Beezie Madden – Olympic Equestrian

Bezzie Madden is a superstar in the Equestrian world. She is an Olympic athlete and was named the USOC Female Equestrian Athlete of the Year in 1989. She sent a great, long letter. In is she said:

Dear Mr. Kelsey,

Thanks for the letter. I hope I am getting back to you in a timely enough manor. I have been out of town for 7 weeks, so I apologize for the delay.

I think the best words of advice I can give kids is to try to find something in life that they have a passion for and try to make a goal or a career out of their passion. For instance, my passion is horses first and competition probably be second. I was lucky enough to have the talent to ride, but talent isn’t the only thing that makes me successful. Because I have a passion for horses and competition, I’m willing and happy to put the time and work into it that it needs. Working with horses means long hours and very few days off. They need constant care and scheduled exercise and training program.

Had I not had the talent for riding, I still could have focused on another career having to do with horses. Horse Show management would have still combined horses and competition. I could have been a teacher, trainer, veterinarian, chiropractor (for horses), or many other choices. Be creative – pick something you love to do and most likely you’ll be successful and happy in life. No matter what you choose, it’ll require hard work, lots of time and extra effort to be successful.
Hope this is what you are looking for. Glad to be of some help.

Sincerely,
Beezie Madden