One Week, Three Gold Medals for Lexie Kment

On Thursday, an emotional Lexie Kment sat in disbelief that she and her Region 4 teammates had just won the Junior team gold medal at the FEI North American Youth Championships. Little did Kment know that her week of winning had only just begun.

Three days later, Kment is heading home from Traverse City, Michigan, with three gold medals to her name. On Sunday, the 15-year-old clinched the Individual Junior Freestyle gold with a score of 74.775% aboard Montagny von der Heide.

“I think that’s the most fun test I’ve ever had in my life!” said Kment of her test designed and choreographed by Beth Hall and featuring well-known songs including “Cheap Thrills” by Sia and “Paradise” by Coldplay. “I’m still pretty speechless. I don’t even know what to say right now. It’s just amazing.”

Photo by Georgie Hammond/Phelps Media Group

Kment has had the ride on Montagny von der Heide ever since the gelding’s owner, Laureen van Norman, presented Kment with the opportunity to ride him nine months ago.

“After I won the Children’s last year at the [U.S. Dressage] Festival of Champions, she offered Monte for me to ride,” said Kment, who made the trip to Michigan from Palmyra, NE. “It’s just been a great match. At first I was a little wary of like, ‘Oh, I’ve never done Juniors before!’ Over time, he’s really started to feel like my little boy and part of the family.”

With an average score of 70.468% over the course of her three tests this week, Kment not only earned three gold medals, she was named the recipient of the inaugural Amanda Johnson “Pursuit of Excellence” Trophy as the overall high-score junior rider.

Joining Kment on the podium on Sunday were individual silver medalist Julia McDonald and bronze medalist Kat Fuqua. McDonald earned a freestyle score of 71.850% on Lehndorff van de Vogelzang, and Fuqua and Dreamgirl earned a score of 71.150%.