Katelyn Clapp, Michigan QHA

MQHA Queen Kate Clapp (1).jpg

“The horse girl” has never been an unusual phrase given to adolescent girls who were involved with horses, and like many others, my peers started calling me this at a very young age. However, being born and raised in a suburb just outside of Detroit meant that throughout my childhood I was usually the only person my peers knew who had any connection to horses. My parents gave me a wonderful childhood filled with the best of both worlds‐ going to the barn and riding horses, playing with livestock, and getting down and dirty in the mud, all while getting to come home to the city. My love for both the country and the city has not dwindled, as I have continued to ride and show horses, and chose to attend a university in the inner city. The good fortune of being able to appreciate the beauty and openness of the country and fall in love with the hustle and bustle of city life has shaped me into the adult I am today.
I have two of the most incredible parents, Kimberly and Thomas, as well as an older brother and sister, Trevor and Ashley, a bonus sister with my sister‐in‐law Jenna, and a brand new nephew, Charlie. While my siblings and I were growing up, my parents were always carting us back and forth all over God’s creation, as my brother played travel hockey and my sister and I showed horses. My parents have always been immensely supportive of all of my passions, including the most expensive and time consuming: horses. My mom has always been my number one fan (and referee when needed), attempting to make it to every horse related event she possibly could, while my dad prefers to attend the “special events” and holds down the fort at home most of the time we are away. A never‐ending impact has been made on me by having such a close and loving family, and it is not taken for granted.
I attended the University of Detroit Mercy in an accelerated business program. I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance in December 2015, as well as a Master in Business Administration in May 2017: finishing undergrad and graduate school in just 5 years. Throughout college, I worked for Merrill Lynch as a Client Associate for four years on a wealth management team. After graduation, I was hired at Daimler North America Corporation (Mercedes‐Benz) as a Liquidity Management Analyst in their Treasury Department, where I have been now for over two years. On a day‐to‐day basis, I manage the short‐term cash liquidity of Daimler’s US and Canadian portfolios, as well as handle corporate finance activities like Profit & Loss Analysis, M&A Activity and Dividend Payments. Additionally, I am one of a few lead volunteers for a cystic fibrosis foundation called Rock CF, volunteer heavily in 4‐H activities, and have coached a High School Equestrian team for 8 years after the 2019 season.
My passion for horses started from the beginning, as my sister had a horse when I was born, and my mother rode growing up. Throughout my adolescence, I showed all sorts of animals in 4‐H and open shows, from cows to rabbits, however horses were always my priority. When I graduated high school, I made it my goal to show on the Quarter Horse Circuit. This goal came to fruition and I have now competed successfully nationally‐ earning year‐end awards with MQHA and OMIQHA, achieving top placings at the Congress and the NSBA World Show, as well as becoming Champion and Reserve Champions at the AQHA Novice Championship Show. In 2017, I was crowned the 2017 Ohio Michigan Indiana Quarter Horses Association Queen. While competing in the 2017 Congress Queen’s competition, I won the Congress Bronze in the Interview, and placed well in both the Horsemanship and Test Portions. I knew my road to Congress Queen was not over, so I knew that I had to come back this year: but representing my home association, the Michigan Quarter Horse Association, as their Queen.