The Canadian Sport Horse Association held a course with show jumper Beezie Madden and her husband John. The “Canadian Horse Journal” reported on this and explained, among other things, why one of the best show jumpers in the world turned her back on top-class sport.
On the fringes of this symposium, Madden (58) explained again what she had already announced in 2020: “I want to step down. I’m not seriously trying to get on championship teams or stay up in the world rankings anymore. We did that for quite a long time and I lost interest in it.” The “quite a long time” spans decades of Beezie Madden making her mark on the sport. She rode her first World Cup final in 1987.
In 2004 and 2008 she was team Olympic champion. There was also individual bronze in 2008, and in 2016 the USA took silver in Rio.
At three World Equestrian Games, there were two silver and two bronze medals for Madden. She was a team member at the Pan American Games four times, winning two gold, one silver and two bronze medals.
She was victorious twice in twelve World Cup finals, most recently in 2018 with Breitling LS, which she still rides in the big tour from time to time – but only if both feel like it. Because Madden has a tumor. It’s not life-threatening, but it affects her sense of balance from time to time. “Some days I’m 100 percent fit, other days I’m a little foggy,” Madden said. That’s why she doesn’t want to ride for a team.
Spring-Reiter.de first posted this message from the Canadian Horse Journal.
The Madden Method
At the symposium, Beezie and John Madden presented their method, of which Madden says “the special thing is that it’s not special”: “It’s about taking good care of the horse every day. To put his well-being first.” For her, the training primarily consists of “basics, basics, basics, dressage work, gymnastics, jumping.”
Madden also promoted breeding: “Breeding is more of a passion than a business and we need more people to breed. Every year there are more FEI riders. There are simply more people and more tournaments but less breeding. So it’s really difficult to find good horses.” In fact, most US show jumpers buy horses from Europe.
And if you need a little more Madden inspiration, John Madden says, “Horseback riding is like trying to empty a swimming pool with a spoon. It’s really hard work and it takes a long time.”
