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USDF Bronze & Silver Medalist
Cross Creek Farm is the home of FEI Rider Lauren Jump Matthews.
Lauren started her riding career at the age of 12 at Sedgefield Stables in Greensboro, NC. It was not long before her
parents, Graham & Cathy Fuquay decided to purchase Lauren a horse of her own. That horse was a registered paint
appendix named Buddy. Buddy was the first of many horses that Lauren would own.....each preparing her in their own way
to become the rider that she is today.
Training Background
Lauren began her riding career with trainer Jean Devenny, who exposed
her to both hunt seat and eventing. By 1997, the Fuquay's had decided to build a farm of their own, and Cross Creek
Farm was the result. Lauren soon decided that dressage was her true love, so the focus of training changed. During
the subsequent years, Lauren worked with several trainers including Barbara Stender, Michelle Folden, Hokan Thorn, Tami Batts
and Mary Werning. She has also cliniced with Conrad Schumacher, Anne Gribbons and Carol Grant. Lauren is currently
working routinely with trainer Joe Eaton.
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The Road to Young Riders
In 1999, Lauren had set a goal of making the Region 1 NAYRC team. She and her
Swedish Warmblood gelding, Vialli, made a good attempt, but did not make the 2000 team. A suspensory injury the
following spring seemed to end all chances of Lauren achieving her dream. However, the Fuquay's agreed to purchase another
FEI horse to give Lauren one last shot at her goal. Juri Gagarin, who was at the time in training with Joe Eaton, was
purchased in December of 2001.
Selection trials are stressful enough, but adding the fact that there
was not adequate time to develop the necessary sense of teamwork between the horse and rider seemed to stack the deck against
the pair. Every score counted and there was little room for error. The competition in Region 1 was fierce and
the last show at Paxton Farms finally guaranteed Lauren and Juri their coveted spot on the team. Lauren and Juri were
on their way to the North American Young Rider Championships at Temple Farm in just over 6 months since starting their partnership.
Although Lauren considers her experience on the 2002 NAYRC team to be
quite an accomplishment, she and Juri continued their success in the show ring with a vast array of awards and accomplishments.
They became quite well known for their award winning Intermediare 1 Freestyle set to "Brown-Eyed Girl". In 2005, the
pair was USDF Year End Reserve Champion Adult Amateur and both Prix St. George and Intermediare 1. Although Juri lost
the next two years of showing recovering from colic surgery and a suspensory injury, he and Lauren are now schooling Grand
Prix with the help of trainer Joe Eaton and hope to be in the show ring again in 2008.
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Click here for Lauren & Juri Awards
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