McLain Ward has been a star on the hunter/jumper circuit since his junior days as an equitation rider. He’s been breaking records since the age of 14, culminating in his contribution to the US Olympic show jumping team’s gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens with Sapphire, also his mount this year.
He’ll be headed back to his second Olympic Games with Sapphire, his 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare. She was young and inexperienced when they went to Athens the first time, but goes to Hong Kong a seasoned competitor with significant wins on the international stage.
A Riding Prodigy’s Top Accomplishments
Show jumping seems to be in McLain’s genes as well as his training. His father was a successful show jumper, winning the Grand Prix of Devon exactly 20 years before his son did. McLain was in the saddle making use of four legs before he could even walk on his own two.
When he was 14, McLain won both the USEF Show Jumping Talent Derby and the medal finals, the youngest rider ever to win both in one year. And he didn’t just do it once, he won the pair of competitions from 1990-1992.
After graduating to the Grand Prix circuit, he wasted no time in making a name for himself. In 1999, McLain became the young show jumper in history to hit the $1 million mark in Grand Prix earnings at just 24 years old.
Other Career Highlights
Other than Olympic gold, McLain’s major accomplishments include
team silver at the 2006 World Equestrian Games
team silver at the 2006 Samsung Super League
three individual wins in LaBule , France in 2006 including a speed class with 54 entries which earned him a Best Rider Award for the week
team gold at the 2005 Samsung Super League despite riding with a broken collarbone
team gold a the 2005 US Nations Cup
first with Goldika 559 at the 2004 $100,000 International Open Jumper Presidents Cup Grand Prix
won the 2002 $50,000 USET Show Jumping Championship with Victor
second with Sapphire in the 2004 $100,000 Rolex/USEF Show Jumping Championship
won the CN Worldwide Florida Open Grand Prix with Sapphire
In addition, Ward has competed in 10 FEI World Cup Show Jumping Finals and numerous Nations Cup competitions. He judged the Talent Search Finals East in October 2007. As if all that isn’t enough, McLain was also named American Grand Prix Association (AGA) Rider of the Year for the 2001-2002 competition season.
McLain Ward and Sapphire Win 2008 American Invitational
The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is selling these bracelets so that we can show our support of the US equestrian team, the Olympic equestrian team, and young riders. All proceeds go to the US Olympic Committee and the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships.
The red, white, and blue bands are emblazoned with the words “believe,” “achieve,” and “dream.” You can buy a set with the bracelets and Olympic and Team USA clasps, a set with the bracelet and all six clasps, or the clasps individually.
It’s been a big year for Becky Holder; not only was she the runner-up at the highly prestigious Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, she’s headed to the 2008 Olympics to compete in eventing. I think she’ll be US rider I’m rooting for because she’s riding Courageous Comet, a gray off-the-track thoroughbred. And a handful of the other top horses she’s trained and shown are also ex-racers including Highland Hogan with whom she was an alternate for the 2000 Olympics.
Becky has trained with some of the best coaches, working extensively with Capt. Mark Phillips, and David and Karen O’Connor. She was selected to participate in the United States Equestrian Team (USET) training sessions with Eventing Team coach Capt. Phillips in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008.
Competitor, Trainer, and Coach
Becky Holder started riding when she was 10 years old because she was tired of breaking her Barbie Dolls’ legs on her Breyer horses, she says. She spent year riding with the Fiddler’s Green Pony Club in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, from which she graduated a B-Level Pony Clubber. “I was jumping wheelbarrows at the barn as a kid and someone gave me a pamplet about the USCTA-what is now the USEA-I was hooked on eventing,” she said in an interview with the USEF. She was well-prepared for the sport after spending 11 years as the whipper-in for the Fort Leavenworth Hunt.
Competing and training horses for over 20 years, Becky has many national and regional awards to her her name. To date, her biggest accomplishments have been qualifying as an alternate for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, a reserve rider for the 2006 World Equestrian Games, and riding second at Rolex earlier this spring.
Becky has been teaching since she was 16-years-old, serving as a coach and instructor for event riders at all levels. She works out of Carriage House Farm in Hugo, Minnesota.Formerly a USEA Area IV Young Rider Coach, Becky is currently the instructor for the CSDEA Junior Developing Rider Program.
Becky particularly enjoys bringing young horses up through the eventing levels. She has developed both of her current mounts herself, training the off-the-track Thoroughbreds Courageous Comet, Highland Hogan and Glorious Joy to the Advanced level. Other notable partners include Rainman, Nutzen and Van Gogh.
Courageous Comet
Known as Comet around the barn, the 12-year-old thoroughbred gelding has been Becky’s partner since 2005. Becky says he loves turnout more than food, nickering more when it’s time to go outside than for his breakfast. He also loves to have his tongue played with.
Becky Holder and Courageous Comet at 2008 Rolex Kentucky Sunken Road
Becky Holder and Courageous Comet 2008 Rolex Stadium Jumping
Karen O’Connor can almost be considered America’s eventing darling, as she already has Olympic bronze and silver to her name among other accomplishments. Lately, she’s most well-known for her success with the pony Theodore O’Connor who was tragically put down late this spring following severe injuries when he spooked at their farm. He was shortlisted for the Olympics before his accident.
Many were looking forward to seeing Karen and Teddy at the Olympics, and will still be happy to see her take the stage with Mandiba.
She has been training in England for the last several weeks with the rest of the US event team. They will head to Hong Kong on Wednesday, July 30.
Perhaps the most decorated US horse and rider team headed to the 2008 Olympic dressage competition is Debbie McDonald and Brentina. While other riders have just as many, if not more, titles and wins to their name, it’s often been with a variety of horses. For Debbie, most of her major accomplishments came during her 14-year partnership with German-bred Hanoverian mare Brentina.
These Olympic equestrian games will be the performance of a lifetime for the pair, as Debbie plans to retire Brentina after the Olympics.
Working Hard To Ride
Unlike many of the other 2008 US Olympic riders, Debbie didn’t grow up in a horsey family. She caught the equine fever after a visit to her uncle’s Kansas farm, and convinced her parents to buy her first pony for $800 under the condition that she would pay for his board. A pre-teen Debbie found a gaited horse trainer in her hometown in Idaho and worked as a groom and cleaning stalls to pay for his board.
At age 14, a scary turn of events drove Debbie to Bob McDonald’s hunter/jumper farm. One day when Debbie went to turn her pony Flanigan out, she discovered a strange man in his stall beating him. She went running for help and ran into a young trainer and her future husband, Bob. She captured his attention that day and he hired her to clean tack and groom horses. From there, she started training and selling green horses and working her way up to more elite mounts.
From Jumping to Dressage
Debbie actually got her start in show jumping. After a serious fall in which her horse somersaulted over her breaking ribs, rupturing her spleen, and fracturing a vertebrae in her neck, Debbie faced a waning interest in jumping big jumps. And it was her jumper trainer husband who encouraged her to give dressage a shot. Debbie wasn’t so sure. But with her young son Ryan in the picture, the accident scared her enough that she decided to give dressage a try.
Debbie got her big break at a show in Las Vegas when Debbie won a catch ride on a horse who had been entered, but whose rider wasn’t able to attend. They won every class.
The owners were Parry and Peggy Thomas who also own River Grove Farm in Sun Valley, Idaho. They also own Brentina while Debbie trains and coaches at their farm. The Thomases are more than just Debbie’s ticket to ride, they are her family. “If they had not come into my life, I never would have had the opportunities I’ve had,” she said. “They care so much. If anything ever happened to me or my husband or children, I know they would be there.”
An Outstanding Career For Debbie and Brentina
Debbie and Bob went to an auction in Germany in 1994 looking for a promising horse; one sensitive enough to recognize and respect Debbie’s small five-foot-tall frame. It was love at first ride when they found Brentina and snatched her up.
“She was really in tune to me,” McDonald said. “She knew I was up there.” They bought her right away, and from that point on, McDonald and Brentina have had a great relationship. “From day one I can’t even remember having an argument with her,” she said. “She just got better and better; she always wants to work with enthusiasm.”
She and the now 17-year-old mare have had a long and outstanding career together. Together they’ve helped the US equestrian team win a team silver and team bronze at the World Equestrian games and a team bronze at the 2004 Olympics. In 2003, Brentina helped Debbie to become the first American rider to win the World Cup championship. They also came in third place at the 2005 World Cup. Brentina herself was named the 2005 Farnam/Platform USEF Horse of the Year.
Debbie’s other accomplishments include wins at both the 2005 and 2004 U.S. Grand Prix Freestyle/Championship/U.S. League Finals, 2003 Bayer Festival of Champions, U.S. Equestrian Team Grand Prix Championship, and both Individual and Team Gold medals at the 1999 Pan American Games. She was named Equestrian of the Year by the American Horse Shows Association (now the USEF) in 1999, as well as the 1999 United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Female Equestrian Athlete of the Year.
Debbie McDonald and Brentina Olympic Qualifying Test
A show jumping team I’ll definitely be watching at the Olympics in a few weeks is Laura Kraut and Cedric. She’s quite a woman; besides her impressive show jumping career, she’s a great sportsman and horsewoman.
Background
One of the reasons I like Laura Kraut so much is that she has a story that resonates with mine. Her mother was an avid horsewoman and, like me, she’s been on horseback for as long as she can remember. There is definitely something genetic about a love for horses. Laura says, “My mother loved horses and she taught my sister and me to ride.” (The similarities end there, as obviously I’m not on the 2008 Olympic equestrian team :-)) When she was 12, Laura started riding for a group of trainers in Atlanta who needed someone to ride their ponies. She stayed with them for the next seven years, during which they sponsored her junior career.
After some decent showings in the 1980s, Laura finally hit it big in 1992 when she and Simba Run were selected as alternates for the Olympic Games in Barcelona. And in 1993 the pair placed in an impressive 12 Grand Prixs. In 1994 they represented the US at the World Cup Finals, going on from there to win several major competitions over the next few years.
Laura made her official Olympic debut in 2000 with Liberty as a member of the all-women US team. In 2006 she was a member of the show jumping team that won silver at Worlds. Kraut has competed in five world cups, among her best results were a fifth place finish in 2003 and a 16th place finish in 2006, both aboard Dutch gelding Anthem.
Kraut serves on the AHSA Board of Directors and is active in the AHSA Jumper Committee. Additionally, she is a popular coach stressing to her students that horsemanship is fun. Laura and husband Bob have a son named Bobby, who is also learning to ride from his mom. She says watching her son ride helps her to remember how exciting the sport can be: “He’s just starting to build confidence and figure out walk, trot, cantering and steering,” she says. “And that is fun to watch.”
A Horse of a Lifetime
Laura first encountered Cedric three years ago, while she was on an international circuit in Europe. “I was bored at a show in Belgium and I turned around to watch some of the younger horses,” she said. “I watched him jump about six jumps and I immediately fell in love with him.”
She bought him the next day.
“He’s a little zany,” she said. “But we’ve always gotten along. It’s been nice to grow up with him.”
Cedric started at bottom of a string of three horses Laura was pointing towards the Olympics. Then, in February 2008 Kraut won second place riding Cedric in the WEF Challenge Cup, the first of five United States Show Jumping Team Selection Trials for the 2008 Olympic Games. That set the tone for the next several months, until they were recently officially named to the Olympic team.
Laura Kraut introduces Cedric (class clown video)
Exclusive Summer Olympics news & widgets at NBC Olympics.com!
Awarded For Sportsmanship
In 2003, Laura was recognized for her long-time reputation of great sportsmanship with the United States Olympic Committee’s Jack Kelly Fair Play Award. The award was instituted in honor of USOC President John B. (Jack) Kelly Jr. and is presented to an athlete, coach or official for an outstanding act of fair play or sportsmanship during the past year.
That year, while in the Dominican Republic as a member of the USET show jumping squad at the Pan American Games, Kraut’s horse developed a slight injury. Although it wasn’t serious enough to fail a veterinary inspection, there was a possibility that its condition could impact the U.S. team’s chance to win the competition. Knowing that the team needed a top performance in order to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games, Kraut put her team first and stepped aside. Instead of packing her bags and heading home, she decided it was important to stay and support her teammates by finding other ways to contribute. Laura’s dedication to her team was rewarded when the U.S. won the gold medal and secured a spot in the show jumping event at the Athens Olympic Games.
As usual, I’m a little behind in my Practical Horseman reading, so I just read a really great article on grooming by Laurie Pitts in the April 2008 issue. And to my surprise, it doesn’t take a whole lot more than good nutrition, staying fit, and a little bit of elbow grease, even for an Olympic horse.
Laurie, after all would know. She’s groomed for some of the top professionals in the country as well as traveled with the USET to the 1978 World Championships and to the first World Cup in 1979. Her favorite charge was Balbuco, who was selected for the 1980 Moscow Olympics. More recently she served as the stable manager for the 2007 and 2008 George Morris Horsemastership Training Sessions.
Here’s a quick run down of her grooming regimen that she shared at the George Morris training:
Laurie says it all starts with diet and fitness.
“In fact, the horses who really ‘glow’ with shiny coats and bright, alert eyes are the happiest, healthiest horses — those rewarded with plenty of regular downtime. Horses don’t like to be fussed with constantly.”
She says that in between shows horses only need thorough grooming once or twice a week, and never longer than 30 minutes. Laurie produces a shiny coat from the inside out. She feeds plenty of clean, good quality hay (timothy for younger horses and a timothy/alfalfa mix for performance horses). In addition to basic oats or grain, she adds beet pulp for fiber and calories and up to half a cup of corn oil a day for coat condition. She frequently monitors her horses to keep them in good weight.
Her grooming regiment consists of:
Curry Comb
Laurie prefers (and I agree) a rubber curry used with vigorous, circular motions all over the body except the head and lower legs. She uses a grooming mit to loosen dead hair and dirt on these more sensitive areas.
Hard/Dandy Brush
Using short strokes in the direction, brush in the direction of the hair growth to maximize shine. Add a little flick to the end of each stroke to remove loose hair and dirt. Use as much pressure as your horse comfortably tolerates. If he shows annoyed signs like pinning his ears or swishing his tail, back off on the pressure. If he is especially dusty, use a damp sponge to lightly wet the end of the brush bristles after each stroke. This will help remove the dust from the coat and the brush.
Soft/Body Brush
Use the soft brush all over your horses body, head and legs included, using long strokes in the direction of the hair. Pay careful attention to the changes in direction of the hair, especially around the chest, legs, and flank areas. You add shine by carefully smoothing down the hairs in the direction they grow.
Rub Rag
Laurie is a big advocate of a good grooming with a rub rag. Use a clean rag to go over your horse, again in the direction the hair is growing spending 3-5 minutes on each side. Apply a good bit of pressure. Laurie says she uses this every time she grooms and spends more time with the rag than any other grooming tool.
Mane and Tail
Laurie says the best maintenance plan for tails is “benign neglect.” Only comb a tail when it is perfectly, and do it very gently in order not to pull out any hairs. Spread the tail across your leg and use a wide-tooth comb to work your way from the bottom up. If you absolutely need to comb the tail for a clinic or lesson, spray it with coat conditioner and allow it to dry before brushing.
Manes can be trained to lay on the right side by braiding over periodically, and using a damp hard brush to brush it down. Always start from the opposite side and brush down from the roots of the mane. If you plan to braid, keep the mane 3-4 inches long, and if not keep it 5-6 inches long. Always braid with yarn!
For more specific details on braiding, trimming, and other show-specific techniques, read “Groom Like the Greats” in the April 2008 Practical Horseman magazine.
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August 3, 2008 
McLain Ward has been a star on the hunter/jumper circuit since his junior days as an equitation rider. He’s been breaking records since the age of 14, culminating in his contribution to the US Olympic show jumping team’s gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens with Sapphire, also his mount this year.
Posted in 2008 Olympics, Olympic Show Jumping 
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