Aachen, September 3rd, 2006

Show Jumper Beezie Madden Finishes with a Silver Medal

Aachen, Germany—It ended like it began, with wind and rain. But, it was a wet, windy and wonderful finale to an amazing two weeks of equestrian sport at the 2006 Aachen World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. By all accounts, it has turned out to be the biggest and most impressive equestrian competition in history. Now Aachen, a European city world-renowned for horse competition, passes the proverbial torch to another great world-class horse city (Lexington, Kentucky) to host the next FEI Games in four years in 2010. And, they will be here before anyone knows it.

It was a course of 8 obstacles (10 efforts) that stood in front of the final four show jumpers on Sunday, with a time of 57 seconds was allowed to cross it. A stadium held its breath and stood on its feet. Four riders battled it out. It was a day of show jumping not to be forgotten. And to beat it all, it came down to a jump-off.

First up in the “round robin” show jumping final was Belgium’s Jos Lansink aboard his mount Cavalor Cumano, a 13-year-old Holsteiner stallion. Lansink came into the finals just behind America’s Beezie Madden and Authentic – the first place finishers after four separate days of competition. He was one of only two riders to put in double clean and clear rounds during Saturday’s Top 25 ride-off.

The other rider to match Lansink’s skill on Saturday was the second to jump on Sunday – Australia’s Edwina Alexander and Isovlas Pialotta, a 15-year-old Westphalian mare. Alexander was something of a self-professed long shot. Just a few years ago she was ranked in the 500s. Today, she had made a steep climb to the top 50 rider spots in the world. At the WEG, she climbed steadily each day in the final placings to find her work earning a chance at a Gold medal.

Third to start was American-turned-German Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and her spirited Shutterfly, a 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding. She sat just outside the top four spots going into Saturday’s competition, so her hard work and determination definitely paid off with a berth in today’s final four.

Last but not least of the top four pairs were New York’s Beezie Madden and Authentic, the 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding. Over the week of show jumping, Madden has been the perfect picture of “calm and cool,” showing clean and clear through all but one qualifier leading to today’s final. It was in round one of the two rounds from yesterday that she picked up her first penalties – a downed rail plus a time fault – to leave her with an overall total of five penalties and the lead spot into the finals.

But, what got the riders to the final four really doesn’t matter anymore as the slate was wiped clean and each of the riders were put on a level playing field. Today, their main concern was to handle the wet footing, keep the poles from falling, staying under the allowed time and figuring out best how to handle three different horses that they’ve not ever ridden before. Quite a challenge for even the most qualified and experienced of world-class riders.

Rounds one, two and three were mirror images of each other, except for the switching of horses. It was in the final and fourth round that the first rail fell. It was a thud that could be heard half-way around the world in Australia as it belonged to long shot Alexander. Regrettably, as the third jumper of four in the final round, she downed #4a (the first fence in a triple combination) when she was aboard Shutterfly. The horse crossed the rail and kicked it out of the cups. Alexander picked up four faults that left her sitting in a fourth place finish, just out of the medals.

Both Madden and Lansink had already cleared the course, which left Michaels-Beerbaum to do the same. This set up the three-rider jump-off.

First to take on the same course in the jump-off was Lansink. Aboard his own mount, Cavalor Cumano, he downed no rails and did so in a time of 45.01 seconds.

Second to go was Michaels-Beerbaum aboard her Shutterfly, who had quite some time getting tacked for the final and decisive jump-off round. Finally, she took on the course, but she downed the front rail of #3, an oxer, which left her accumulating four penalties. She finished without further rails, but this left her with a final score of 4.0 on a time of 45.40 and a Bronze-medal finish for Germany.

Last to go was Team USA’s Madden on Authentic (owned by Abigail Wexner). All through the course, the crowd (and other riders) were hung on her every move. But, in the final seconds, while clearing the last obstacle – an oxer at #8 – the pair downed the outside rail to take on a cruel four penalties in a time of 43..74. It was a hard-earned Silver-medal end to her week of show jumping at the world championships.

Madden, who according to organizers was the top favorite in the bwin.com betting numbers, said she wouldn’t have done anything different in her final ride.

“Maybe it was a little me and him both letting down because I thought that once we made it over the vertical before that, that I was home free. I think maybe doing four rounds before that, with that being the last jump, and the turn coming up after, he just cut down and didn’t make a bit effort there,” she said. “But, I couldn’t be happier with how he has performed this whole week

Asked what is immediately in store for Authentic, Madden said, “my horse gets one week off, and the plan is to stay with the same team [for the Samsung Super League] at Barcelona, and the horse will probably be finished for the year.”

To recap, the Gold went to Belgium’s Jos Lansink and Cavalor Cumano, the Silver went to USA’s Beezie Madden and Authentic and the Bronze medal went to Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum. Australia’s Edwina Alexander and Isovlas Pialotta ended in fourth. Lansink’s stallion, Cavalor Cumano, was awarded the Best Horse award.

The next FEI Games – the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 – take place from September 20 through October 3, 2010, in Lexington, Kentucky.