Kate Shoemaker Loses Quiana

U.S.A

U.S Paralympic team rider Kate Shoemaker had to say goodbye to her 2022 World Para Championship silver and bronze medal winning mare Quiana.

Quiana was a 10-year old Rhinelander mare by Quaterstern out of Rubina (by Rubinstern Noir x Kolibri). She was bred by Brigitta Wego.

Nicole Wego

The mare has been produced to small tour level by professional rider Nicole Wego, the daughter of the breeder. She was reared at her parents' yard where there are two broodmares and was named Quiana as to them it meant "the graceful one."

She was saddle broken at the Osthoff stud at age 4, before moving to Hof Kasselmann, where Nicole works.

The pair made its show debut in May 2019 at the local show in Bielefeld-Holtkamp. Soon after clinched German team selection for the 2019 World Young Horse Championships in Ermelo, where they finished 10th in the 5-year old finals after placing second in the consolation class. A month later at the Bundeschampionate they were fourth. Wego showed Quiana only once in 2020 in Ankum in November and placed second in the M-level test.

In 2021 they were selected again for the German team for the World Young Horse Championships in Verden, where they were 15th in the 7-year old final. The combination's last show together was in October 2021 in Ankum, where they were second in an S-level dressage test.

Kate Shoemaker

At the beginning of January 2022, Quiana sold to Kate Shoemaker, a U.S Grade IV para dressage rider.

The new duo made its show debut at the CPEDI Doha in Qatar where they won the team test and freestyle. After competing at the CPEDI Randbol they qualified on the U.S para team for the 2022 World Para Championships in Herning, Denmark.

Shoemaker and Quiana were the U.S. team’s highest-placing individual medalists. They scored a personal-best of 80.275% to win the silver medal in the Para Grade IV Freestyle. The pair also contributed the highest score toward the U.S. Para Dressage Team’s team bronze effort, which qualified the U.S. for a team berth at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

In 2023 the duo campaigned at the CPEDI's in Doha, Waregem, Mannheim and Hartpury winning 11 tests out of 13 starts. Hartpury in July 2023 was the pair's last show.

In 2024 Shoemaker focused on her new horse, Vianne, for the Paralympics, but kept on training Quiana. They last showed in an able-bodied M level class at the national competition in Ankum (NED) on 7 November 2024.

Freak Accident

Unfortunately Shoemaker had to put Quiana to sleep on Thursday 23 January 2025 after she had a freak accident in which the mare shattered her hip.

“Quiana’s life was tragically cut short on Thursday night. No one saw her fall, but it’s the only way she could have shattered her hip joint,” Kate explained. “After seeking second opinions from multiple vets on both sides of the Atlantic it was confirmed that there was no stable structure left in her hip. As much as I desperately wanted to do anything to save her, to ease my own pain, I couldn’t forgive myself if I let her suffer. The decision was devastating, but I know it was the right one. There are no words for this kind of heartbreak.”

Kate continued, “I was supposed to fly to Germany to compete with her in the PSG, and next Tuesday, we were going to fly back to Florida to prepare for the March CPEDI. It was only the next steps of what I thought would be many more incredible years together. To lose her so suddenly is incomprehensible. I wish I could have been by her side, but I am deeply grateful to Nicole, Jacki, and the multiple veterinarians who were with her.

Shoemaker further added, “for those who might wonder, Quiana was not insured. So it had no bearing on making this difficult choice. I just wish there was something, anything, we could have done to save her. I have never known another horse like Quiana. The feeling of riding her was indescribably special.”