Beezie Madden
A show jumping pioneer who shattered gender and financial barriers with a peerless competitive calm, becoming America's most decorated equestrian.
Born 1963 (age 63)·American equestrian·Birthday: November 20·Baby Boomers
Biography
Beezie Madden’s name is synonymous with consistency, grit, and a revolutionary quiet dominance in the high-stakes world of international show jumping. Growing up on a Wisconsin farm, she was a natural talent who turned professional and, with her signature horse Authentic, began rewriting the record books. Her style is defined not by flamboyance but by an almost preternatural precision and partnership with her mounts. Madden didn't just win; she broke ceilings, becoming the first American woman to rank among the world's top three riders and the first female show jumper to eclipse a million dollars in prize money. At the Olympics, she has been a cornerstone of gold-medal-winning U.S. teams, also securing individual bronze. Her career, spanning decades at the pinnacle of the sport, demonstrates that the most powerful force in the arena can be a focused mind and a flawless connection between human and horse.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Beezie was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Beezie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Beezie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won two Olympic team gold medals (2004, 2008) and an individual bronze medal (2016) in show jumping.
- Became the first woman to earn over one million dollars in show jumping prize money.
- Captured the FEI World Cup Final title twice, in 2013 and 2018.
- Was the first American rider to break into the top three of the world show jumping rankings.
Did You Know?
Her nickname 'Beezie' originated from her younger brother's inability to pronounce 'Elizabeth.'
She and her husband, John Madden, run a successful training and sales business, John Madden Sales.
She was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame in 2013.
“The horse is the best teacher.”
