Page 9 - The Madden Method Symposium

Beezie is married to John Madden and they live in Cazenovia, New York, at their farm, John Madden Sales, Inc., which is also the home to many famous retired show jumpers including her gold medal mount Au- thentic . “When John [Madden] offered me a job, I was still working for Katie Monahan Prudent, and he actually had very little,” Beezie said. “He had a few sale horses — he was mostly in the sales business— so I guess when I decided to take the job with him, it was probably one of the biggest risks I took.”
Beezie had been Katie’s working student for more than five years when she went to work with John Mad- den Sales in 1987. With her background, she was well prepared to get the best performance possible from different horses that were for sale, regardless of their training or experience. Katie has said about Beezie, “I gave her the basics but John Madden made her a killer [in the show ring]; John is a great motivator for Beezie.”
John gave all the credit to Beezie when she won her first Budweiser-American Grand Prix Association Rider of the Year title... “She’s paid her dues with discipline and hard work.”
John likes to joke that he’s “just Beezie’s husband,” but his achievements are much more than being Beezie’s husband and trainer. John began as a groom and worked his way up to barn manager at George Morris’ Hunterdon.
He started John Madden Sales in 1982, moving to Cazenovia, New York, where the business is currently headquartered, in 1998. In addition to sales, John also trains amateur jumper riders and is involved in the governance of the sport. He’s been an executive board mem- ber and chairman of the International Equestrian Federation [FEI] Jumping Committee and was recently appointed vice president
of the FEI.
John has said, “Success isn’t fulfilled through blue ribbons, high- er jumps, bigger commissions, a flawless hunter round or any of the little things that we all get caught up in. [Success is] better care, improved management, better riding, enhanced conditions for competitions and most of all, continuing education. These are the things that will fulfill our responsibility to our horses.”
After working together for 11 years, Beezie and John married in 1998. “. “This sport takes so much time and so much traveling; if we weren’t working together, we’d never be together,” Beezie said. “. Most people wonder how we do it — I wonder how we’d do it if we weren’t working together.” by Doris Degner-Foster
-8-8-