Mrs. Abigail Wexner and John Madden Sales are saddened to announce the passing yesterday of two-time Olympic great, the King of Madden Mountain, Authentic. John and Beezie first met Authentic as a three-year-old in 1998, at Stal Heins, under Johan Heins and Harrie Smolders. Even at that age, they felt he was something special and with the help of Mrs. Elizabeth Busch Burke, he came to John Madden Sales as a coming six-year-old. He earned his barn name “Bud” to honor Mrs. Burke’s Anheuser-Busch.

John, Beezie, and Mrs. Burke eventually put together a syndicate that got Authentic to his first Olympics. After the Athens Olympics, where Authentic and Beezie were part of the gold medal team, the syndicate had a significant offer for him to go to a European rider, at which point Mrs. Wexner stepped up to purchase Authentic, so that he would stay with Beezie and continue to compete for the United States.

Authentic returned that faith at Beijing with another team Olympic gold medal, an individual bronze medal, as well as silver medals at the World Equestrian Games at Aachen. He was a two-time winner of the Budweiser American Invitational, winner of the Grand Prix of Aachen, two-time USEF Show Jumping Horse of the Year, among many other top placings. Bud was a true championship horse, logging countless clear rounds for the USA.

“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. 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 Madden.

Bud officially retired at the New Albany Classic in 2009 and has been retired at Madden Mountain since. 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 endless 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 Clark passed away in 2020 after his battle with cancer.

Authentic had no shortage of family, including all of John Madden Sales, Mrs. Wexner, Mrs. Busch Burke, the Patton’s, the Wolf family, the Jacobs Family, Chandi Duke Heffner, Dr. Steele, Dr. Gioseffi, Dr. Ober, Dr. Rachel Fraser, Ray Cable, Sr., Ray Cable, Jr., Chris Cable, Mr. Morsink, Johan Heins, Harrie Smolders, and all his teammates, horse and human both.

“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 Madden.
We are endlessly thankful to have had Authentic in our lives, for nearly 11 years of competition followed by 15 years of peaceful retirement. He was 30 years old this year.
 
At Equnews our thought are with everyone who was involved with Authentic