Jennifer Gates buys Beezie Madden’s best horse

“It is with mixed feelings that John Madden Sales and Mrs. Abigail Wexner announce the sale of Darry Lou to Evergates Stables”. It is with these words that Beezie Madden announced today that she will no longer compete with Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve’s son. The twelve-year-old stallion was acquired by the heir to the second richest man in the world, Bill Gates. “Darry Lou had already been tried and was under contract until the 2020 Olympics, but the extension of the deadline changed the course of the sale,” said Beezie Madden, who had planned to give up competing once the Olympics were over. With the global deadline extended to 2021 due to the health crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the experienced and admired 50-year-old would aim to win another big medal in Japan in 2021 with the exceptional Guarantor, which she has been riding since mid-2018.

With her Darry Lou, ridden until the winter of 2017 by Mexican Alberto Aldana, Beezie Madden won two events at the last Masters in Calgary in September 2019, including the insurmountable Grand Prix at the CSIO 5* in Calgary, as well as the Nations Cup on the same track in 2017. “I was lucky to have met Darry Lou in my life and I will always cherish the incredible moments we had together. I can never thank Abigail Wexner enough for making our association possible. I think Jennifer and Darry Lou are going to make a great duo and I can’t wait to see what they can achieve together. I have no doubt that Darry is joining some exceptional teams and I wish Jennifer and Harrie (Smolders, the heiress’ coach, editor’s note) all the best,” commented the winner of the 2018 World Cup final in Paris. The couple’s record also includes a double clear round in the Nations Cup in Aachen in 2019, two Nations Cup victories in Dublin in 2017 and Wellington this year, and two more events at 1.55m and 1.50m during the last Spruce Meadow summer tour, not to mention a CSI 4* Grand Prix in Wellington.

“I am so grateful to see Darry Lou join the Evergate Stables team. I’ve admired this great horse and the pair he and Beezie, one of my greatest idols, for a very long time,” said Gates. “While we are sad not to have the opportunity to see Beezie and Darry Lou at the Olympics this year, we look forward to getting to know him at our stables during this time of confinement and continuing to give him the love and care he deserves.