Olympic Gold Medalist Beezie Madden Posts First 2009 WEF Win, Aboard Onlight to Win WEF Challenge X in Wellington
Joanie Morris - U.S. Equestrian Federation March 13, 2009
Photo: Julian Herbert/Getty Images
Beezie Madden of the United States in action during the Team Jumping Competition held at the Hong Kong Olympic Equestrian Venue during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Madden won her first Grand Prix of 2009 on March 12, 2009.
WELLINGTON, Fla., Mar.12--Double Olympic gold medalist Beezie Madden won her first Grand Prix of the 2009 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival Thursday, aboard Onlight in Round X of the $30,000 Braman Motorcars WEF Challenge Cup Series.
Madden of Cazenovia, N.Y. and Onlight, owned by Team Onlight, were the only double clear round from the initial 49 entries for the class in the DeNemethy arena. Only four combinations made it to the jump off on the the course designed by Guilherme Jorge of Brazil.
The time by Madden and Onlight was 54.36 secs.
Brazil's Rodrigo Pessoa and Let's Fly, owned by the Double H Farm, placed second with four faults and a time of 44.64 secs. with Ireland's Kevin Babington and Caracas 49 in third place with four faults and a time of 49.76 secs. in the jumpoff.
"I was very pleased with my horse," Pessoa said of his jump off ride. "I added a stride to the vertical and it was really tight. Not going last you want to leave as little room possible for those behind you, but today the plan didn't work."
Madden, who was not planning to go fast in the jump off said, "I was just trying to make it under the time allowed and have a nice round, but it proved to be a difficult jump off to go clear."
Holding the Challenge in the DeNemethy ring this week raised new questions for the horses and riders.
"The course was nice, it took the horse a lot of adjusting," Pessoa said. "It was quite a different track with all the broken lines today."
"Because of the shape of the ring there were different routes, lots of bending. It was a good course you needed rideability which is good," Madden said. "It helped get ready for Sunday."
This was the first Grand Prix win for the 10-year-old German-bred mare that Madden has ridden for the past four years.
"She's been a little slow getting here," she said. "Hopefully today she turned the corner."
Both Madden and Pessoa have their eyes on the World Cup in Las Vegas April 15-19. Pessoa has qualified with the Double H Farm-owned Rufus, while Madden hopes to qualify the nine-year-old Belgian gelding, Danny Boy, owned by Abigail Wexner.
Madden of Cazenovia, N.Y. and Onlight, owned by Team Onlight, were the only double clear round from the initial 49 entries for the class in the DeNemethy arena. Only four combinations made it to the jump off on the the course designed by Guilherme Jorge of Brazil.
The time by Madden and Onlight was 54.36 secs.
Brazil's Rodrigo Pessoa and Let's Fly, owned by the Double H Farm, placed second with four faults and a time of 44.64 secs. with Ireland's Kevin Babington and Caracas 49 in third place with four faults and a time of 49.76 secs. in the jumpoff.
"I was very pleased with my horse," Pessoa said of his jump off ride. "I added a stride to the vertical and it was really tight. Not going last you want to leave as little room possible for those behind you, but today the plan didn't work."
Madden, who was not planning to go fast in the jump off said, "I was just trying to make it under the time allowed and have a nice round, but it proved to be a difficult jump off to go clear."
Holding the Challenge in the DeNemethy ring this week raised new questions for the horses and riders.
"The course was nice, it took the horse a lot of adjusting," Pessoa said. "It was quite a different track with all the broken lines today."
"Because of the shape of the ring there were different routes, lots of bending. It was a good course you needed rideability which is good," Madden said. "It helped get ready for Sunday."
This was the first Grand Prix win for the 10-year-old German-bred mare that Madden has ridden for the past four years.
"She's been a little slow getting here," she said. "Hopefully today she turned the corner."
Both Madden and Pessoa have their eyes on the World Cup in Las Vegas April 15-19. Pessoa has qualified with the Double H Farm-owned Rufus, while Madden hopes to qualify the nine-year-old Belgian gelding, Danny Boy, owned by Abigail Wexner.
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Comments RSSOn July 18, 2009 Maddie Rich wrote
hi this is maddie rich again i just want to say i really am your biggest fan and i would, if your comfortable, to have your e-mail address or fan mail address please i would really like to meat you you are my idol
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