Beezie Madden: And So It Begins!
Olympic show jumping team member Beezie Madden competes at her last show before the 2012 Olympics.
- Simon takes a well-deserved nap in his stall.
- Photo courtesy Beezie Madden
July 23, 2012–And so it begins! Today, we arrive in London for Team Processing! Last week we competed in Chantilly, France for our last show before London. We took Simon and Vanilla (Coral Reef Via Volo’s daughter), while Coral Reef Via Volo stayed in Holland.
Chantilly was a great preparation completion before London. McLain and Reed, two of my teammates, were also there getting one last competition in before the Games as well as quite a few other top horses and riders. The grounds were a gorgeous spot for a competition, the crowds were huge and I thought the courses were challenging.
Simon was amazing in the Grand Prix on Saturday afternoon. He jumped three clear rounds and we ended up in 2nd place, just a touch behind Hans-Dieter Dreher’s time. John and I are so pleased with how Simon is doing. He and I have really come together as a team, and I feel very confident each time we walk into the ring together.
Vanilla competed in the 1.50m Grand Prix Equidia Life on Sunday, while Simon enjoyed a day off sleeping in his stall.
- Left to right, Vinton Karrasch, Clark Shipley, Simon and myself at the barn in Chantilly.
- Photo by John Madden
Vanilla jumped a solid clear first round and had a great jump off, except we pulled a rail at the last jump. She ended up in 9th place overall. I am pleased though because she is really coming into her own and we expect great things from her.
Team Processing is today with my US teammates includes getting our credentials, health check and official team gear. We won’t be staying in London, we’ll be heading back to Holland to train for the next week with George, but I think the quick stop in London is going to get us all very excited for the next few weeks. I am confident in my teammates, confident in Via Volo and in my John Madden Sales Team that supports us. I can’t wait to represent my country and my sport for a third time.
Beezie Madden will represent the U.S. in show jumping with Coral Reef Via Volo at the 2012 Olympics. She was the individual Bronze medalist in the 2008 Olympic Games and also a member of the Gold medal U.S. team. In 2006 she won both team and individual silver medals at the World Equestrian Games aboard Authentic. She was also a member of the Gold Medal team at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and part of the 2003 gold medal Pan American Games team.
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