by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 10, 2025
Authentic, one of the greatest U.S. team show jumpers in history, died Wednesday at the age of 30 after a 16-year retirement.
His record with Beezie Madden was stellar, including team gold medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the Hong Kong Games four years later, where his rider also earned individual bronze, and in between in 2006, team and individual silvers at the 2006 Aachen FEI World Equestrian Games. He also secured two victories in the Budweiser American Invitational and triumphed in the Aachen grand prix, among many other wins on his amazing resume.
Beezie Madden and Authentic at the 2006 Hong Kong Olympics, where they brought home team gold and individual bronze. (Photo © 2008 by Nancy Jaffer)
John Madden, Beezie’s husband, and Authentic’s owner, Abigail Wexner announced his passing on social media. Authentic was known as the King of Madden Mountain, the Maddens’ retirement farm in Cazenovia, N.Y.
John and Beezie first saw Authentic as a three-year-old in 1998 at Stal Heins, under Johan Heins and Harrie Smolders. They felt he was something special, which led to his purchase by Elizabeth Busch Burke as a six-year-old. His barn name “Bud” was in recognition of Elizabeth because she was a member of the family that owned brewer Anheuser-Busch.
At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Authentic suffered from colic and it appeared he might not be able to compete, since medication was prohibited for horses competing at the Games. He was diagnosed with a twist in his intestine, so the veterinarian administered fluids and they encouraged him to roll.
“Sometimes, if you let them roll over, that would put it back in place,” John explained. The strategy worked and Authentic passed the horse inspection, going on to compete in his first Olympics and contributing to the team gold medal.
A syndicate got Authentic to Athens, but when those owners received a purchase offer that would have sent the horse to a European rider, Abigail Wexner bought him so he could stay with Beezie and the U.S. team.
Beezie and Authentic at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen. (Photo © 2006 by Nancy Jaffer)
“Looking back on his career and life, having Mrs. Wexner step up when she did, ultimately meant his place in the history books was guaranteed,” Beezie stated.
“She trusted our partnership and never put pressure on him or me. Whatever he needed, he got, and when it was time for the competition days to be behind him, she never wavered in his support. Every horse should have an owner like her,” Beezie observed.
Bud officially retired at the New Albany Classic in 2009.
As Mrs. Wexner once said, his home was always Cazenovia. Authentic took over caring for the weanlings and yearlings, as “Uncle Bud”, and enjoyed posing for photos with visitors, especially if they came with carrots. His longtime groom, Clark Shipley, was able to watch Bud grazing in his pasture from his window before he passed away from cancer in 2020.
“I am grateful for every minute I spent with Bud. He was born great. He had an aura about him, and every life he touched was better for it,” said John Madden.
“Bud’s intelligence and cheerful personality made him exceptional to work with and carried him through his many great accomplishments, as well as his long retirement. So many of my big “firsts” of my career were with him as a partner. I owe him so much and am grateful to everyone, especially Mrs. Wexner, who made it possible for him to be such a special part of my life for so long,” Beezie commented.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 27, 2025
As he drove his golf cart around the Wellington International showgrounds this week, Equestrian Sport Productions CEO Murray Kessler spotted a piece of rubbish in the stabling area. He stopped the cart, retrieved the stray plastic bottle and some crumpled pieces of paper, carrying them away for later deposit in a trash can.
“Lead by example,” Murray explained, heading for said can and dusting it off with a rag before throwing away the litter he had picked up.
What he was doing could be compared to the foreman walking the shop floor. At any company, the foreman is engaged in coordinating the efforts of multiple workers, ensuring productivity and maintaining quality standards. That’s just what Murray aims to do.
He recalled when the 2025 Winter Equestrian Festival got under way 12 weeks ago, people were still throwing trash out of the car windows as they drove off. Since then, there’s been a culture change at the landmark Florida facility 40 minutes from Palm Beach.
Wellington Lifestyle Partners, the new owner of the showgrounds, is committed to its long-term viability. The partnership took over just five weeks before the start of the circuit, with maintenance revving up as much as possible in a short time frame.
“We made a lot of substantive change, but there will be a lot more next year,” Murray promised.
“We’re keeping it clean and people are noticing it. Now you go there at the end of the day, and there’s nothing,” he observed about the absence of debris, aside from the few strays he found. But there are plenty of other issues at the showgrounds, as the original venue is being melded into new territory, “Pod F,” to expand the facility to 100 acres.
The new showgrounds at Pod F, with the grass ring in green to the right at the bottom of the photo, and the new main stadium to the lelft.
Four rings built on Pod F are used for schooling at the moment, which gives horses and riders room to spread out. The merger of the properties, which is going to take several years to complete, will not only alleviate crowded conditions, but means a big refresh for a venue that hosts 28 weeks of shows in addition to WEF, and frankly, was rundown.
“The bones of this place are old, it’s time for a makeover,” said trainer Lauren Hough.
“I want there to be a world class faciilty here. I think they have a limited space to do it, so they’re going to have to be quite clever about it,” the Olympic rider continued.
“I want the best for this, of course, because this is our home. My family is here. I do have the utmost faith in Murray. He’s taken on much bigger things than this. So we’ll hold our breath and hope for the best.”
Great Britain’s Ben Maher, the 2021 individual Olympic show jumping gold medalist, noted when he won the season’s final WEF Challenge Cup on Thursday, that “bigger prize money and updating the facilities here are making a difference.”
The International Arena is the focal point of the current showgrounds. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
Murray understands the difficulties inherent in the showgrounds equation.
“I knew the problems because of years of showing here, and I knew exactly what I was getting into,” he said, explaining he was realistic when he took the job. His presence was what gave immediate credibility to the project.
Challenges don’t daunt the former president of the U.S. Equestrian Federation, who also had CEO credentials at three major corporations before retiring.
However, he noted about the showgrounds situation, “I didn’t know the reasons behind a lot of the problems.”
Expectations for shows are higher today in every way than they were in the era decades ago when WEF emerged on the scene as a new concept. In recent years, improvements didn’t proceed as they should have. Murray pointed out the previous owner of the facility, Global Equestrian Group, was a private equity firm, and he maintained the entity based in Denmark only cared about making money.
“They had to think of every dollar of return they could get out of it,” he said.
To get the full picture of what was needed, Murray talked to 100 trainers, riders and other influences in the community, along with ESP’s leadership team, headed by president Michael Stone and competitions manager and chief operating officer David Burton Jr.
“They knew everything that needed to be done but they weren’t allowed to do it,” under the previous regime.
“I said, `Well, go do it,” Murray recalled.
With such sparkling facilities as the World Equestrian Center in Ocala and TerraNova near Sarasota emerging in the last few years, Wellington is not the only game in the state. Though the number of horses showing in Florida can easily support several show complexes, since exhibitors have real choices now, Wellington International needs to meet their expectations. That underlines the importance of a massive showgrounds re-do.
Stands are filled at Wellington International for such major competitions as the Nations Cup. (Sportfot photo)
WLP will build The Wellington golf community at Equestrian Village, the home of dressage half a mile from the main showgrounds. Serious work on that project cannot begin until the newly configured showgrounds is up and running, with dressage moved down the street, presenting a big incentive to get things done.
Dressage, which at the moment is offered only during WEF, will be rehomed at what is now the main showgrounds. It is going to have its own rings, while sharing that area with the hunters. Jumpers will be located on Pod F.
Dressage, which is in its own enclave at Equestrian Village, will be held in what is now the Grand Hunter Ring when it moves to Wellington International in a few years. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
After WEF wraps up on Sunday, more extensive efforts can begin. It’s tough to get everything done during circuit because, “you have to deal with the reality you have 2,800 horses,” said Murray, citing statistics from week 11 of the show. With lighter entries during the spring, summer and fall shows, the entire property does not need to be used, offering flexibility that enables work to continue on other areas of the facility.
A grass field at Wellington International to replace the one at Equestrian Village is ready for planting. Although the new grass ring will be a little smaller by the numbers, Murray thinks it may well have more usable space because it lacks the berm and water jump complex of its predecessor. It will serve as a stadium with a VIP section.
The grass field is ready for planting. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
Next door will be another stadium, with artificial footing, more VIP and skyboxes. The open area in the middle will be reserved for vendors and food concessions. Parking for 3,000 or 4,000 cars will be around the perimeter of the property. If necessary, overflow parking can go in the rings that are not being used on grand prix night. Also in the plans are a covered arena and new FEI stabling for the jumpers.
There’s a different spirit in the air on the eve of this weekend’s featured $750,000 Rolex grand prix, the WEF finale that has attracted six of the top 10-ranked jumpers in the world. Production values for the grand prix have been raised for maximum drama, with 40 lasers around the ring and video rider intros produced by the team that does the Indy 500.
Murray gave 500 employees a pep talk before the circuit began, using a slide show on the jumbotron in the international arena.
He told them that “we had changed the place, that this is the prominent horse show in America. We have a unique position, different than any horse show in the world. A lot of people rely on us, people have their homes here and there are blacksmiths and vets and they all depend on us. This place is going to get cleaned up and we’re going to have the best service.”
Since then, he found, “I’ve never worked with a group of people who worked harder than this. They’re incredible.”
Former Fortune 500 CEO Murray Kessler doesn’t have a fancy office at the showgrounds, but he’s always on the move anyway and never far from a trash can. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
Expanding on his guiding philosophy, Murray observed, “We are the premier horse sport destination in the world. We are not the best horse show in the world. I am not going to say we are Aachen, but there’s nowhere else in the world that has what Wellington has. You go to Aachen, it’s six days long, with the best pros (professionals). You come here and it’s three months long and it’s from short stirrup to the Olympic Games riders.”
Noting that while Devon is where champions meet, as the sign over the Pennsylvania show’s main ring states, “Wellington is where champions are made and grow up,” Murray emphasized. He cited the example of his daughter, Reed, who started in short stirrup at the showgrounds and went on to the 2012 Olympic team. Lillie Keenan, he mentioned, began on ponies in Wellington and last week was part of the winning U.S. Longines League of Nations squad in Ocala.
Murray added “75 percent of the Olympic team either lives here full-time or has a home here. What makes us special and what makes Wellington, Wellington, is that we service all levels and they all matter.”
He cited the “virtuous circle” theory that he often used when he headed USEF.
“The best experience attracts the best riders in world,” he stated, and it follows that if a facility has “the best infrastructure and the best customer service, everything else will take care of itself.”
He added, “WLP’s business interests are aligned with the sport being fantastic because this is the anchor of the community. It needs to be the best it can be to inspire kids to ride and (families to) buy houses in the area. That’s how the business model works.”
World number seven-ranked show jumper McLain Ward, never shy about bringing issues to Murray’s attention, said he’s a big fan of the CEO.
“I think he’s made a commitment not only to the facility and the ownership group, but also to a lot of long-term relationships that he has within the sport and within business. There were some improvements that were made quickly that were noticed,” said McLain. Those included LED lighting in the International Arena and attention to footing.
“Obviously, the place was in a pretty big hole, so like anything, it’s scratching the surface. I’m optimistic it’s going in a positive direction,” McLain added.
Footing samples are taken every day and sent to the FEI, “which sends back a report with where we are on density. On grand prix day, I do it three times,” said Murray, who noted samples, which also track moisture content, are taken from 35 locations in the main ring,
Murray Kessler at the international arena. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
Murray’s wife, Sarah Davis Kessler, is part of the showgrounds team. Her affinity for hospitality and design is reflected in the VIP area, where the settings have been upgraded. Crystal glasses, bottles of wine and a charcuterie board are on the tables.
“I’m getting rid of all the plastic,” Murray promised.
He also has plans for dealing with the dust that has been omnipresent in the stable area by putting down rubber on some paths, asphalt millings elsewhere and footing on the pathway that ends at Pony Island, so horses don’t get muddy as they make their way up from the stables.
The CEO is keeping tabs on everyone and everything, pointing out, “I crack the whip.”
He warned a restaurant owner, whose eatery in a vendor area had a messy appearance, “if I ever walk in here again and it looks like this, you’re out the next day. He’s like, `It will never look like that again,’ and it never has.”
Before WLP took over, street sweepers came in once a week. Now they come five days a week at night. Lack of bathroom cleanliness was “always a pet peeve of everybody,”
The remedy for that is in high gear, with cleaning going on at night Wednesdays through Sundays. “Cleaning during the day couldn’t keep up,” Murray pointed out.
Hunter judges Robin Rost Brown and her husband, Otis “Brownie” Brown, took note that the judges’ booths were clean and the air conditioning worked.
“The whole place is pumped up,” said Brownie, while his wife observed, “Everyone seems still happy on Week 12.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 4, 2025
Julien Epaillard took a chance.
The Frenchman, who led after Thursday’s opening round of the Longines FEI Show Jumping World Cup Final, decided not to compete in what would have been a six-horse jump-off for Friday’s second leg of the championship in Basel, Switzerland. He wanted to save the strength of his horse, Donatello d’Auget for Sunday’s two-round final.
Julien Epaillard
But he didn’t have the hard data to assure that he would stay in the lead without participating in the tie-breaker, because the math was too difficult to do by hand. So he could only guess.
“It’s complicated to calculate this. So we take the risk,” he explained.
“It was not an easy decision. We think a little bit with the staff of the (French) federation.”
As it happened, he guessed right.
Marcus Fuchs, riding “my incredible unicorn” Leone Jei for the host country, won the class with “two risky turns.” But because the Swiss campaigner was tenth the first day, he is four points behind Julien in the overall standings. Julien figured it would be something like that, but couldn’t be sure when he withdrew from the tiebreaker.
A former European champion, Marcus was clocked in 40.77 seconds over a challenging jump-off course. Austria’s Max Kuhner with Elektric Blue P was second in 42.32, while Alessandra Volpi became the second U.S. rider of the show to make the podium. She was third on the clever mare, Gipsy Love in 45.78 seconds.
Gerard LaChat’s course.
Rather than spending the evening celebrating after his win, Marcus planned on going back to his hotel room to study the tapes of his rides and “see what I can improve on Sunday.”
Marcus Fuchs and Leone Jei.
Alessandra had said beforehand that she wouldn’t go all-out in the tiebreaker, with a thought process similar to Julien’s, that her mare needed to have reserves of strength for Sunday’s stringent test.
“It’s hard to catch these guys.. But I wanted to make sure she was in good shape for Sunday,” commented Alessandra, who trains with Markus Beerbaum of Germany.
“I couldn’t have asked for more. That’s what you dream of here,” continued Allessandra, praising her Silesian mare.
“It’s taken us a bit of time to get to know each other, because she is tricky and she really likes things the way she wants them, but I feel like now that we’re coming together as a combination, we’ve put in a lot of solid rounds, and it’s helped us build a lot of confidence and that’s paying off,” the Californian added.
Alessandra Volpi and Gipsy Love. (©ShannonBrinkmanPhotography/Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
“She still tried her hardest. I knew a solid clear round could get you pretty far. I didn’t expect to be in such a great position. That lack of expectation has gotten us this far. We still have a job to do on Sunday, so stay focused.”
The USA’s Lilllie Keenan, who was third on opening night, had a rail in the first round to finish ninth with Kick On and is tied for fourth overall.
The biggest U.S. show jumping names, Kent Farrington, McLain Ward and Laura Kraut, aren’t competing in Basel. But U.S. Coach Robert Ridland is proud of the riders who are.
Alessandra Volpi enjoys the victory gallop. (©ShannonBrinkmanPhotography/Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
“We sent a group over here, a young group, but one that we’re excited about. And now we’ve been on the podium both nights. Pretty good.”
Click here for a link to Friday’s World Cup dressage story.
Click here for results of second World Cup competition
Click here for World Cup standings after second leg
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 3, 2025
In the first leg of the Longines FEI Wold Cup Show Jumping Finals Thursday, the U.S. was on the podium courtesy of Lillie Keenan, who last month turned in two faultless rounds as the pathfinder for the winning American.effort in the Longines League of Nations/ Ocala.
The one-round speed segment of the three-part Cup competition in Basel, Switzerland belonged to France’s Julien Epaillard, known for his ability to beat the clock. He and Donatello D’Auge, a horse who “is like family to us” handled Gerard Lechat’s course in 60.30 seconds. Ben Maher of Great Britain finished just 0.13 seconds behind on Point Break, despite the handicap of riding with a broken foot. Lillie, aboard Kick On, was timed in 60.69 seconds.
“I left out (strides) in a few places that for sure were risky, but I knew my horse could do it,” Lillie said.
When there was a question, Kick On answered.
“He knew, `This is what mom says, so this is what we’re gonna do.’ I think that’s a testimony to the partnership and how special our sport is,” observed Lillie, ranked world number 28.
Lillie Keenan and Kick On in Basel. (©ShannonBrinkmanPhotography/Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
While she had qualified for World Cup finals previously, Lillie didn’t go because she didn’t want to push it unless she felt she had a real chance.
Although she has been partnered with her son of Warrior only for 18 months, the horse has come a long way from the 2-star competitions he was jumping then.
“We only took a step forward when he told me he could. He reminded me every time he went in the ring that he was ready,” commented Lillie, who is a protege of U.S. team anchor McLain Ward. He is on hand in Switzerland to help her.
Lillie’s bay stallion was purchased from Amanda Derbyshire and David Blake. Prior to Lillie getting him, the horse had only jumped in England, where he was bred, with one side tour to Belgium.
“He was not a standout as a young horse,” commented Lillie, but noted that wound up being a plus, because he wasn’t rushed.
He reminded her of her Young Rider horse, Super Sox, and that was a selling point.
“His markings were very similar,” she mused.
“There was something about the expression in the horse’s eye. I rode him and I felt this very strong bond, I felt like he was right there with me. There was something so reminiscent of SuperSox.
“I called my dad up and said, `He’s just like Sox, and we have to have him.’ I feel like the horse’s heart is really in the sport. I think everything he does is for me.”
The rest of the American contingent is far behind the leaders, which puts pressure on Lillie, but she doesn’t mind.
“In my opinion, pressure is a privilege,” she explained.
“The person that puts the most expectation on myself is me. And I know how special my horse is. I just want to do a good job for him and hopefully come away with a great result.”
The USA’s Katie Dinan, clocked in 64.76 seconds with Out of the Blue SCF, was in the money with an eleventh place finish. Allessandra Volpi and Gipsy Love of the U.S. were right behind in twelfth, tied with Germany’s Richard Vogel on United Touch S. Both were timed in 64.81 seconds.
No other U.S. riders finished in the top 20 of the class, which drew 39 starters.
World Cup action resumes Friday with a jump-off class.
Click here for results
