Beezie Madden to Compete in the Top-10 Final in Switzerland

Cazenovia, NY:  Beezie Madden of Cazenovia, NY, will be competing in the Top-10 Final, presented by Rolex, which will take place on Saturday December, 8. Only the best 10 riders of the Rolex World Jumping Rankings are invited to compete. Beezie Madden, who is currently ranked eighth in the world, will be competing in her second Top-10 Final and will again be riding her Olympic and World Equestrian Games mount, Authentic. The Top-10 Final began in 2001, and has never been won by an American. The only other American to compete in the Top-10 was Leslie Howard who did so in 2002.

An expected sell-out crowd at the Geneva Palexpo and a large overseas television audience will view the best of the sport in head-to-head competition. Three riders have won the six Finals – two each - that have taken place so far. Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum won the inaugural and 2002 editions on Goldfever III and Gladdys S respectively. In 2003 and 2005 it was Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa on Baloubet du Rouet who took the top spot, and Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum won the 2004 and 2006 contests aboard Shutterfly.

The 2007 participating field is:

1. Markus Fuchs (SUI)
2. Ludger Beerbaum (GER)
3. Jessica Kürten (IRL)
4. Christian Ahlmann (GER)
5. Meredith Michaels–Beerbaum (GER)
6. Albert Zoer (NED)
7. Beezie Madden (USA)
8. Marcus Ehning (GER)
9. Michael Whitaker (GBR)
10. Gerco Schröder (NED)

Competitors will be vying for a total purse of 200,000 Swiss Francs, of which 50,000 (approximately $64,000) and a Rolex watch will go to the winner.

For more information or to view the results please visit www.concours-hippique.ch/en/index.html.

Beezie Madden of Cazenovia, NY is one of the most successful show jumping equestrians in the United States and in the world, and is the highest ranked American in international rankings. Her credits include a 2004 Olympic team gold medal, 2006 individual and team World Equestrian Games silver medals and a 2003 Pan American Games team gold medal. Madden has twice-won both the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational, and the Atco Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Spruce Meadows in Canada. She has also won the Grand Prix of Aachen, Germany and the Million Dollar CN International at Spruce Meadows, and has helped the United States Equestrian Team to Nations Cup wins and the 2005 Samsung Super League victory.