Source: News Release/Rebecca Walton/USET Foundation/PMG Inc.
Beezie Madden Honored With
2013 Whitney Stone Cup from USET Foundation
Gladstone, NJ - The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to announce that reigning Show Jumping World Cup Champion Beezie Madden of Cazenovia, NY, is the recipient of the 2013 Whitney Stone Cup. The award is presented annually to an active competitor who displays consistent excellence in international competition and high standards of sportsmanlike conduct while serving as an ambassador for the United States and equestrian sport. This marks the third year that Madden has received the prestigious honor after an incredible year that included her victory at the 2013 FEI Show Jumping World Cup Finals aboard Abigail Wexner's Simon in Gothenburg, Sweden.
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| Beezie Madden and Simon |
Madden was presented with the award during the USET Foundation Gala on January 24th, in Wellington, Florida. "It's always an honor to win this award and be an ambassador for the sport," she stated. "This year has been amazing, and winning the World Cup was a huge accomplishment. All of the horses contributed, with Simon at World Cup and Cortes winning a qualifier at WEF last year and helping the teams qualify at the Nations Cups. It has been a huge team effort."
The 2013 World Cup Finals were a dream came true for Madden, a staple on the U.S. Show Jumping Team, who has won countless grand prix honors and competed all over the world. She and her talented mount Simon took home a title that had eluded her previously: World Cup Finals Champion. A brilliant clear round gave them an early lead and helped them get to the nail-biting jump-off, where Madden and Simon managed to best the reigning Olympic champions with a brilliant round and take home the coveted title.
The success did not stop there though, as Madden went on to win the $60,000 Great-West Life Cup 1.50m, the $35,000 ATCO Energy Solutions Cup 1.45m, and the $33,000 1.50m AON Cup at Spruce Meadows to earn the Spruce Meadows North American Leading Rider Award. She concluded the year with a victory in the Longines Grand Prix of Chantilly aboard Cortes 'C', as well as helping the United States win the Furusiyya Nations Cup Final Consolation Round by completing a clear jump-off round with Simon.
"I was happy with all of my horses and their progress over the year," noted Madden "We were able to finish the year early and give them a nice break, so I think they are going to be fresh and ready to go for this year. Simon and I have grown to know each other better and have been more consistent. I am really thinking Cortes had an equally good year with his Nations Cup performances and his win at Chantilly and Wellington."
Madden added, "That is probably what I am most satisfied with this year, because I've always believed in that horse. He's a little more sensitive than he looks, and he just needed more time. This year he got to where jumping clear rounds over big courses was what he did."
Madden will continue to compete in 2014 and hopes to return to the Show Jumping World Finals to defend her winning title, as well as representing the United States during the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France.
"The Foundation has been great help to me and the U.S. Team," concluded Madden. "They fund our entire trip to WEG, and we owe a lot to them and the Foundation's contributors. WEG is the most important goal this year, and I think both horses will be ready."
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| USET Foundation President S. Tucker S. Johnson, Beezie Madden and Brownlee O. Currey, Jr., Chairman of the Board |
Whitney Stone Cup Winners
The Whitney Stone Cup is awarded in honor of the late Whitney Stone, who served as President and Chairman of the Board of the United States Equestrian Team from 1953 to 1973. Mr. Stone was instrumental in the creation of a civilian equestrian team when the Army retired from competitive horse sports after 1948. Previous Whitney Stone Cup winners are:
1980 - Michael Matz
1981 - James C. Wofford
1982 - Norman Dello Joio
1983 - Melanie Smith (Taylor)
1984 - Carole Grant
1985 - Joe Fargis
1986 - Conrad Homfeld
1987 - Katie Monahan Prudent
1988 - Bruce O. Davidson
1989 - Gregory A. Best
1990 - William Long
1991 - Hap Hansen
1992 - Lana DuPont Wright
1993 - Carol Lavell
1994 - J. Michael Plumb
1995 - Robert Dover
1996 - Anne Kursinski
1997 - Leslie Burr Howard
1998 - David O'Connor
1999 - Valerie Kanavy
2000 - Karen O'Connor
2001 - Tucker Johnson
2002 - Guenter Seidel
2003 - Peter Wylde
2004 - Debbie McDonald
2005 - Chris Kappler
2006 - Elizabeth (Beezie) Madden
2007 - Elizabeth (Beezie) Madden
2008 - Miranda (Randy) Caldwell
2009 - Steffen Peters
2010 - McLain Ward
2011 - Tucker S. Johnson
2012 - Christine McCrea
2013 - Rich Fellers
USET Foundation Awards 2014 Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy to Katie Dinan
Gladstone, NJ - The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2014 Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy is the talented show jumping rider Katie Dinan of New York, NY and Wellington, FL.
Each year this award is presented to a young rider in one of the Olympic disciplines who exemplifies both sportsmanship and horsemanship. In 2013, Dinan had a breakthrough year competing at her first World Cup Finals and representing the United States at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final in Barcelona, Spain
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| Katie Dinan and Nougat Du Vallet. Photo By Noelle Floyd |
Dinan was presented with this prestigious award at the USET Foundation Gala on January 24th, in Wellington, Florida. "I am very honored to be this year's recipient of the Lionel Guerrand- Hermès Trophy," Dinan commented. "Past recipients of the award include riders whom I look up to as well as some of my incredibly talented contemporaries. I am excited to have my name join the list and to be recognized by the USET Foundation as a young rider who demonstrates sportsmanship and horsemanship, two qualities I aspire to embody in this sport."
For a young rider to achieve consistent success is not an easy feat, and to do it while carrying a full course load at college is even more impressive. In 2013, Katie Dinan managed to do just that. She competed in her first ever World Cup Final in Gothenburg, Sweden, and she then went on to represent the United States during two Nations Cup events. Two clear rounds helped her clinch the Furusiyya Rider of the Day Award at Spruce Meadows, and she was also a part of the third-place team in Dublin. In September, Dinan was a part of the U.S. team during the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final in Barcelona, Spain, where she helped them take top honors in the Consolation Round.
"2013 was my first year really competing with the U.S. Team," noted Dinan. "I had always dreamed of going to the World Cup Finals and competing on Nations Cup Teams. I had amazing opportunities this past year to compete on teams with some of the best riders in our sport and gained invaluable experience. I give tremendous credit to my horse, Nougat du Vallet, who has been an incredible partner for me. Finishing the year with the Grand Prix win at the Alltech National Horse Show was a big moment for us, and it was really exciting to win a grand prix of that caliber.
Earlier in the year she kicked things off with a second place finish in the $125,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix to qualify for the Finals, and she then went on to win the $100,000 Old Salem Grand Prix. She concluded the year with a fantastic victory in the Alltech $250,000 Grand Prix at the Alltech National Horse Show aboard Nougat Du Vallet.
Dinan is star outside of the ring as well. She is a 20-year-old sophomore at Harvard University, where she is studying Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology.
"While balancing riding and school can be hectic, I am incredibly lucky to have an amazing team at our farm, Staysail," commented Dinan. "This allows me to go back and forth from school to competitions. I appreciate the balance gained from both attending university and riding. Looking forward, I hope to have additional opportunities to represent our country and dream of attending championship competitions."
Dinan concluded, "I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have coached me, especially McLain Ward, the recipient of this same award in 1991, who gave me invaluable guidance over the past three years. I am also very grateful to Craig Pollard, who runs our farm, and Camilla Pettersson, who takes care of Nougat and Glory Days, for keeping my horses in super form. Most of all, I would like to thank my family for their endless support."
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| USET Foundation President S. Tucker S. Johnson, Katie Dinan, Brownlee O. Currey, Jr. Chairman of the Board, and Courtney Caverzasi, Hermes Equestrian Representative |
Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy Winners
Patrick Guerrand-Hermès established the Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Memorial Award in 1983 in memory of his son, Lionel, who was tragically killed in an automobile accident in 1981 at the age of 18. Lionel trained with the United States Equestrian Team and was talented enough to be considered an Olympic hopeful. A perpetual trophy designed by Patrick Guerrand-Hermès is inscribed annually with the winner's name and permanently displayed at the USET Foundation headquarters in Gladstone, NJ. Previous winners are:
1983 - Mark Leone
1984 - Jeffery Welles
1985 - Holly Mitten
1986 - Gregory A Best
1987 - Susanne Owen
1988 - Christopher Kappler
1989 - Mollie Bliss
1990 - Kim Keenan
1991 - McLain Ward
1992 - Abigail Lufkin
1993 - Mark Combs
1994 - Gabriella Salick
1995 - Megan Johnstone
1996 - Jonathan Elliot
1997 - Alison Firestone
1998 - Bruce Davidson Jr.
1999 - Chad Geeter
2000 - Elise Haas
2001 - Marilyn Little
2002 - Clark Montgomery
2003 - Will Faudree
2004 - Kristin Schmolze
2005 - Brianne Goutal
2006 - Katie Hamilton
2007 - Carolyn Kelly
2008 - Hillary Dobbs
2009 - Laura Noyes
2010 - Jennifer Waxman
2011 - Tiana Coudray
2012 - Lucy Davis
2013 - Reed Kessler
2014 - Katie Dinan
The United States Equestrian Team Foundation (www.uset.org) is the non-profit organization that supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America's elite and developing international, high-performance horses and athletes in partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation.
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