1. Elizabeth Madden is an American Olympic champion equestrian competing in show jumping.
30 Facts About Beezie Madden
1. 2.
Beezie Madden has two Olympic golds and one silver in team jumping, and an individual bronze.
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Beezie Madden won the FEI Show Jumping World Cup twice; won two silvers and two bronzes at World Championships; and won two golds, one silver and two bronzes at the Pan American Games.
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Beezie Madden was the first American to break into the international top three show jumping ranking, and the first woman to win over one million dollars in show jumping prize money.
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Beezie Madden competed at the 2004 Athens Olympics, winning team gold for the United States; at the 2008 Beijing Olympics winning team gold and individual bronze; at the 2012 London Olympics; and at the 2016 Rio Olympics winning team silver.
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Beezie Madden's parents were involved in horse training and sales, and eventually built a stable of their own.
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Beezie Madden began riding at three years old and received her first pony as a Christmas gift at roughly age four or five.
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Beezie Madden rode in the hunters for most of her junior career, but competed equitation for her last two junior years, and jumpers in her final year.
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Beezie Madden attended Southern Seminary Junior College and rode for the school's team in addition to playing basketball and softball.
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Beezie Madden graduated as valedictorian and was accepted at University of Virginia.
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Beezie Madden opted to take a job at Katie Monahan's farm instead of attending university.
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Beezie Madden worked and lived at Katie Monahan's property for four years.
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Beezie Madden began riding grand prix, show jumping's highest level, at age 22 in 1985.
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Beezie Madden made her international debut in 1987, representing the United States at the World Cup in Paris.
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In 1988, John and Beezie Madden bought a farm in Cazenovia, New York.
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At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Beezie Madden won the gold medal as part of the United States team in team jumping, together with Peter Wylde, McLain Ward and Chris Kappler.
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That year, Beezie Madden became the first woman ever to pass the $1 million mark in show jumping earnings.
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At the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, Beezie Madden earned gold in the team jumping competition along with Laura Kraut, Will Simpson and McLain Ward.
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Beezie Madden earned a bronze in the individual show jumping competition.
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Beezie Madden placed first in the Animal Planet Sport Horse cup aboard Judgement that year.
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In 2012, Beezie Madden competed in the 2012 London Summer Olympics for the United States on Coral Reef Via Volo.
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In May 2014, Beezie Madden and Breitling LS fell during a competition.
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The horse was uninjured, but Beezie Madden broke her collarbone and was on a six-week hiatus after surgery.
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Immediately after the hiatus, Beezie Madden competed at the 2014 World Equestrian Games, winning a team and individual bronze aboard Cortes 'C'.
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Beezie Madden won the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational in Tampa with Coral Reef Via Volo in 2014.
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Beezie Madden won the USEF Equestrian of the Year award again in 2014, making her the first rider to win this award four times.
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In 2015, Beezie Madden competed in her tenth FEI Jumping World Cup Final with Simon in Las Vegas where she finished as the top US rider and 4th overall.
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In 2016, the US Team won the FEI Nations Cup with Beezie Madden aboard Breitling LS.
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In 2019, Beezie Madden competed at the Pan American Games in Lima, winning two bronzes.
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In February 2020, Beezie Madden announced that she will semi-retire after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, shifting her focus to training horses and riders.