Aachen Media Guide

2011 FEI Nations Cup Series CSIO Aachen (GER) July, 12–17

2011 FEI Nations Cup Series: CSIO Aachen

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Ward and Sapphire were members of the Silver medalwinning team at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany.

The road to the 2008 Olympic Games and Ward and Sapphire’s second consecutive Gold medal quickly gained momentum including being a valuable part of the winning US team at the $75,000 FEI Nations Cup presented by CN at the Winter Equestrian Festival in March. Just one month later they won the $200,000 Budweiser Invitational in Tampa in a deluge of rain and wind.

In 2009, the now two-time Olympic Gold medalists won at nearly every turn. The pair took home top honors in the $1 Photo Credit: Isabel Kurek

McLain Ward

million CN International at the Spruce Meadows Masters - one of the most prestigious classes in the world. Also in 2009, they won the Devon Grand Prix for the second time.

Born: October 17, 1975 Residence: Brewster, NY

They prepared diligently for the 2009 Rolex/FEI World

Antares F – 11-year-old Wurttemberger gelding

In March 2009 alone, Sapphire won three major classes

owned by Grant Road Partners, LLC. McLain Ward has an international Grand Prix prowess that only continues to increase with age. In 1990, and at age 14, Ward became the youngest rider ever to win both the USET Medal Finals and the USET Talent Derby. He would go on to turn that into a legacy, winning the pair of competitions from 1990-1992. After graduating to the Grand Prix circuit, he wasted no time in making a name for himself, and fulfilled his first Olympic dream in August 2004. Just hitting his prime, Ward has already competed in more than 10 FEI World Cup Show Jumping Finals and numerous FEI Nations Cup competitions.

Ward was also a key part of the Gold medal-winning 2005 Samsung Super League team despite a fall on course at Hickstead, England, resulting in a broken collar bone. Ward courageously rode in Aachen not long after, and his double clears aboard Sapphire propelled the US to the Nations Cup victory there.

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Cup Final all winter and were rewarded with a second place finish for their efforts.

at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Ward also won two more major classes in March, he won the $25,000 Fidelity Investments classic on Goldika and on March 8, he won the $25,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix on Phillipa by more than five seconds. This gave him five grand prix wins in 21 Days, a number that is unprecedented worldwide.

For a second straight year, Ward and Sapphire won the $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix at the end of March, 2010. This came just two weeks after they secured a second place finish in the $200,000 WEF FEI World Cup Qualifier.

In the summer of 2010, Ward has proved to be quite a force in Europe jumping to many successful finishes all over the continent. With Sapphire, Ward won the coveted classes of the La Baule Grand Prix and the Rome Grand Prix. In addition, Rothchild and Ward were the victors in the Grand Prix of Rome. Ward finished off his summer in Europe by winning the Dublin Grand Prix with Antares F.

Ward and Sapphire continued to accumulate strong results in the fall of 2010. In September, they won the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix and FEI World Cup Qualifier for a second consecutive year. This win marked Ward’s fifth victory in Hampton Classic Grand Prix, the most of any rider. The following week, Ward and Sapphire won the inaugural Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York.

In October, Ward and Sapphire represented the United States at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY, finishing second in the Speed Competition behind teammate Mario Deslauriers and overall in seventh place.

Ward had another strong start to the 2011 season, jumping at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. With Rothchild, he collected second place finishes in both the $40,000 Surpass CSI2* Grand Prix and the seventh round of the WEF Challenge Cup Series. In March, Ward and Sapphire teamed up for another US win in the $75,000 FEI Nations Cup CSIO4* presented by G&C Farm. With Antares F, Ward won Round 5 of the WEF Challenge Cup Series and placed second in the $150,000 Spy Coast FEI World Cup Grand Prix CSI3* in a five day span.

In April, Ward once again competed in the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final in Leipzig, Germany finishing in tenth place overall. Along the way, he piloted Antares F to a fifth place finish in the second round of the 2011 Finals.

Ward is married to wife Lauren, who is an avid competitor in the amateur divisions.

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the $50,000 Grand Prix of Tampa which served as an FEI World Cup Qualifier. They then travelled to New York in the summer and topped the field in the $75,000 Hermes Grand Prix in Lake Placid and the $75,000 Hits on the Hudson V Grand Prix. The pair finished their strong 2010 season by winning the $100,000 World Cup Qualifier of Syracuse.

In 2007, Margie and Hidden Creek’s Quervo Gold won the $75,000 RV Sales of Broward Grand Prix at HITS Saugerties, in addition to the two grand prix classes at the Traders’ Point Horse Show in Indianapolis in August with Hidden Creek’s Calippo 12 and Hidden Creek’s Wapino. The Hampton Classic brought more grand prix success with Photo Credit: Isabel Kurek

Margie Engle

Hidden Creek’s Perin.

She was a part of the US Silver medal team at the 2006

Born: March 31, 1958 Residence: Wellington, FL

FEI World Equestrian Games aboard Hidden Creek’s

Indigo – 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding

2004. Just three months later, riding her Olympic mount

owned by Gladewinds Farm, Garber, Griese & Hidden Creek Farm.

Gutsy and determined are just a couple of the adjectives regularly used to describe one of the United States’ most successful show jumping riders of all time. Engle has over 190 grand prix wins under her belt, has been named AGA Rider of the Year ten times, has been on more than twenty winning Nations Cup teams, and was the 1991 AHSA Equestrian of the Year.

In 2011, Engle and Indigo were part of the winning Nations Cup effort at the $75,000 FEI Nations Cup presented

by G&C Farms in Wellington, FL. They were third in the $78,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix CSI2* the previous weekend as Indigo continued to evolve into a top-class Grand Prix horse. They were also fifth in the fourth round WEF Challenge Cup in February.

In 2010, the pair jumped to top placings at competitions throughout the United States. In April, they won

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Quervo Gold.

Engle suffered a broken hip when a horse fell on her in Hidden Creek’s Perin, she beat a field of 26 entries that included eight Olympians, to win the $100,000 Cosequin Invitational Grand Prix at the Cosequin US Grand Prix League Invitational Finals in Culpepper, VA. She came back with a vengeance to successfully compete in 2005, and in 2006 she led the World Cup standings all year.

In 1992, Engle was named the Rolex/National Grand Prix League Rider of the Year, a feat she repeated in 1993. In 1999, Engle rode Hidden Creek’s Alvaretto to the team Silver medal at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada. At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Engle was the highest placed woman and the highest placed U.S. rider in the individual competition riding Hidden Creek’s Perin to a tenth place tie and a sixth place team finish.

Engle lives in Wellington, FL, with her husband Dr. Steve Engle and is well known for her infectious sense of humor.

Trials, finishing in first place on Authentic with only eight faults accumulated for all six selection events. With her contribution of double-clear rounds in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, she helped the US team win the Gold medal, while her success on US soil earned her the American Grand Prix Association (AGA) Rider of the Year title that year.

Madden added Team and Individual Silver medals to her resume at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. Authentic continued to define himself as one of the best in the world. In addition, Authentic was named the Farnam®/Platform™ USEF Horse of the Year.

Photo Credit: Sportfot

Beezie Madden Born: November 20, 1963 Residence: Cazenovia, NY

Coral Reef Via Volo- 13 year-old Belgian Warmblood Mare owned by Coral Reef Ranch.

Madden’s greatest accomplishment in 2007 involved her win at the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen in Germany, in July. Madden again rode Authentic for this prestigious win over 40 of the world’s best. To add to this honor she was named leading rider in Aachen, one of the most coveted leading rider titles in the world.

Madden enjoyed another incredible year in 2008 with Authentic. She won her second consecutive Team Gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games, where they won an

Originally from Milwaukee, WI, Beezie Madden has been

unbelievable jump-off to pick up individual Bronze, too.

riding since the age of three and made her Grand Prix

Leading up to the Games, Authentic won the $200,000

debut in 1985. Four years of continued success followed,

CN Worldwide Grand Prix in Wellington, FL, with an-

which included participation on winning US Nations Cup

other one of his standard lightning fast jump-off rounds.

teams, which led to her being named the 1989 United

That was on the heels of a WEF Challenge win three

States Olympic Committee’s Female Equestrian of the

days earlier.

Year.

With the Belgian Warmblood mare, Coral Reef Via Volo,

Madden was the first woman—and the first US rider—to

Madden has found a star for the future. In March of

ever reach the top three in the Gandini Show Jumping

2010, they claimed top honors in the $75,000 Equine

World Ranking list (achieved in 2004), and she was the

Couture/Tuff Rider Grand Prix. In the summer they

first woman to pass the $1 million mark in earnings for

traveled to Europe, where they won the Grand Prix of

show jumping. She is the second leading money winner

Aachen and placed third in the Grand Prix of Dublin.

in history at Spruce Meadows in Canada. She has won

They also were part of the US team at the Meydan FEI

back-to-back honors as USEF Equestrian of the Year—

Nations Cup stop in Dublin.

the first rider ever to do so.

In 2004, she breezed through the Olympic Selection

At the Spruce Meadows Masters, the pair won the $50,000 CANA Cup and were part of the winning US 2011 FEI Nations Cup Series: CSIO Aachen

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Team in the Nations Cup in September of 2010. That same month they picked up wins at the American Gold Cup. Madden has had a strong start to the 2010 season jumping at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. She won back-to-back classes during Week Six with Prima. In March, Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo were part of the winning US team in the $75,000 FEI Nations Cup presented by G&C Farm. She partnered with Danny Boy to win the final round of the WEF Challenge Cup Series two weeks later.

Married since 1998, Madden and her husband, horseman John Madden, reside in Cazenovia, NY.

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Cedric and Kraut spent the 2010 winter season tuning up by jumping many successful rounds at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival including a fifth place finish in the $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup in February.

Kraut and Cedric once again showed their skill by winning the $150,000 CN US Open on the strength of a lightning fast jump-off round.

In the summer of 2010, Kraut and Cedric were on the winning team at the Meydan FEI Nations Cup stop in Rotterdam where they were faultless in both rounds. In July, Credic and Kraut were once again part of the US team for the Meydan FEI Nations Cup at CHIO Aachen, this time Photo Credit: Shannon Brinkman

Laura Kraut

placing third as a team.

The pair capped off their summer in Europe by winning the Valkenswaard VDL Groep Grand Prix in the Netherlands.

Born: November 14, 1965 Residence: Wellington, FL

They then finished their season by representing the US at

Cedric — 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by

scorching rounds at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.

Happy Hill Farm.

Along the way they have won the $78,000 Adequan CSI2*

Cedric defied gravity and expectation at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong for Laura Kraut. He was foot perfect in the team portion of the competition and was an integral part of the Gold medal-winning effort for the US. Standing barely 15.2 hands, Cedric grows wings in the ring.

He and Kraut jumped two clear rounds at the Samsung Super League finale in Barcelona, Spain in the fall of 2008 and had two top five finishes in major classes in Wellington, FL in 2009.

In the summer of 2009 Kraut once again demonstrated great success in Europe. She and Cedric were part of the US teams on both tour two and three of the Meydan FEI Nations Cup. In Aachen the pair jumped two clear rounds on tour two. Cedric was also third in the $126,385 Barcelona Grand Prix. Additionally, Kraut had a successful summer with Anthem winning the $214,152 Madrid Grand Prix and placing second at the Grand Prix of Valencia.

the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

In 2011, they have hit the ground running jumping many

Grand Prix and the $150,000 FEI World Cup CSI3*-W presented by Spy Coast Farm. They finished off their season in Wellington by winning the premiere class of the circuit the $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix CSI5* with a lightning fast jump-off round.

They ran the board at the 2008 USEF Selection Trials for Show Jumping, jumping clear in the first round and never looking back. They made one mistake over the five rounds, but were always well clear of the competition. This set them up beautifully for their impressive Olympic performance.

Always a top competitor in Grand Prix circles, Kraut’s success began before Cedric. She was an integral part of the US team in the Samsung Super League in 2007. Riding Anthem, she was part of the all-female team that romped to victory at CSIO Hickstead (England) in July and second two weeks later in Dublin, Ireland. Kraut had a big European victory in August with Cedric. Together they won the grand 2011 FEI Nations Cup Series: CSIO Aachen

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prix at the CSI3* Hachenburg in Germany over a very competitive field of 53 horses and riders from across Europe.

With Miss Independent, Kraut was third overall at the FEI World Equestrian Games qualifiers in March 2006 in Wellington, FL. Kraut’s placing at the qualifier earned her a spot on the US Show Jumping Team for the 2006 World Equestrian Games. Kraut helped bring home a Team Silver medal. She spent much of the 2005 summer representing the US in the competitive Samsung Super League series in Europe. Kraut helped the US secure wins in Aachen, Germany and LaBaule, France, and second place in Rome and in Hickstead, England, riding both Anthem and Miss Independent.

In 2004, Kraut was a member of the second place team in the $50,000 Samsung Nations Cup in Florida, and helped the US secure a fourth place overall finish in the Samsung Super League. In 2003, she was the top placed American at the World Cup Final, where she tied for the fifth position out of 41 starting horse and rider combinations. In 2002, she was a member of the US team which won the first outdoor Nations Cup held in the US; and at the Samsung Nations Cup Series, she was named Leading Rider after tying for first place on Liberty. Kraut was a US team alternate at the 2002 FEI World Equestrian Games in Spain, and in the 2000-2001 competition season she was honored as reserve champion AGA Rider of the Year. Kraut was also a member of the US show jumping team at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. She makes her home in Wellington, FL and enjoys spending time with her young son, Bobby.

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Games Selection Trials, which qualified her for the short list for the games in Aachen, Germany. Over the past three years, she has been a member of the very successful US teams competing in the Samsung Super League. In 2004, the team finished in fourth place; in 2005, the US finished first; and in 2006, they were second.

With Casadora, Hough was a member of the 2007 Pan American Games Bronze medal-winning team. The pair started off 2008 with a victory at the $75,000 Green Cove Springs CSI-W Grand Prix with the only double clear round.

During the first week of the 2008 Spruce Meadows Summer Series, Hough and Casadora won the ATB Financial Cup. Later that week she was first again in the 1.50m ATCO Photo Credit: Sportfot

Lauren Hough

Born: April 11, 1977 Residence: Wellington, FL Quick Study – 12-year-old French Warmblood gelding owned by Laura and Meredith Mateo.

A native Californian, Hough got her start in the hunter ring and was a very successful junior rider. She won a Gold medal at the North American Young Riders Championships, and at age 15, was the Pacific Coast Horseman’s Association Rookie of the Year. Most of her show jumping success in the early years was due in part to two horses, Clasiko and Windy City. She won the National Horse Show Grand Prix back-to-back in 2001 and 2002.

A member of the 2000 Sydney Olympic squad, Hough had Olympic aspirations running through her veins at birth. Her father, Champ, was a member of the 1952 Olympic Team in eventing. Hough was a member of the Gold medal-winning Pan American Games team in 2003, representing the US in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Demonstrating her tenacity, she rode in the selection trials with a broken collarbone.

In 2006, she was fourth overall in the FEI World Equestrian

Midstream Winning Round with Quick Study.

Hough and Quick Study spent the winter of 2009 competing at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, taking two thirds and a second in the $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup Series, and a fourth in the $75,000 FEI Nations Cup. They were also part of the winning Meydan FEI Nations Cup effort in May at CSIO Rome. The pair was also second in the $122,172 Helsinki Grand Prix.

Hough also had consistent success with Naomi during the spring of 2009, highlights of the pair’s success at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival include: winning the $50,000 Braman Motorcars Grand Prix, a runner-up finish in the $50,000 Equisport Agency Grand Prix and third in the $150,000 CN Open Grand Prix.

Early 2010 played out as another successful season for Hough in Florida. With Casadora she collected a third place finish at the $100,000 Green Cove Springs Grand Prix and followed that up five days later with a sixth place finish in round two of the WEF Challenge Cup Series again with Casadora. Hough also burned it up with Prezioso S at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. In a three-day span the pair picked up third place finishes in the third round of the WEF Challenge Cup Series and the Nespresso Grand Prix.

In February, Hough and Quick Study were twelfth in the $150,000 Spy Coast Farm FEI World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix.

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They continued this good form through March, jumping to the third place in the $200,000 WEF FEI World Cup Qualifier.

The summer proved to be a successful one for Hough in Europe. With Quick Study she won the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix at Hamburg in May. The pair were then on the winning team at the Meydan FEI Nations Cup stop in Rotterdam, where they were fault free in both rounds. In July Hough once again jumped on the all female US team with Quick Study at the Meydan FEI Nations Cup held at CHIO Aachen. They completed the year by representing the United States at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY. Hough and Quick Study had a strong start to the 2011 season in Wellington, FL. At the beginning of February they won the fourth round of the WEF Challenge Cup Series.

They began March by capturing the $150,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix CSIO4* and bookended the month by placing second in the $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix.

When Hough isn’t riding, she loves to cook and spend time with her friends and family.

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In 2005, Morris took over the Chef d’Equipe duties of the US Show Jumping Team. He instantly proved his outstanding leadership when the US team, the only nonEuropean team competing in the Super League, won the prestigious Samsung Super League championship.

He commandeered an excellent performance from his riders at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games, where they won a Team Silver medal and Beezie Madden won Individual Silver with the mighty Authentic. In 2007, he guided the Pan American Games team to a bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

2008 brought the most successful accolades thus far to Morris’ coaching resume. He steered the US show jumpPhoto Credit: USEF Archives

George Morris

ers to another fantastic performance, this time winning Team Gold at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong.

The US riders won a jump-off with the Canadians for the

Chef d’Equipe

Gold medal, Madden also won Individual Bronze.

Born: February 26, 1938 Residence: Wellington, FL

His teams also won the prestigious Nations Cup at the

Considered one of the most influential riders and trainers in equestrian sport, George Morris’ career began as a precocious junior rider winning both the AHSA Hunter Seat Medal Final and the ASPCA Maclay Final at the tender age of 14, the youngest rider ever to do so.

In international competition, he represented the US on the Gold medal-winning Pan American Games team in 1959 and on the Silver medal-winning team at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. Between 1958 and 1960, he rode on eight winning Nations Cup teams and in later years

Spruce Meadows Masters on the heels of the 2008 Olympic success, and then he took four riders inexperienced on the international stage and handily won the Nations Cup at the CSIO Buenos Aires in November.

2009 was another busy and rewarding year for Morris and those he coaches. He guided the US team to a runner-up spot in the 2009 Meydan Nations Cup. This romp through Europe included winning two legs of the tour. In November of 2009, Morris was named the USEF National Coach of the Year. In May, Morris was awarded the coveted title of ‘Horseman of Honor of the Cadre Noir of Saumur’.

served as Chef d’Equipe for numerous Nations Cup

In 2010, US Teams picked up Nations Cup wins at CSIO

teams including as Co-Chef d’Equipe at the 1999 Pan

Rotterdam and CSIO Spruce Meadows and had consis-

American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, where the US

tent European results all summer.

won both the Team and Individual Silver medals. Morris also served as a Director of the former USET and as a member of its Executive and Show Jumping Committees.

His attention to detail and meticulous preparation of his teams is legendary.

Morris’ individual training successes include a “Who’s Who” of the US’ top show jumping riders figuring

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prominently in US Olympic history. At the 1984 Olympic Games, the Gold medal winning team included three former students, Conrad Homfeld, Leslie Burr-Howard and Melanie Smith Taylor. The 1992 team included students Lisa Jacquin, Anne Kursinski and Norman Dello Joio. In 1996, Morris was assistant Chef d’Equipe of the Silver medal Olympic team, which included former students Burr- Howard, Kursinski and Peter Leone. At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, former student Chris Kappler won the Individual Silver medal and was a member of the Gold medal-winning team.

Morris is also a well-known author of equestrian books and videos. He currently serves on several USEF committees and holds a Registered Judge’s License in the Jumper, Hunter and Hunter Seat Equitation divisions.

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Elizabeth Chesson Team Leader

Born: April 3, 1977 Residence: Gladstone, NJ Lizzy Chesson has been deeply rooted in international equestrian sports for many years. As a groom for her mother she was part of two World Championship Driving teams. At the age of 22, Chesson was selected to drive a pair of horses in the World Pair Championship in Hungary. She is a graduate of Columbia University where she studied German and Spanish and earned a degree in Art History.

Chesson began working for the USEF in 2006. Her first position was in the USEF Show Jumping department as an assistant to Managing Director, Sally Ike. Chesson has been a member of the USEF High Performance Driving Photo Credit: USEF Archives

Committee and the Chairman of the USEF High Performance Eligible Active Pair Driver Committee. In December 2007, Chesson was promoted to USEF Director of Show Jumping High Performance Activities.

Chesson resides in Gladstone, NJ and still rides and drives when she can find the time. She finds herself incredibly fortunate to work with such an experienced and dynamic team.

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