HiSTOricAl rESUlTS

or started him back sooner so that unforeseen problems didn’t set us back to the point where we felt not as prepared as we would have liked.”

“for athens, authentic was only 9 years old at the time and for every team member it was their first o lympic g ames. f irst and foremost we were there for the team medal. i was the anchor rider. i jumped two clear rounds for the team and then didn’t have to go in the jump off because the other team members had done so well. for me, at the time it was one of the most exciting nights. it was a great scenario. when i think of athens that is what i think about. at only 9 to do what he did, i wasn’t disappointed in him at all when i didn’t make it to the final individual round.” in fact, although on that day her team won silver they lat- er ended up winning a gold medal and Chris Kappler an individual silver medal (the result of positive drug tests on other horses who placed above them and then were all eliminated).

a vERitablE who’s who

if you speak to beezie’s husband John you’ll realize that neither one of them is surprised by beezie’s bio which reads like a who’s who. in addition to her achievements mentioned above, b eezie has won numerous other awards. she was a member of the 2003 g old m edal Pan a merican g ames team in s anto Domingo. s he is one of only two a mericans to win a Pulsar Crown event (the other was anne Kursinski). she did this at the 2000 valkenswaard grand Prix in the netherlands by beat ing barcelona olympic gold medalist ludger beerbaum ( g ER) by .31 seconds in a four-horse-jump-off. and these are only the tip of the iceberg as b eezie’s accomplishments are too vast to mention.

“i always assumed that b eezie would have great success,” commented John. “wherever you want to start to define her success, most people would agree it has not been sporadic. it has been a natural progression.”

John would certainly know. he first met beezie when she was working with noted horsewoman Katie Prudent. s he’d gone to two years of school at southern seminary Jr. College where she graduated valedictorian in liberal arts. i n 1983, she turned down a chance to go to the u niversity of v irginia when Katie offered her a job on her Plain b ay farm in m iddleburg, va

“i really didn’t have anything else that interested me,” explained beezie. “and then Katie offered me a job and i decided to take it. i did anything that needed to be done; a little riding, a little teaching, equipment management, grooming.”

Even back then John was keeping a close eye on beezie. he recognized her talents and had businesses in need of them.

PaiRing uP with John maDDEn

“John was in wisconsin at a horse show in milwaukee (where he lived at the time) and said casually to my mom that he wished he could get someone like b eezie to ride for him,” she explained. “my mom said ‘why don’t you ask her.’ and he did.

“i realized that at some point i would have to go somewhere other than Katie’s stable to be the main rider and that was what John was offering me,” said beezie.

horses and riders and manages the business end of the operation. when they are at a horse show you rarely see them apart and often frank will be there as well offering advice and sharing the discussions on how to ride the next course that beezie and one of her mounts is being confronted with.

John credits a lot of beezie’s success with the fact that she is “a clear thinker.” she hasn’t had a sporadic development. she’s paid her dues by being methodical. her success is a byproduct of all now both beezie and John are glad they blended their talents. while beezie does the riding, John trains her time and effort. the development of all the attributes that you think of great riders as having is the net gain.”

“i knew beezie fairly well from being involved with Katie,” interjected John. “i called beezie and we started negotiating a little bit. we didn’t have much in the way of horses. we had a bunch of sale horses and a nice horse called northern magic. i felt pretty grateful that she struggled along with me.” it was in 1987 that they first started working together. a little over ten years later (1998) they were married.

John explained that initially, “the business was set up for horse training and sales. after a few years, we had many riding customers for training and we made a decision to change the business focus (for a third time) so that we could concentrate on beezie’s training and riding. we’ve been really lucky with that. a little bit of it is timing. we started to be around long enough that people had confidence in beezie. it’s hard to look at it and dissect it. you put one step in front of the other. i always had the feeling that things would go along as well as they have. i know how b eezie is and knew she would continue and try to do everything as well as possible and the net result of all that would be success.”

how it all bEgan

the road to that success began in her hometown of milwaukee, wisconsin.

“my parents had horses at the milwaukee hunt Club when i was young growing up and you had to be at least 3 years old to ride there, which is when i started riding. i always thought it would be part of my life but never knew it would be my main profession until i was in college.” beezie continued riding as part of the intercollegiate program when she went to southern seminary Jr. College for two years and the rest is history. w hen asked what she has learned from being involved with horses beezie answered, “as a kid responsibility and later how to make the horse work for you. first the horse has to be happy and healthy. and then the schedule of the horse can help it stay fresh and want to do what needs to be done when you put the pressure on.” it’s those lessons learned and so many more that have helped beezie and John to slowly and surely get to where they are today. they have used the experience they’ve gained over the years to build up a very successful business.

“along with the experience is the fact that my husband John and i have built a good team of staff and owners that are supporting us. abigail wexner is a huge supporter –she owns authentic, Desilvio and integrity. and she now has five other horses with us coming up. we’re lucky enough to have others that have been loyal to us for many years.” as far as her riding success, beezie recalled her first international grand Prix victory.

“i had french Rapture and i was 5th in the world Cup final with him in gothenburg in 1993. that same year, french Rapture won the grand Prix of luxembourg. that was probably the first international grand Prix i won.” that may have been the first true international victory but certainly not her first win. if you meander through beezie’s bio you see that in 1989 she won the mercedes grand Prix of new york and the michelob grand Prix de Penn national, both on northern magic. in 1991 she was first in the michelob grand Prix of indianapolis on schnapps and in the american bankers grand Prix on the girl next Door. in 1993 she won the Crown Royal Cup in toronto, the hampton Classic grand Prix, the tampa grand Prix and was 5th in the volvo world Cup. so, while it is true that the luxembourg was her first victory outside of north america, in fact she was already proving herself well before then. as the years passed she continued winning on Cincinnati Red, Dynamite, imaginario, innocence, Cloud nine, Cockney ii, and more recently on Judgement, authentic and others. i n fact, Cockney ii was the first time she and John organized a group of people to buy a horse. “i just missed the s ydney o lympics with him but won the grand Prix of valkenswaard (netherlands]. starting with Jerez i made all the teams since then,” commented beezie with an ever so slight hint that she was proud of those accomplishments. b eezie has made world Equestrian teams, the Pan american and olympic team since 2002, with three different horses; Judgement, Conquest ii and authentic. that is truly an amazing achievement. she was also the usEf Equestrian of the year and authentic was the usEf h orse of the year in 2006. that same year the usEt honored her with the w hitney stone Cup, awarded to an outstanding competitor and sportsman. in fact, there is so much that beezie should be proud about and yet her enthusiasm is so subtle you would never know. but if beezie doesn’t spend time boasting about herself, her husband John won’t hesitate to tell you just what a wonderful person his wife really is.

“she is an extremely intelligent person and she is also an extraordinarily clear thinker,” explains John.“i’ve been lucky to work with a couple of good riders. the thing they have in common is concentration. she has a real ability to concentrate. Perhaps beezie’s biggest attribute is that she is a mixture of dedication and clear thinking. she decides to do something and then she is completely dedicated to doing it. some people can do this but then not have a clear path to do something, but beezie knows exactly what to do and goes for it.” yet John thinks beyond the horses even though there is little time spent outside of the horse world. they take one vacation a year and at home enjoy watching a movie or reading a book. at home most of their life is focused around training the horses and their day begins at 6:30 in the morning. b eezie starts riding at 8:00 and finishes around 1:00, just in time for lunch and some paperwork or to get ready to leave for the next show. at the horse shows most of beezie’s day is spent competing.

“John’s day starts around 6:00 a.m. checking horses and organizing the sched- around horses John admits, “the only thing she is a lot better at than riding is as a person. she’s compassionate, she’s intelligent, she’s got all the sort of things one would value – integrity – great character. s he’s genuinely a nice person. she doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.” after watching beezie for all these years walking those courses, competing on the horses, answering questions in press conferences and wandering around at horse shows it’s easy to see that she is consistently the same ule,” explains b eezie. “ b y 7:30, he’s walking courses with me or students. t he rest of his day he helps get horses in the ring. if we have any to school, or lessons, we usually do that together. we would typically have five or six students at one show and each student has multiple horses. John is in charge of them in case i am busy. i n between, he’s organizing where i go next and handling telephone calls. at the end of each day, we make a plan for the next day.” and even though it is clear that both their lives revolve person. whether walking the course while leading the pack or eyeing the course after she no longer has a shot she continues to maintain the right sense of balance in her life. a nd there’s no doubt that one day beezie will achieve her ultimate goal. when asked what that goal is, beezie quickly responds, “an individual olympic gold would be great and it would be nice to win a team gold medal on that day!” and if beezie could choose her life all over again she admits, “i would do the same thing!.” rather than resting on her l aurels and taking things easy after years of success at the highest levels, a well-known oly mpic gold medalist sets an inspiring example of how to make the most of both herself and any opportunity that comes her way.

Beezie Madden is constantly on a horse, whether at home training or at a horse show competing. While much of her attention is focused on doing well in every class, she has yet another goal this year and that is to make it onto the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team headed to England in July. That goal stems not only from a childhood desire but also from the experience of having already been there. Beezie has fond memories of her team gold and individual bronze medals at the 2008 Olympics. While the bronze medal is precious it was that team medal that she coveted the most. Watching her and Authentic take their victory gallop you could not miss that “I am proud to be an American” smile on her face.

The path to victory on the now-retired Authentic – and now working towards being named to yet another Olympic Team on her new string of horses (Coral Reef Via Volo, Simon, Cortes C) – took years of planning and even some disappointments. Whatever the level of competition, when walking the course beforehand, Beezie’s rhythm is always the same. You can’t read anything from her expression. She never shows nervousness or angst. For Beezie it’s all part of a day’s work, whether claiming the Olympic team gold medals that she earned in 2004 and 2008, the team and individual silver finish on Authentic at the 2006 Aachen World Equestrian Games or making her plan for how she will be named to this year’s Olympic team. There is always focus, determination and a steady rhythm both on and off the horse.

After she started with a new string of horses in 2010, she claimed most of her victories on Coral Reef Via Volo. The pair won seven grand prix classes, including the Warsteiner Grand Prix in Aachen,

Germany, which was a real testament to their abilities. Set on a grass field and surrounded by a full-house audience, each fence tested their power, agility and strength. After she jumped the last fence clear that same Olympic smile swept across her face as the applause from the packed stands of people resounded throughout the arena. That same year she and Coral Reef Via Volo, a Belgian Warmblood, continued their strong showing, placing third in the Grand Prix qualifier at the Dublin Horse Show, while later that year at the Spruce Meadows Masters she won the Cana Cup and was a member of the winning U.S. Nations Cup Team. On her home turf the pairing also claimed victory in the American Gold Cup.

At the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival they were on the Nations Cup Team and in April tied for fourth place overall in the Rolex/FEI World Cup Finals on Danny Boy and Coral Reef Via Volo. In August Madden garnered a Global Champions Tour victory at Valkenswaard riding Cortes C and won the Longines International Grand Prix of Rotterdam on Coral Reef Via Volo. She finished the year as a member of the gold medal Pan American Games team and garnered an individual silver in Guadalajara, MX, on her 13-year-old Coral Reef. She had claimed a similar team victory in 2003 at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, then riding Conquest II, who is now retired.

While 2012 looks like it will be another impressive year for Beezie and her horses, the path that led here has not always been easy.

At the 2007 World Cup in Las Vegas Beezie walked the course, hands in her pockets, looking relaxed and eyeballing the layout with her husband. The only thing that indicated something might be up was that Beezie was dressed in jeans and not the typical riding gear as just the day before, for the first round in the World Cup, Beezie and her Olympic mount Authentic had taken an uncharacteristic fall which eliminated them from any further competition at the event. For Beezie, though, that’s all part of the path she is traveling on. She believes that, whether you have good days or not so good, you keep moving on one step at a time.

“I am even tempered,” admits Beezie, “And I think it helps me to not get too low when things don’t go well. Rather, I just try to figure out why and realize that things will go better. When things do go well I also don’t get overly excited. I look at the good times the same way and attempt to figure out why they went well and then try to learn from that and do the same the next time. It usually pertains to a certain horse,” she continued. “I think about what made that horse perform well that week or what didn’t. When I’m in a championship I take it one day at a time. That way it is the same thing you do week after week. We try to do well in competition each day and then by the end of the week you are generally close to the top or leading.”

Beezie uses as examples the Athens Olympic Games – where she was clear all the way to the very last individual round – and her problems at the World Cup.

“At the World Cup I was taking a real shot to win (not necessarily that leg, but the overall World Cup Final) and a couple of little things went wrong resulting in a crash. Authentic was a little rusty in the ring due to a lack of showing that year and very rusty indoors. We knew this going in, but we were hoping we could pull it off anyway. In an effort to give him a good break after WEG in Aachen, he didn’t show indoors at all in the fall of 2006. Then, when we planned on showing him in Palm Beach, the footing had deteriorated and we opted not to show. If I had it to do over again, I would have shown Authentic in some European indoor shows or started him back sooner so that unforeseen problems didn’t set us back to the point where we felt not as prepared as we would have liked,” explained Beezie. “At Athens, Authentic was only nine years old and for every team member it was their first Olympic Games. First and foremost we were there for the team medal. I was the anchor rider. I jumped two clear rounds for the team and then didn’t have to go in the jump-off because the other team members had done so well. For me, at the time it was one of the most exciting nights. It was a great scenario. When I think of Athens that is what I think about. At only nine to do what he did was above the call of duty and I wasn’t disappointed in him at all when I didn’t make it to the final individual round.”

In addition to those achievements already mentioned, Beezie has won numerous other awards. She is one of only two Americans to win a Pulsar Crown event (the other was Anne Kursinski), beating Barcelona Olympic gold medalist Ludger Beerbaum (GER) by .31 seconds in a four-horse-jump-off at the 2000 Valkenswaard Grand Prix in The Netherlands. She was the first woman and first American show jumper to reach the top three in the 2004 Show Jumping World Ranking List, and she was the first woman to pass the million dollar show jumping earnings mark.

These are only the tip of the iceberg as Beezie’s accomplishments are too diverse and numerous to list.

“I always assumed that Beezie would have great success,” commented her husband John. “Wherever you want to start to define her success, most people would agree it has not been sporadic. It’s been a natural progression.” John would certainly know. He first met Beezie when she was working with noted horsewoman Katie Prudent. She’d gone to two years of school at Southern Seminary Jr. College where she graduated valedictorian in liberal arts. In 1983, she turned down a chance to go to the University of Virginia when Katie offered her a job on her Plain Bay Farm in Middleburg, VA.

Beezie and John are glad they blended their talents. While Beezie does the riding, John trains horses and riders and manages the business end of the operation. At a horse show you rarely see them apart and often John’s brother Frank will also be there, offering advice and sharing the discussions on how to ride the next course confronting Beezie and her mount.

She was the first woman and first American show jumping rider to reach the Top Three in the 2004 Show Jumping World Ranking List, and she was the first woman to pass the million dollar show jumping earnings mark.

“I really didn’t have anything else that interested me,” explained Beezie. “And then Katie offered me a job and I decided to take it. I did anything that needed to be done; a little riding, a little teaching, equipment management, grooming the horses…” Even then, John was keeping a close eye on Beezie. He recognized her talents and had businesses in need of them.

When asked how she and John got together, Beezie explained, “John lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and at a horse there said casually to my mom that he wished he could get someone like me to ride for him. My mom said ‘why don’t you ask her?’ And he did. I realized that at some point I would have to go somewhere other than Katie’s stable to be the main rider and that was what John was offering me.”

“I knew Beezie fairly well from being involved with Katie,” interjected John. “I called Beezie and we started negotiating a little bit. We didn’t have much in the way of horses. We had a bunch of sale horses and a nice horse called Northern Magic. I felt pretty grateful that she struggled along with me.” It was in 1987 that they first started working together and a little over ten years later, in 1998, they were married. Now both

John credits a lot of Beezie’s success with the fact that she is a clear thinker. “She hasn’t had a sporadic development. She’s paid her dues by being methodical. Her success is a byproduct of all her time and effort. The development of all the attributes that you think of great riders as having is the net gain.” John explained that the business was initially set up for horse training and sales. “After a few years, we had many riding customers for training and we made a decision to change the business focus (for a third time) so that we could concentrate on Beezie’s training and riding. We’ve been really lucky with that. A little bit of it is timing, we had been around long enough that people had confidence in Beezie. It’s hard to look at and dissect, but you just put one step in front of the other. I always had the feeling that things would go along as well as they have. I know how Beezie is and knew she would continue to try to do everything as well as possible and the net result of all that effort would be success.”

The road to that success began in her hometown of Milwaukee. “My parents had horses at the Milwaukee Hunt Club when I was young growing up and you had to be at least three years old to ride there, which is when I started riding. I always thought it would be part of my life but never knew it would be my main profession until I was in college.” Beezie continued riding as part of the intercollegiate program when she went to Southern Seminary Jr. College for two years and the rest is history. When asked what she has learned from being involved with horses Beezie listed responsibility and how to make the horse work for you. “First the horse has to be happy and healthy. Then the schedule of the horse can help it stay fresh and want to do what needs to be done when you put the pressure on.” It’s those lessons learned that have helped Beezie and John to slowly and surely get where they are today. They have used experience gained over years to build up a very successful business. Along with that experience, John and Beezie have built a good team of staff and owners that support them. “Abigail Wexner is a huge supporter – she owns Authentic, Danny Boy, Cortes C, Simon, Mademoiselle, Zhivago and Amadora. Coral Reef Via Volo is owned by Coral Reef Ranch and Gwendolyn Meyer. We’re lucky enough to have others that have been loyal to us for many years” commented Beezie, who hopes to ride Simon, Cortes C and Coral Reef Via Volo in the Olympic selection trials, feeling that all three are solid possibilities for the Olympic Team.

Other top horses in their barn are Danny Boy, Capri,

Amadora, Zhivago and Mademoiselle - all owned by Abigail Wexner. Prima is Beezie’s speed horse and is owned by Neapolitan Holdings Co. They won quite a bit zooming around courses in the summer of 2011 in Europe. They also have Counselor (sired by Judgement, who is now retired). He is just six years old but coming along nicely and owned by John Madden Sales, Inc. Wexner also recently purchased Vanilla (daughter of Coral Reef Via Volo) and Beezie has been bringing her along in Florida. Beezie says Vanilla is very similar to Coral Reef Via Volo and they have high hopes for her future.

When asked about the three horses Beezie is hoping to compete on in the selection trials she commented, “Coral Reef Via Volo is the one I have the most experience with, although I think all of them have the scope that it takes for the Olympics. She is a fighter in a good way and tries to do things right. She’s been a really solid contender for the past two years.” Beezie hasn’t had Simon for long but his record is strong. He was #1 in the World Breeding Rankings in 2011 and 3rd in the 2011 World Cup Finals with Dutch rider Jeroen Dubbeldam. He also won the CN Masters Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows in 2010. “All of them have a lot of blood, which is good for a Championship course as it means they can go the distance,” Beezie commented. “I got Cortes in May 2011. By then he’d already had some success in some World Cup Grand Prix. He has tons of scope, a super temperament and a lot of blood.” Beezie explained that for the winter circuit she has been competing more with Simon and Cortes C because she doesn’t know them as well. “I hope to compete with one of them in the Nations Cup. Coral Reef Via Volo will compete once or twice more before the trials and we will schedule them so they all peak for the Trials.” When asked if any of the three horses had some quirks, Beezie laughed before saying, “All three of them stick their tongues out at some time.” If she is successful in getting named to the Olympic team, Beezie will then formulate her game plan of how to get her mount to peak at the Olympic Games.

While discussing her riding successes, Beezie recalled her first international Grand Prix victory. “I was 5th in a World Cup Final with French Rapture in Gothenburg in 1993. That same year, French Rapture won the Grand Prix of Luxembourg. That was probably the first international Grand Prix I won.” That may have been the first true international victory but certainly not her first win. If you peruse Beezie’s biography you see that in 1989 she won the Mercedes Grand Prix of New York and the Michelob Grand Prix de Penn National, both on Northern Magic. In 1991 she was first in the Michelob Grand Prix of Indianapolis on Schnapps and in the American Bankers Grand Prix on the Girl Next Door. In 1993 she won the Crown Royal Cup in Toronto, the Hampton Classic Grand Prix, the Tampa Grand Prix and was 5th in the Volvo World Cup. So, while it is true that Luxembourg was her first victory outside of North America, in fact she was already proving herself well before then. As the years passed she continued winning on Cincinnati Red, Dynamite, Imaginario, Innocence, Cloud Nine, Cockney II, and more recently on her newer mounts. Cockney II was the first time she and John organized a group of people to buy a horse. “I just missed the Sydney Olympics with him but won the Grand Prix of Valkenswaard (NED). Starting with Jerez, I made all the teams since then,” commented Beezie with an ever so slight hint of pride at those accomplishments. Beezie has been named to World Equestrian, Pan American and Olympic Games Teams since 2002, with four different horses; Judgement, Conquest II, Authentic and Coral Reef. That is a truly amazing achievement. She was also the USEF Equestrian of the Year and Authentic was the USEF Horse of the Year in 2006. That same year the USET honored her with the Whitney Stone Cup, awarded to an outstanding competitor and sportsman. In fact, there is so much that Beezie should be proud about and yet her enthusiasm is so subtle you would never know. If Beezie doesn’t spend time boasting about herself, however, her husband John won’t hesitate to tell you just what a wonderful person his wife really is. “She is an extremely intelligent person and an extraordinarily clear thinker,” he explains. “I’ve been lucky to work with a couple of good riders and the thing they have in common is concentration. Beezie has a real ability to concentrate. Perhaps her biggest attribute is that she is a mixture of dedication and clear thinking. She decides to do something and is then completely dedicated to doing it. Some people can do this but then not have a clear path to get it accomplished, but Beezie knows exactly what to do and goes for it.”

John does think beyond the horses even though there is little time spent outside of the horse world. They take one vacation a year and at home enjoy watching a movie now and then or reading a book. Most of their home life is focused around training the horses and their day begins at 6:30 a.m. Beezie starts riding at 8:00 and finishes around 1:00, just in time for lunch and some paperwork, or to get ready to leave for the next show. At the shows most of her day is spent competing.

“John’s day starts around 6:00 a.m. checking horses and organizing the schedule,” explains Beezie. “By 7:30, he’s walking courses with me or students. The rest of his day he helps get horses in the ring. If we have any to school, or lessons, we usually do that together. We would typically have five or six students at one show and each student has multiple horses. John is ultimately in charge of them in case I am busy. In between, he is organizing where I go next and handling many phone calls. At the end of each day, we make our plan for the next day.” Even though it is clear that both their lives revolve around horses, John admits “The only thing Beezie is a lot better at than riding is as a person. She’s compassionate, intelligent and she’s got all the attributes one would value – integrity – great character. She’s genuinely a nice person who doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.”

After watching Beezie for all these years walking those courses, competing on the horses, answering questions in press conferences and wandering around at horse shows it’s easy to see that she is consistently the same person. Whether walking the course while leading the pack or eyeing the course after she no longer has a shot, she continues to maintain the right sense of balance in her life. And there’s no doubt that one day Beezie will achieve her ultimate goal. When asked what that goal is, Beezie quickly responds, “Another Olympic team gold medal would be great and an individual gold medal at the same games would be a bonus!”

And if Beezie could choose how to live her life all over again? She retorts in a flash, “I would do the same thing!” 1 https://horsesdaily.com/article/olympic-dressage-team-competition-new-era

I thought our riders did a good job riding accurate tests but I felt like they lacked a little expression, like they were riding cautiously in order to be accurate. I asked Anne Gribbons what the plan was to see if what I was seeing was true and so she commented, “The plan going into the Grand Prix was to qualify for the Special, which was not a given considering the formidable quality of our competition. We are now in fth, so mission accomplished with room to spare.” Anne continued, “Between Britain and Germany, it will go down to the wire. The Brits have the home advantage, but the Germans also have incredible horses and as usual a formidable drive to regain their crown.“The team test, or tests as in this case, are always a bit cautiously ridden because mistakes cost the team too much. A clean test must be the priority.

“Not until the freestyle can the riders turn on full power and take risks, and they are all aware of this and playing the team game.

“This year I think a medal is beyond our reach, which in no way will stop us from trying. We have competent riders, accomplished horses and it is not over until the fat lady sings!”

And just to clarify about Anne’s comment “or tests as in this case.” In years past the teams were decided immediately after the Grand Prix and only using that one test. This time around the Grand Prix scores will be combined with the Special scores to decide the ultimate team winners.

Dressage is no longer being dominated by one country. Now lots more countries have riders and horses that can go with the best of them. We are close but this time we’ll need just a little luck to make a team medal a reality.

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KIERA-

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For 18-year-old Reed Kessler, 2012 was the “best year” of her life. The rising star was the youngest American to compete in show jumping at the London Olympic Games and she is excited for what the future holds. In just a short six months she and her horse Cylana went from their first 1.60 meter grand prix all the way to representing their c ountry in their very first Olympic Games.

Reed, Lexington, KY, earned the honor to represent her nation after she won the Olympic Selection Trials. “It didn’t shock Katie (Prudent - her trainer) but it shocked me,” she commented.

When it was all over she didn’t win any medals but she proved she was up for the task. She learned a lot and now has some good mileage that will bode well for her the next time she is in a similar position.

“Now that it is done it is amazing to take a step back and look at how my career has changed in six months. Making the Olympics has been my biggest dream and my entire goal. The fact that I have done it so young is an unbelievable feeling. Now, I can’t wait to come back and medal,” she added with an evident determination that made you believe she will do just that.

Chatting with Reed it’s hard to believe she’s so young as her comments made you feel they were coming from someone who has been a longtime veteran in the sport at the highest levels.

“The Olympics is just one week of your life,” she reflected, “so it doesn’t fully assess your riding ability.

We turned the conversation to what Reed felt were the things she needed to overcome and what she had learned from this monumental experience.

“I have never competed in a real championship format,” she explained. “Not like on this level, where you have to dig really deep to jump these fences.”

Kessler spoke highly of the courses designed by Bob Ellis. She had jumped his courses at some of the events she had competed at in Florida and Calgary and so was familiar with his style.

“I think he is a fantastic course designer,” she commented. “There were some big fences but his courses are more technical then it is killing the horses; more rider error than sheer scope of the horse. A lot of thought goes into his courses.”

We discussed her preparation with Cylana, which was very simple. “I barely did anything. It was more to stretch and loosen her. I kept it to a real minimum to keep her very fresh and excited.”

Then our tête-à-tête focused a bit on the Olympic Trials. “We’ve done so much jumping to get here.” You could sense that on the one hand she wondered if it didn’t take too much out of the horses but then on the other hand, “it has its ups and downs but it gives way for new people like me to break through.”

Where Do We Go From here to Win m eD als

None of the U.S. riders (team or individual) who competed in England won any medals and we talked a bit about our lack of medals at these Olympic Games and what homework needs to be done to solve that.

“There is never an immediate fix to anything,” she said after a moment’s pause. “Things take time to see the scale rise and fall. I think we are on a rise. We have a strong new wave of young riders my age coming up. While we may not have medaled, we did finish on the upper side of the pack.”

The U.S. wasn’t the only surprise finish after coming off back-to-back victories in the past two Olympic Games. “Germany and France didn’t even make the second round,” she remarked.

With more reflection she repeated an earlier comment. “It is just one week. We had a strong team. Rich (Fellers) and Flexible are one of the greatest combinations in the world. Via Volo (Beezie Madden’s mount) is just coming back from an injury and had a surprising refusal on the first day. McLain Ward’s horse Antares is not as seasoned and McLain is coming back from an injury from a fall earlier this year. They just had some bad luck with foots in the water and rails down. Then there was me never being in a championship before. It was a lot. Our performance was not stellar

“Things take time to see the scale rise and fall. I think we are on a rise. We have a strong new wave of young riders my age coming up. While we may not have medaled, we did finish on the upper side of the pack.” but it was pretty solid but at the end of the day you have to jump clean rounds and it didn’t happen for us this week.”

Kessler was happy with her first round despite the one time fault, which she felt may have caused some of her later faults.

“I think the whole thing was having the time fault the first day. You make mistakes and the fences come down and that happens but there is no one to blame but yourself for a time fault.”

In the second round she felt worrying about the time fault helped her to drop two rails for eight faults. “I was a bit aggressive. So, it was my fault and unfortunately luck wasn’t with me.”

More rails fell on the last day (3 for 12 faults). Despite the fact that Chef d’Equipe George Morris and Katie thought she rode a tough water jump after a rollback just fine, Cylana ended up with a foot in the water.

“I might have not ridden it strong enough. Then the next rail fell because of having the water. By the end of the course there was a real reachy huge oxer after the ingate and I needed to feel her fading,” she explained with a clear sense of determination in her voice.

T He O Lympic E Xperience

Enough about what she didn’t feel. Kessler also wanted to talk about the wonders of her very first Olympic Games. “It was a packed crowd and I was so excited because it’s been a long build up to get here. Kind of what you’ve been training for and working for is finally here. I was ready to sink my teeth in. I was excited to actually do it.

“The crowd really pumped me up even more. I like a lot of pressure. I don’t attribute the faults to crumbling under pressure. I thought I performed admirably. I just don’t have championship experience, not for nerves but just jumping real championship courses four days in a row. That is something I have never done. It takes time, strength, experience and the ability to fight to clear every fence.”

For Kessler looking back she recalls these Olympic Games as a wonderful memory that she’s already learned from but now she’s moving on. She’s hoping to represent her country again in upcoming championships, Nations Cups, World Cups and more.

“Your first championship is survival. As a team member I wish I could have pulled out a clear round for my team and I wish I could have pulled out a medal for Cylana because she is a horse that deserves to medal. She has taken a kid to the Olympic Games and had solid performances each day.

“I am just so thankful for the experience and that I had the opportunity. Now that I’ve done it and learned so much, I can’t wait to try again.

“It was an amazing opportunity to have spent the time studying with George, bonding with the team and watching real veterans ride. I want to come back many times and bring back a lot of hardware for my country.”

Reed paused for a moment and reflected on one of the most important lessons she’d learned and it was from watching British world class rider Nick Skelton who after 54 years finally won an Olympic Gold team medal.

“He’s won just about everything else, but the Olympic medal was one that continually escaped him. Nobody goes to every show each week and wins. Here is one of the greatest riders in history and it took him all these years to win a Gold Medal.

“Katie and Henri (Prudent) my trainers are good friends with Nick Skelton. After his victory he was talking about his win and that every time he tried just as hard, wanted it just as much and he rode just as well but it never came together until this one. I thought that was inspiring.

“Finally one of the world’s greatest riders came back and did it. It’s taken him so long to do this that you can’t be upset about it. He’s worked so hard and finally did it in front of an enthusiastic crowd in his own country. At only 18, I have a few more years to come back and try. Hopefully like Nick, one day I will come back and finish with a medal around my neck.” 1 on Giorgione. “I was the youngest British rider to ever compete in the Olympic Games. It was a most amazing thing, and a period that changed the course of my life.” He was only 25-years-old at the time, a year younger than his amazing student Charlotte, at the time when she won gold in London. “Charlotte winning individual gold was truly amazing, she has made me and the nation very proud“, emphasized Hester with a very bright smile.

In the early 1990’s Carl Hester used to be a rider at the stable of Dr. Wilfried Bechtolsheimer, Laura Bechtolsheimer’s father, who was his team colleague at the Europeans. From that time on Hester’s way of life was all about horses, and he is now recognised as one of the worlds leading dressage specialists. Before the time at Bechtolsheimer’s, Hester’s life had been an unusual one. Carl was raised on the tiny Channel island of Sark, where there are no cars but horses play an important part of Sark life. But Carl didn’t start his career on a horse… he used to go shopping on a donkey.

“Charlotte’s natural talent and her partnership with the hugely successful Carl Hester mean that she is a valuable driving force for future generations of dressage riders“ That is how FEI dressage director Trond Asmyr from Norway put it into words and that explains it in a nutshell.

Two very special careers, two very special people and together they formed an inspiring Olympic team: Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester. 1

The cross-country course at the 2012 l ondon Olympic Games was like a maze or a jigsaw puzzle and course designer sue Benson had her job cut out for her. a fter years of planning she miraculously built an Olympic level course in the confines of Greenwich Park, the oldest royal park, and where the royal Observatory, royal naval College and national maritime museum are all located.

Benson, a former international three-day event rider has been course designing for close to 20 years. She was assigned to the task five years before the Games began and from the onset she contemplated on what the best course would be when you were already dealing with such tough and hilly countryside. “The difficulty with the terrain was that there was so much,” explained Benson. “I agonized about it from start to finish.”

“I knew that the terrain was already 3* or 4* so I had to adapt the fences accordingly and not overdo their severity,” she continued. “I tried very hard, during those five years, to get the message across to the world, that they needed quality horses that were super fit. I think I succeeded on the whole. We did not get too many ‘bad’ pictures of tired horses ‘rolling’ home under pressure.”

Benson knew there was no getting around having the riders deal with some very steep hills because she had a minimum distance of 5,700 meters that she was required to cover.

“I had to use the hill twice so I was always anxious about the last third of the track. For this reason I ‘softened’ the questions in the last three minutes of the course, which was hard to do because instinctively designers like to ask one final ‘question’ near the end of a course,” she added.

Benson also had to take into account the terrain when deciding how to make it possible for the riders to achieve the time allowed of 570 meters a minute.

“This is a perfectly manageable speed if the ground is even, the terrain is undemanding and the turns are gentle,” she noted. “In a small Park, with numerous trees, hills, ‘speed bumps’ and turns the achievable speed is greatly reduced. To this end I worked tirelessly, in the early days, to find a track which provided stretches of good straight galloping ground so that riders COULD increase their speed to approximately 750 meters a minute in order to make up some of the time lost on the hills and turns. One of the places riders made up a lot of time was into and out of the main arena.”

Benson achieved her goal because when every rider had finished the course, nine riders rode within the optimum of ten minutes and three seconds.

mIles TO nes TO aChIeve WhIle r a I sIn G T he Bar

Once hired Benson had three milestones she wanted to achieve:

1. To allow the less experienced nations to complete while testing the best nations for medals.

2. To avoid any unnecessarily unattractive pictures to go global (too many falls, refusals, etc).

3. To raise the bar in terms of presentation and imagination for spectator/TV participation.

Benson put a lot of thought into #3 and the fences she had designed were proof positive that she had raised the bar. While some fences were straightforward and non-descript, others were pure British.

“From the moment I saw the Bandstand I wanted to include it in the course,” she remarked. “Initially I had the idea to jump horses on and off the Bandstand but I was quickly told that this was a listed building - so NO. I designed the rails to replica those of the Bandstand. We matched the pattern exactly as well as the color. It was a triumph of skill from my builder. They were beautiful and it is hard to make ‘rails’ beautiful!”

Two fences that were undoubtedly one of the most visually beautiful on the course and most remembered were a half-moon and planet jumps. Throughout all the competitions, the backdrop of the city was always taken into account. Benson had these jumps placed in such a way that you could capture the city as a backdrop.

“The Planet and the Moon jumps were an example of the right fences in the right place. I was inspired by The Observatory and its link to the sky. Both had the backdrop of Canary Wharf and the larger ‘London’ skyline.”

Yet another visually appealing jump was the Time Line Clocks, which Benson said was inspired by “Greenwich Meantime.”

“This fence sat reasonably accurately on the timeline and endeavored to replica the Observatory,” she explained. “The jumpable part of the fence - a simple ‘roof’ shape – displayed fourteen clocks while the towers on either side housed a total of eight more. Each clock had the name of a competing nation above it and each clock accurately told the time of that nation. It was a simple idea but incredibly difficult to put into practice.”

There were two water complexes on the course with multiple jumps within each one. Fence # 8abc was The River Bank.

“This fence had less to do with London and more to do with my favorite children’s book – The Wind in the Willows,” noted Benson. “This theme was lost on many and in particular foreigners. Nevertheless, it achieved its aim, which was to provide a peaceful environment for spectators to sit and watch the action while offering imaginative detail to enjoy in between the horses appearances. Ratty’s house was built from recycled Opepe timber. The ‘dead’ tree was brought from Sussex, the ‘river’ itself was installed in late May and the wild flowers were planted in the turf. Toad, Ratty and Mole were made of clay and Toady’s caravan was another example of skill and imagination from my builders. It did exactly what it was designed to do which was to ‘ride’ well.”

A bonus for this jump was a “huge screen that allowed thousands of spectators to enjoy the whole course while relaxing in the Park in view of something very beautiful,” she added.

The second water jump was #17 and #18ab and the theme was a working waterway. Here is where most of the spectators settled in for the day because the jump really showed the ability of the horses and riders to jump multiple obstacles in one location.

While designing the course Benson had her thoughts on how the fences would ride but later revealed, “Not all fences ‘rode’ the way I thought. The Bandstand Rails had a deceptively difficult line on an acute angle which I did not think many people would tackle so early in the course. The alternative route was not a lot slower so I was surprised so many attempted the difficult route.

“I expected the Ancient Market Place (#10) to cause a little more trouble (just one fall here). I also expected more trouble on the exit of the Inland Waterways (#18ab). I was surprised by a fall at #21 (The Altar). In some ways I was disappointed that not all my alternative fences were used but that was the result of a thought process which goes like this: If I make the direct routes more difficult how many riders will accept the time penalties incurred by taking easier options and how many will attempt the difficult route and then fail – providing the world with unacceptable pictures of our sport? It is a difficult balance.”

Regardless of how many took the direct routes or the alternatives, Benson was pleased noting, “The outcome of the competition was perfect. The best team really did win and the individual medals went with form. I could not have asked for a better result –there were no surprises. I saw some pretty inept riding by some good individuals but I also saw some sensible riding from less experienced riders. Overall I thought the sport will have taken a step forward in popularity. It was amazing to see Thailand, South Africa, Belarus, Ecuador and Brazil finishing the competition. I hope they all are inspired to take the message back to their countries that this really is a great and do-able sport!”

It is those “bring home” messages that was the guiding light for Sue Benson.

“If there is a legacy I hope it will be to promote the sport within the Olympic movement. We had 22 nations competing this year. It would be great to bring that number up. Bringing the sport to London meant there were thousands of spectators who would never have bought tickets if the event had been held away from the City. To those who came without knowledge, the legacy is obvious. To sow a seed of interest is to hope it will grow into support. Horses are magnificent to watch as well as ride and the sport needs followers. It is an immeasurable legacy but one I am sure will exist,” she concluded. 1

For 18-year-old Reed Kessler, 2012 has been the “best year of my life,” remarked the youngest American to compete in show jumping at the London Olympic Games. In just a short six months she and her horse Cylana went from their first 1.60 meter grand prix all the way to representing their country in their very first Olympic Games.

“I couldn’t have in my wildest dreams thought this would happen. It is a pretty long way to come in the span of six months,” remarked the striking young rider with her long auburn locks and magnetic dancing eyes.

Reed, Lexington, KY, earned the honor to represent her nation after she won the Olympic Selection Trials. “It didn’t shock Katie (Prudent - her trainer) but it shocked me,” she commented.

When it was all over she didn’t win any medals but she proved she was up for the task. She learned a lot and now has some good mileage that will bode well for her the next time she is in a similar position.

“Now that it is done it is amazing to take a step back and look at how my career has changed in six months. Making the Olympics has been my biggest dream and my entire goal. The fact that I have done it so young is an unbelievable feeling. Now, I can’t wait to come back and medal,” she added with an evident determination that made you believe she will do just that.

Chatting with Reed it’s hard to believe she’s so young as her comments made you feel they were coming from someone who has been a longtime veteran in the sport at the highest levels.

“The Olympics is just one week of your life,” she reflected, “so it doesn’t fully assess your riding ability.

We turned the conversation to what Reed felt were the things she needed to overcome and what she had learned from this monumental experience.

“I have never competed in a real championship format,” she explained. “Not like on this level, where you have to dig really deep to jump these fences.”

Kessler spoke highly of the courses designed by Bob Ellis. She had jumped his courses at some of the events she had competed at in Florida and Calgary and so was familiar with his style.

“I think he is a fantastic course designer,” she commented. “There were some big fences but his courses are more technical then it is killing the horses; more rider error than sheer scope of the horse. A lot of thought goes into his courses.”

We discussed her preparation with Cylana, which was very simple. “I barely did anything. It was more to stretch and loosen her. I kept it to a real minimum to keep her very fresh and excited.”

Then our tête-à-tête focused a bit on the Olympic Trials. “We’ve done so much jumping to get here.” You could sense that on the one hand she wondered if it didn’t take too much out of the horses but then on the other hand, “it has its ups and downs but it gives way for new people like me to break through.”

Where Do We Go From Here to Win Medals

None of the U.S. riders (team or individual) who competed in England won any medals and we talked a bit about our lack of medals at these Olympic Games and what homework needs to be done to solve that.

“There is never an immediate fix to anything,” she said after a moment’s pause. “Things take time to see the scale rise and fall. I think we are on a rise. We have a strong new wave of young riders my age coming up. While we may not have medaled, we did finish on the upper side of the pack.”

The U.S. wasn’t the only surprise finish after coming off back-to-back victories in the past two Olympic Games. “Germany and France didn’t even make the second round,” she remarked.

With more reflection she repeated an earlier comment. “It is just one week. We had a strong team. Rich (Fellers) and Flexible are one of the greatest combinations in the world. Via Volo (Beezie Madden’s mount) is just coming back from an injury and had a surprising refusal on the first day. McLain Ward’s horse Antares is not as seasoned and McLain is coming back from an injury from a fall earlier this year. They just had some bad luck with foots in the water and rails down. Then there was me never being in a championship before. It was a lot. Our performance was not stellar but it was pretty solid but at the end of the day you have to jump clean rounds and it didn’t happen for us this week.”

Kessler was happy with her first round despite the one time fault, which she felt may have caused some of her later faults.

“I think the whole thing was having the time fault the first day. You make mistakes and the fences come down and that happens but there is no one to blame but yourself for a time fault.”

In the second round she felt worrying about the time fault helped her to drop two rails for eight faults. “I was a bit aggressive. So, it was my fault and unfortunately luck wasn’t with me.”

More rails fell on the last day (3 for 12 faults). Despite the fact that Chef d’Equipe George Morris and Katie thought she rode a tough water jump after a rollback just fine, Cylana ended up with a foot in the water.

“I might have not ridden it strong enough. Then the next rail fell because of having the water. By the end of the course there was a real reachy huge oxer after the ingate and I needed to feel her fading,” she explained with a clear sense of determination in her voice.

The Olympic Experience

Enough about what she didn’t feel. Kessler also wanted to talk about the wonders of her very first Olympic Games. “It was a packed crowd and I was so excited because it’s been a long build up to get here. Kind of what you’ve been training for and working for is finally here. I was ready to sink my teeth in. I was excited to actually do it.

“The crowd really pumped me up even more. I like a lot of pressure. I don’t attribute the faults to crumbling under pressure. I thought I performed admirably. I just don’t have championship experience, not for nerves but just jumping real championship courses four days in a row. That is something I have never done. It takes time, strength, experience and the ability to fight to clear every fence.”

For Kessler looking back she recalls these Olympic Games as a wonderful memory that she’s already learned from but now she’s moving on. She’s hoping to represent her country again in upcoming championships, Nations Cups, World Cups and more.

“Your first championship is survival. As a team member I wish I could have pulled out a clear round for my team and I wish I could have pulled out a medal for Cylana because she is a horse that deserves to medal. She has taken a kid to the Olympic Games and had solid performances each day.

“I am just so thankful for the experience and that I had the opportunity. Now that I’ve done it and learned so much, I can’t wait to try again.

“It was an amazing opportunity to have spent the time studying with George, bonding with the team and watching real veterans ride. I want to come back many times and bring back a lot of hardware for my country.”

Reed paused for a moment and reflected on one of the most important lessons she’d learned and it was from watching British world class rider Nick Skelton who after 54 years finally won an Olympic Gold team medal.

“He’s won just about everything else, but the Olympic medal was one that continually escaped him. Nobody goes to every show each week and wins. Here is one of the greatest riders in history and it took him all these years to win a Gold Medal.

“Katie and Henri (Prudent) my trainers are good friends with Nick Skelton. After his victory he was talking about his win and that every time he tried just as hard, wanted it just as much and he rode just as well but it never came together until this one. I thought that was inspiring.

“Finally one of the world’s greatest riders came back and did it It’s taken him so long to do this that you can’t be upset about it. He’s worked so hard and finally did it in front of an enthusiastic crowd in his own country. At only 18, I have a few more years to come back and try. Hopefully like Nick, one day I will come back and finish with a medal around my neck.”