Famous Show Jumpers
Beezie Madden was born Elizabeth Patton in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the daughter of Kathleen "Kathy" McGregor/Schlesinger and Joseph "Joe" Patton. Madden has been asked, if she could start her life over again what would she do, and she admitted she would do the same thing. She began riding at the age of three and her first horse was called Flicka.
She is coached by her husband, John Madden, who also runs his business, John Madden Sales, from their farm in Cazenovia. She frequently shows horses owned by John Madden Sales, but she also rides for other owners. Two of her most popular horses, Authentic and Judgement (who is now retired from the sport), are owned by Abigail Wexner and Iron Spring Farm, respectively.
At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Madden won the gold medal as part of the United States team in Team jumping, together with Peter Wylde, McLain Ward and Chris Kappler. That year, Madden also became the first woman ever to pass the $1 million mark in show jumping earnings.
At the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, Madden earned gold in the Team Jumping competition along with Laura Kraut, Will Simpson and McLain Ward. She also earned a bronze in the Individual Show Jumping competition. She also placed first in the Animal Planet Sport Horse cup aboard Judgement that year but during the 2008 Rolex Events in Las Vegas, Authentic threw Madden into a jump, and later was disqualified from the entire event
She is coached by her husband, John Madden, who also runs his business, John Madden Sales, from their farm in Cazenovia. She frequently shows horses owned by John Madden Sales, but she also rides for other owners. Two of her most popular horses, Authentic and Judgement (who is now retired from the sport), are owned by Abigail Wexner and Iron Spring Farm, respectively.
At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Madden won the gold medal as part of the United States team in Team jumping, together with Peter Wylde, McLain Ward and Chris Kappler. That year, Madden also became the first woman ever to pass the $1 million mark in show jumping earnings.
At the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, Madden earned gold in the Team Jumping competition along with Laura Kraut, Will Simpson and McLain Ward. She also earned a bronze in the Individual Show Jumping competition. She also placed first in the Animal Planet Sport Horse cup aboard Judgement that year but during the 2008 Rolex Events in Las Vegas, Authentic threw Madden into a jump, and later was disqualified from the entire event
Laura Kraut (born November 14, 1965 in Camden, South Carolina) is an American show jumping competitor and Olympic champion. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Kraut won the gold medal as part of the United States team with her horse Cedric in team jumping, together with McLain Ward, Will Simpson, and Beezie Madden. In 2010 Kraut was featured in the television series A Rider's Story along with fellow Olympian McLain Ward.
McLain Ward (born October 17, 1975 in Brewster, New York) is an American show jumping competitor and Olympic champion.
At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Ward won the gold medal as part of the United States team in Team jumping, together with Peter Wylde, Beezie Madden and Chris Kappler. He continued to compete as an Olympian, winning the team gold for show jumping at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics with Laura Kraut (Cedric), Beezie Madden (Authentic), and Will Simpson (Carlson vom Dach) and McLain's horse, Sapphire.
McLain has been recognized as a dominant competitor on the jumper circuit since his junior days. When he was just 14, he won the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Show Jumping Derby as well as the equitation medal finals, becoming the youngest rider in history to win both in one year. McLain proved to be a fierce competitor, even riding with a broken collarbone in the 2005 Samsung Super League. McLain fought through the pain to help the United States team capture the Championship.
Ward found himself at the center of controversy at the 2010 World Cup Final in Geneva, Switzerland. His mount, Sapphire, was eliminated after the second round of jumping due to hypersensitivity in her left forelimb. Sapphire had placed second in both rounds prior to elimination, and was at the top of the overall standings at the time of the disqualification. McLain challenged the ruling, stating that FEI had sent technicians to flex Sapphire repeatedly throughout the night until she turned up lame. He believed this may be in part to Sapphire dominating competition throughout many FEI events, and FEI no longer wished for the pair to compete in the World Cup. The FEI appointed veterinarian stressed that there was no indication or evidence of any malpractice by McLain Ward or any member of the team. In July 2010, the FEI and McLain Ward agreed, to avoid extensive litigations, that Sapphire was incorrectly eliminated. However, Sapphire’s disqualification from the final round of the World Cup remained in place. The FEI also decided to develop mandatory guidelines for hypersensitivity tests.
In 2010, Ward was featured in the television series A Rider's Story[6] along with fellow Olympian Laura Kraut. McLain is married to Lauren Ward, who is an avid competitor in the amateur divisions.
On the evening of January 14, 2012, when Ward was riding Oh d'Eole in the $30,000 Surpass Grand Prix, Ward suffered an injury. "She jumped so high jumping into the combination over A that I went to pull her out from the B, but she left the ground anyway. Then, I hit my kneecap on the standard." Ward states. Doctors told Ward that he should spend eight weeks on crutches, not putting weight on his leg. November 28, 2012 Ward wins $10,000 Welcome Stake aboard Ilan Ferder and Missy Clark's Zhum CW. This was Ward's first vicotory on Zhum CW. Zhum CW is an eight-year-old KWPN.
At the 2012 Olympics in London, England, Ward rode for the USA Olympic Equestrian team. He placed 29th in Individual Jumping-Final Round A, 24th in Individual Jumping-Third Qualifier, 6th in Team Jumping Final Round 2, 20th in Individual Jumping Second-Qualifier, 7th in Team Jumping Finial Round 1, 1st in Individual Jumping-Finial Round, and 5th in Team Jumping-Qualification Round 1.
At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Ward won the gold medal as part of the United States team in Team jumping, together with Peter Wylde, Beezie Madden and Chris Kappler. He continued to compete as an Olympian, winning the team gold for show jumping at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics with Laura Kraut (Cedric), Beezie Madden (Authentic), and Will Simpson (Carlson vom Dach) and McLain's horse, Sapphire.
McLain has been recognized as a dominant competitor on the jumper circuit since his junior days. When he was just 14, he won the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Show Jumping Derby as well as the equitation medal finals, becoming the youngest rider in history to win both in one year. McLain proved to be a fierce competitor, even riding with a broken collarbone in the 2005 Samsung Super League. McLain fought through the pain to help the United States team capture the Championship.
Ward found himself at the center of controversy at the 2010 World Cup Final in Geneva, Switzerland. His mount, Sapphire, was eliminated after the second round of jumping due to hypersensitivity in her left forelimb. Sapphire had placed second in both rounds prior to elimination, and was at the top of the overall standings at the time of the disqualification. McLain challenged the ruling, stating that FEI had sent technicians to flex Sapphire repeatedly throughout the night until she turned up lame. He believed this may be in part to Sapphire dominating competition throughout many FEI events, and FEI no longer wished for the pair to compete in the World Cup. The FEI appointed veterinarian stressed that there was no indication or evidence of any malpractice by McLain Ward or any member of the team. In July 2010, the FEI and McLain Ward agreed, to avoid extensive litigations, that Sapphire was incorrectly eliminated. However, Sapphire’s disqualification from the final round of the World Cup remained in place. The FEI also decided to develop mandatory guidelines for hypersensitivity tests.
In 2010, Ward was featured in the television series A Rider's Story[6] along with fellow Olympian Laura Kraut. McLain is married to Lauren Ward, who is an avid competitor in the amateur divisions.
On the evening of January 14, 2012, when Ward was riding Oh d'Eole in the $30,000 Surpass Grand Prix, Ward suffered an injury. "She jumped so high jumping into the combination over A that I went to pull her out from the B, but she left the ground anyway. Then, I hit my kneecap on the standard." Ward states. Doctors told Ward that he should spend eight weeks on crutches, not putting weight on his leg. November 28, 2012 Ward wins $10,000 Welcome Stake aboard Ilan Ferder and Missy Clark's Zhum CW. This was Ward's first vicotory on Zhum CW. Zhum CW is an eight-year-old KWPN.
At the 2012 Olympics in London, England, Ward rode for the USA Olympic Equestrian team. He placed 29th in Individual Jumping-Final Round A, 24th in Individual Jumping-Third Qualifier, 6th in Team Jumping Final Round 2, 20th in Individual Jumping Second-Qualifier, 7th in Team Jumping Finial Round 1, 1st in Individual Jumping-Finial Round, and 5th in Team Jumping-Qualification Round 1.