in Thursday’s Young Rider Team test, where their 70.61% was the high score of the day and made them one of only two riders to break the 70% mark that day.

“I thought my test overall was good,” Fuqua said. “I definitely think I could have ridden a lot better. Dreamgirl did everything I asked her to do and she was really on my aids, but I think maybe I got a little lazy in the first part of the canter tour. Just things to fix over the rest of the weekend, but overall I’m happy.”

Watch Fuqua and Dreamgirl’s winning FEI Young Rider Team test, courtesy of USEF Network:

Fuqua and Dreamgirl were recognized for their consistent high scores throughout the week, something that Fuqua said is a strength of Dreamgirl’s.

“For Dreamgirl, I think her strongest point is her consistency,” Fuqua said. “She’s maybe not the flashiest mover or biggest horse, but she’s always on it and very consistent.”

Fuqua and her teammate Alicia were both part of the U.S. Dressage Young Rider European Tour this summer, where they gained valuable experience competing among the world’s top dressage combinations. Alicia’s sister Allison moved up from the junior ranks this year, giving the two a one-time opportunity to compete on an NAYC team together.

“It was super cool. We were lucky that [our rides] were far enough apart that we got to watch each other and cheer each other on,” Alicia said. “It’s so cool to get to be on a team together and share this experience in the arena. It’s the icing on the cake to get to finish it on top of the podium together.”

Read more about the 2024 FEI North American Youth Championships here.