Ludger Beerbaum

Ludger Beerbaum
Personal information
Full name Ludger Beerbaum
Nationality  Germany
Discipline Show jumping
Born August 26, 1963 (1963-08-26) (age 48)
Detmold, West Germany
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight 176 lb (80 kg; 12 st 8 lb)

Ludger Beerbaum (born August 26, 1963 in Detmold, North Rhine-Westphalia) 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.

Contents

Early life and competitive career

Beerbaum was born in Detmold, 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).[1] 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.[2]

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-Beerbaum.

Top horses

Doping Offense

At the 2004 Olympic Games, 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.

Record

Olympic Games

World Championships

European Championships

World Cup Final

Other major achievements

References

External links