Ludger Beerbaum
Encyclopedia
Ludger Beerbaum is an internationally successful German
rider who competes in show jumping
, and has been ranked the No. 1 Show Jumper in the world by the FEI
on multiple occasions.
, Germany
. In school he took Business Studies, but eventually gave it up for a career in show jumping.
Beerbaum began riding on a Highland Pony
at the age of 8. He had a very successful career as a Junior and Young Rider, which continued into his adulthood. His most notable accomplishments include winning 4 Olympic Golds (his first at age 25) and numerous European and World Championship medals.
On Sunday September 21, 2008, at the Samsung Super League
Final in Barcelona
, Beerbaum was a member of the winning German Nations Cup team. He was awarded Leading Rider of the 2008 Super League, along with 50,000 CHF
($
46,000). In the Final he rode the nine year old Westphalian
gelding
, All Inclusive NRW to a double clear round, and was one of only two riders to do so, his team mate Marco Kutscher
being the other.
.
, Beerbaum and his mount, Goldfever, managed to finish with only 4 penalty points, helping Germany earn the team gold medal. However, following the competition, Goldfever tested positive for the prohibited substance betamethasone
. The International Equestrian Federation
found Beerbaum guilty of breaking the rules, stripping both him and his German team of their medals, dropping Germany down to bronze. Beerbaum believed the substance to have been present in an ointment administered to the horse due to a skin irritation, and the FEI agreed that the substance provided no competitive advantage. However, in accordance to the rule, Beerbaum was disqualified.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
rider who competes in show jumping
Show jumping
Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping," "open jumping," or "jumpers," is a member of a family of English riding equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes commonly are seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics...
, and has been ranked the No. 1 Show Jumper in the world by the FEI
FEI
FEI may refer to:* Financial Executives International , an American organization for senior-level financial executives* FEI Company, a supplier of electron microscopy tools...
on multiple occasions.
Early life and competitive career
Beerbaum was born in DetmoldDetmold
Detmold is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of about 74,000. It was the capital of the small Principality of Lippe from 1468 until 1918 and then of the Free State of Lippe until 1947...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In school he took Business Studies, but eventually gave it up for a career in show jumping.
Beerbaum began riding on a Highland Pony
Highland Pony
The Highland Pony is a native Scottish pony, and is one of the largest of the mountain and moorland pony breeds of the British Isles. Its pedigree dates back to the 1880s...
at the age of 8. He had a very successful career as a Junior and Young Rider, which continued into his adulthood. His most notable accomplishments include winning 4 Olympic Golds (his first at age 25) and numerous European and World Championship medals.
On Sunday September 21, 2008, at the Samsung Super League
Samsung Super League
The Samsung Super League was the commercial denomination of the Nations Cup, one of the most prestigious Grand Prix Show Jumping series in the world, from 2003 until 2008...
Final in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Beerbaum was a member of the winning German Nations Cup team. He was awarded Leading Rider of the 2008 Super League, along with 50,000 CHF
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
($
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
46,000). In the Final he rode the nine year old Westphalian
Westphalian (horse)
The Westphalian, or Westfalen, is a warmblood horse bred in the Westphalia region of western Germany. The Westphalian is closely affiliated with the state-owned stud farm of Warendorf, which it shares with the Rhinelander...
gelding
Gelding
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
, All Inclusive NRW to a double clear round, and was one of only two riders to do so, his team mate Marco Kutscher
Marco Kutscher
Marco Kutscher is a German equestrian athlete who originally finished fourth in the show jumping competition at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, but was moved to third place and received a bronze medal after Irish gold medal winner Cian O'Connor was stripped of his medal after a doping...
being the other.
Family
Ludger Beerbaum is the oldest of 4 children, his siblings being Ruth, Monika, and show jumper Markus Beerbaum. He has two children: Alexander and stepdaughter Vivien. He is also brother-in-law to Meredith Michaels-BeerbaumMeredith Michaels-Beerbaum
Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum is an American-born German equestrian who competes at the international level in show jumping....
.
Top horses
- Goldfever: 1991 chestnut HanoverianHanoverian (horse)A Hanoverian is a warmblood horse originating in Germany, which is often seen in the Olympic Games and other competitive English riding styles, and have won gold medals in all three equestrian Olympic competitions. It is one of the oldest, most numerous, and most successful of the warmbloods...
stallion (by Grosso Z) - Ratina Z: 1982 bay Hanoverian mare (Ramiro Z x Almé Z)
- Gladdys S: 1992 chestnut WestphalianWestphalian (horse)The Westphalian, or Westfalen, is a warmblood horse bred in the Westphalia region of western Germany. The Westphalian is closely affiliated with the state-owned stud farm of Warendorf, which it shares with the Rhinelander...
mare (Grandeur x Apart) - PS Priamos: 1982 chestnut Westphalian gelding (Pilot x Direx)
- Enorm: 1997 bay Hanoverian gelding (Escudo I x Calypso II)
- Couleur Rubin: 1996 chestnut OldenburgOldenburg (horse)The Oldenburg is a warmblood horse from the north-western corner of Lower Saxony, what was formerly the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg. The breed was built on a mare base of all-purpose farm and carriage horses, today called the Alt-Oldenburger...
stallion (by Cordalme Z) - L'Espoir: 1996 chestnut Zangersheide gelding (by Landwind II)
- All Inclusive: 1999 bay Westphalian gelding (Arpeggio x Phantom)
Doping Offense
At the 2004 Olympic GamesEquestrian at the 2004 Summer Olympics
The events of the Equestrian at the 2004 Summer Olympics featured three equestrian disciplines: dressage, eventing and jumping. All three disciplines are further divided into individual and team contests for a total of six events....
, Beerbaum and his mount, Goldfever, managed to finish with only 4 penalty points, helping Germany earn the team gold medal. However, following the competition, Goldfever tested positive for the prohibited substance betamethasone
Betamethasone
Betamethasone is a potent glucocorticoid steroid with anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. Unlike other drugs with these effects, betamethasone does not cause water retention. It is applied as a topical cream, ointment, foam, lotion or gel to treat itching...
. The International Equestrian Federation
FEI
FEI may refer to:* Financial Executives International , an American organization for senior-level financial executives* FEI Company, a supplier of electron microscopy tools...
found Beerbaum guilty of breaking the rules, stripping both him and his German team of their medals, dropping Germany down to bronze. Beerbaum believed the substance to have been present in an ointment administered to the horse due to a skin irritation, and the FEI agreed that the substance provided no competitive advantage. However, in accordance to the rule, Beerbaum was disqualified.
Olympic Games
- Team Gold medal at the 1988 Olympic GamesOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
: 17.25 penalties (The Freak) - Individual Gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games: 0 penalties (Classic Touch)
- Team Gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games: 1.75 penalties (Ratina Z)
- Team Gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games: 15 penalties (Goldfever)
- Disqualified, losing team gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games—See "Doping Offense" above (Goldfever)
World Championships
- Bronze medal team, individually 5th place at the 2006 World Equestrian GamesWorld Equestrian GamesThe FEI World Equestrian Games are the major international championships for equestrianism, and administered by the Fédération Equestre Internationale . The games have been held every four years, halfway between sets of consecutive Summer Olympic Games, since 1990...
in Aachen, Germany (L'Espoir) - 4th place team, 22nd individually at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain (Gladdys S)
- Gold medal team, 5th individually at the 1998 World Equestrian Games in Rome, Italy (Priamos)
- Gold medal team, 4th individually at the 1994 World Equestrian Games in The Hague, Netherlands (Ratina Z)
- Silver medal team, 73rd individually at the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden (Gazelle)
European Championships
- Team Silver, Individual Bronze at the 2007 CH-EUEuropean Show Jumping ChampionshipsThe FEI European Show Jumping Championships is the European Championship for the equestrian discipline of show jumping. Like most other European Championships, it is held every two years. Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals are awarded in both the individual and team competition...
in MannheimMannheimMannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Goldfever 3) - Team Gold, Individual Silver at the 2003 CH-EU in DonaueschingenDonaueschingenDonaueschingen is a German town in the Black Forest in the southwest of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg in the Schwarzwald-Baar Kreis. It stands near the confluence of the two sources of the river Danube ....
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Goldfever 3) - Team Bronze, Individual Gold at the 2001 CH-EU in ArnhemArnhemArnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
, NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(Gladdys S) - Team Gold, Individually 26th at the 1999 CH-EU in HicksteadHicksteadThe All England Jumping Course at Hickstead, known widely as Hickstead is an equestrian sport centre in West Sussex, England, principally known for its showjumping activities, where it hosts two international level competitions, the British Jumping Derby and the Royal International Horse Show...
, Britain (Champion du Lys) - Team Gold, Individual Gold at the 1997 CH-EU in MannheimMannheimMannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
, Germany (Ratina Z) - Team 4th, Individually 29th at the 1993 CH-EU in GijonGijónGijón , officially Gijón / Xixón, is a coastal industrial city and a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman city, although the area has been settled since earliest history...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(Rush On) - Team 5th, Individually 21st at the 1991 CH-EU in La Baule, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(Grand Plaisir) - Team 5th, Individually 23rd at the 1987 CH-EU in St. GallenSt. GallenSt. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(Wiener Domspatz) - Team Bronze, Individual Bronze at the 1984 CH-EU-Y in CerviaCerviaCervia is a town and comune in the province of Ravenna , central Italy.-History:Originally called Ficocle, it was probably of Greek origin and was located midway from current Cervia and Ravenna...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(Wittersfernde)
World Cup Final
- 6th place at the 2009 World Cup FinalFEI World Cup Jumping 2008–09The FEI World Cup Jumping 2008–09 will be the 31st edition of the premier international show jumping competition run by the FEI. The final held at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada from April 15, 2009 to April 19, 2009...
in Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, USA - 12th place at the 2005 World Cup FinalShow Jumping World CupThe FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final, is an annual international competition among the world’s best show jumping horses and riders. The series, created in 1978, today comprises 14 leagues on all continents. The best riders from 132 preliminary competitions qualify for the final. The FEI World Cup...
in Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, USA (Couleur Rubin) - 8th place at the 2003 World Cup Final in Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, USA (Goldfever 3) - 2nd place at the 2002 World Cup Final in LeipzigLeipzigLeipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(Gladdys S) - 3rd place at the 1998 World Cup Final in HelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
(P.S. Priamos) - 1st place at the 1993 World Cup Final in Göteborg, SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(Ratina Z)
Other major achievements
- Multiple No. 1 Show Jumper ranking by the FEI
- 8-time winner of the German masters (1988, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004)
- 3-time Rider of the Year (2001, 2002, 2003)
- 3-time winner of the Grand Prix of AachenAachenAachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
(1996 Ratina Z; 2002 and 2003 Goldfever) - Winner of the Bambi prizeBambi (prize)The Bambi - Deutschlands Wichtigster Medienpreis, often simply called Bambi Awards and stylized as BAMBI, are presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year",...
in 1992 - Winner of the 2002 CN International at the Spruce Meadows MastersCSIO Spruce Meadows 'Masters' TournamentThe CSIO Spruce Meadows' 'Masters' Tournament is an annual fall equestrian show jumping event held in Calgary, Alberta. It is highlighted by the BMO Financial Group Nations’ Cup which offers a C$350,000 purse and is notable as "richest team show jumping event in the world" and also by the...