WASHINGTON, Nov. 2–While at the 2018 Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), Kat Fuqua claimed the Large Pony Hunter Championship with her own Brighton, but just a few weeks prior, the 11-year-old rider traded in her KEP Italia helmet, new breeches, and the big city show ring atmosphere for a different kind of ‘horse show.’
For two weekends in September, Fuqua and her Medium Pony Hunter, Finesse RF, took a step back in time to be a part of “Billy and Blaze,” a first-time movie adaptation of a series of equestrian classics by C.W. Anderson, set and written in the late 1930s.
“I got to be in the competition scene where the main character, Billy, wins,” explained Fuqua, an Atlanta, GA, native who traveled to Warrenton, VA, for the movie filming. “It was a lot different [than showing]! I didn’t get to wear a helmet because it was shot to look like the 1930s; I wore my own jacket, but they had more old-fashioned pants for me to wear. It was definitely a lot of fun!”
Kat Fuqua (right) with Henry Lesko, who plays the part of Billy. Photo by Patrice Casanova Photography
Fuqua was selected for the movie, produced by Michael Erkel, by associate producer Pat Hommel, and Fuqua selected Finesse RF as her mount for the filming, as she knew she could count on the 14-year-old American Warmblood mare.
“She was great; she was the most reliable,” said Fuqua, of the mare.
“It was a great experience because we were somewhat between Indoors,” said Fuqua’s mom, Shereen Fuqua. “It was just a really positive distraction to work on the movie for her.”
With filming now complete, “Billy and Blaze” is set to be released in 2019. For more information, visit www.billyandblazemovie.com.
