Born: November 20, 1963
Residence: Cazenovia, New York
Horse: Authentic (12-year-old KWPN Dutch Warmblood gelding; owned by Abigail Wexner)

Few will forget Beezie Madden's remarkable performance at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, with only eight faults accumulated during the entire competition. Beezie anchored the U.S team that brought home the Silver medal, and added the Individual Silver medal in a masterful show of horsemanship against the final four top riders. Her performance is widely considered as one of the most impressive drawn-out series of show jumping rounds ever to be seen in a world championship.

Her accomplishments are currently rewriting the equestrian world's record books. She has won back-to-back honors as USEF Equestrian of the Year—the first rider ever to do so, and only the second rider in history to win the honor twice in their career. In addition, her main competition mount—the bay Dutch Warmblood named Authentic—was named as the 2006 top horse in the Farnam®/Platform™ United States Equestrian Federation's Horse of the Year Awards.

"It's an unbelievable honor and privilege to have a horse like him," said Madden. "Not only is he a top-class athlete, but he also has a great personality, and he seems to enjoy his life."

And it is with great determination that Madden heads into the 2007 Rolex FEI World Cup for Show Jumping in Las Vegas. It is here that she wants to leave her next big mark on her sport. They prepared for this World Cup by winning the 2007 $75,000 Grand Prix of Tampa, CSI-W, an indoor event and the last World Cup qualifier in the North American East Coast League.

"Getting an individual medal at the World Games was a huge goal, and I did that," said Madden. "…I would love to win a World Cup Final."

Winning a World Cup medal would only add to her already amazing list of accomplishments. Madden was the first woman—and the first U.S rider—to ever reach the Top Three in the Gandini Show Jumping World Ranking list (achieved in 2004), and she was the first woman to pass the $1-million mark in earnings for show jumping. She is the second leading money winner in history at Spruce Meadows in Canada.

In 2006, Madden had multiple successful rides, including her role in the Samsung Super League tour as part of the U.S. team that won the Silver medal. In the past few years, Madden has been a critical member of the United States' teams. Riding in six out of the eight competitions, she anchored the team for the 2005 Samsung Super League, which the U.S, the only non-European team competing in the League, decisively won. Also in 2005, she won the $1-million CN International at Spruce Meadows in Canada on Judgement, and won the $200,000 American Invitational in Tampa, Florida, on Authentic.

In 2004, she breezed through the Olympic Selection 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 U.S. team win the Gold medal, while her success on U.S. soil earned her the American Grand Prix Association (AGA) Rider of the Year title that year.

In 2003, at the Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic, she was a member of the Gold-medal U.S. team. Also in 2003, Madden won the Mercedes German Masters and the Audi Grand Prix.

Other laurels include the 1997 Rolex/USET Show Jumping Championship and the AGA title that year.

Originally from Milwaukee, WI, Madden has been riding since the age of three and made her grand prix debut in 1985. Four years of continued success followed, which included participation on winning U.S. Nations Cup teams, which led to her being named the 1989 United States Olympic Committee's Female Equestrian of the Year.

Married since 1998, Madden and her husband, horseman John Madden, reside in Cazenovia, New York, and enjoy skiing when time allows.

Bio courtesy of USEF