Trener: Melissa Moore, George Williams & Beezie Madden
Lengde: 03:19 minutter
No matter what breeds or disciplines they work with, the love for the horse is at the center of every professional’s life. With that love comes the desire to make horses’ lives as physically and mentally healthy as possible. Beezie Madden, George Williams, and Melissa Moore provide their perspective on the trainer’s role in ensuring horse welfare, and tell us what welfare means to them.
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The Experts:
Melissa Moore: Saddlebred/Roadster Trainer
As the owner/manager and head trainer of Sunrise Stables in Versailles, KY, Melissa Moore is more than just a horse trainer. In addition to turning out World and National Champion show horses and ponies, she also runs a successful breeding program which stands three stallions and cares for approximately thirty broodmares. In addition, she is known for doing whatever it takes to promote the American Saddlebred, Hackney and Roadster horse in a positive light.
Being born into the business as the daughter of legendary Hall of Fame horse trainers Tom and Donna Moore, and sister to World Champion trainer Melinda Moore, Melissa is grateful for the opportunities and education she received from an early age.
From her training operation she has won or trained well over 75 World and National Champions and breed countless other World and National Champions. She has developed new and innovative programs such as The Select Series Programs, The Junior Hunter Horse Challenge and The Bluegrass Futurity. As well as conducting several clinics throughout the years as far away as England and Canada and strives to promote the Equine Industry in a variety of disciplines. She holds positions on three equestrian organization boards, The United States Equestrian Federation, The American Roadster Horse and Pony Association and The American Hackney Horse Society , as well as sitting on numerous committees for ASHBA and USEF. Melissa is Co-Chair of education for License Officials for The American Saddlebred Horse and Breeders Association.
Melissa believes it is important to do her part to maintain the integrity of the industry through education and by serving as a judge for horse shows from coast to coast. A much sought after judge, she finds time to adjudicate approximately three to five shows a year. She has judged such notable shows as The Lexington Junior League, The UPHA American Royal, The Morgan Grand National, The Kentucky State Fair World Championships, The South African National Championships, and The Royal Winter Fair in Toronto to name a few. However, she believes that equally important to the strength of the industry are the small, all breeds, one day horse shows, the county fairs, and even the winter tournaments she has had the opportunity to judge. Melissa notes that “it is critical to support the grassroots programs such as these smaller shows, to educate and promote our breed to a wider audience, and to encourage participation for the amateur/owner/trainer.”
George Williams: Dressage Trainer
George Williams has dedicated his life to the sport of dressage, having competed both nationally and internationally at the highest levels. He began formally studying dressage in 1973 at Reitinstitute von Neindorff where he earned his German Bronze Rider Medal. For 20 years, George was a resident trainer and rider for The Tempel Lipizzans in Illinois. Beginning in the summer of 2000 until the spring of 2009, he rode and trained for Chuck and Joann Smith at Gypsy Woods Farm in Ohio. During this time, George traveled back to Germany on numerous occasions to train with the former U.S. Dressage team coach and Olympic Gold Medalist, Klaus Balkenhol. In 2009, he and his wife, Roberta started Williams Dressage, LLC. In 2014, George was named U.S. Equestrian’s Dressage Youth Coach.
As an athlete, George has many career highlights, including his partnership with Chuck and Joann Smith’s Rocher. Their accomplishments include three-time Dressage at Devon Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle Champions, 2005 United States Equestrian Federation/Collecting Gaits National Grand Prix Champions, Team Bronze Medalists at CHIO Aachen, and 5th at the 2003 World Cup in Sweden. Rocher was named USDF Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle Horse of the Year and Dressage Horse of the Year by The Chronicle of the Horse. George was co-winner of the USEF William Steinkraus Equestrian of Honor award for his success in 2005.
Throughout his career, George has remained active as a volunteer with the United States Dressage Federation and the United States Equestrian Federation. He served on the USDF Executive Board for 13 years, as Vice President and as President from 2010 to 2018. He was chairman of the USEF High-Performance Dressage Committee and was on the USEF Board of Directors. From 2017 through 2020 George was a member of the FEI Dressage Committee.
In 2020, the FEI appointed George to serve on its Judges Advisory Group.
Currently, along with his duties as U.S. Dressage Youth Coach, George teaches and trains at Williams Dressage LLC.
Beezie Madden: Show Jumping Trainer
Originally from Milwaukee, WI, Elizabeth ‘Beezie’ Madden has been riding since the age of three and received her first pony as a Christmas gift at age four. Madden rode throughout her childhood and competitively for Southern Seminary Junior College, in addition to playing basketball and softball. However, riding was her true passion. She made her debut at the Grand Prix level at the age of 22. For nearly three decades, Madden has represented the United States in the world’s most prestigious competitions becoming the first American to break into the top-three on the FEI Jumping World Ranking List. She was the first woman to pass the $1 million mark in earnings in the sport of jumping.
Madden has won the USEF Equestrian of the Year title five times, including back-to-back honors in 2006 and 2007 - the first rider ever to do so - and then again earning back-to-back honors in 2013 and 2014.
In 2018, Madden and the Dutch Warmblood stallion Darry Lou placed sixth in the Rolex Grand Prix at the 2018 CHIO Aachen in July. In 2019, she and Chic Hin D Hyrencourt were selected to represent the NetJets U.S. Jumping Team at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Wellington CSIO4*, where the combination helped the team secure gold. Later in the year, Madden and Darry Lou captured the coveted $3,000,000 CP ‘International’ Grand Prix presented by Rolex during the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ CSIO5* before she guided Garant to a win in the $210,000 FEI Jumping World Cup Qualifier New York CSI4*-W in Old Salem, N.Y. in the same month. Madden and Darry Lou began the 2020 competition year representing the NetJets U.S. Show Jumping Team at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup USA, where the team secured a first-place finish after the combination produced a clear jump-off effort in a tightly contested competition with Great Britain. Most recently, Madden has captured grand prix wins and numerous top finishes at the 2021 Winter Equestrian Festival with Garant, Breitling LS, and Chic Hin D Hyrencourt.
In addition to competing, Madden runs a successful training and sales business with her husband John out of their Cazenovia, N.Y., and Wellington, Fla., bases