67 She ended her career in 1963 with a fourth European Championship title. She was also voted the United Kingdom’s “Sportswoman of the Year” three times. With her impressive list of achievements, Pat Smythe paved the way for women riders to compete in the sport’s top-level competitions. Over the following years, more and more women followed in her footsteps, finally attaining the greatest honour at the top of the world rankings 40 years later. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum was born in Los Angeles in 1969 and starting riding already at the age of seven. After school, she went on to study Politics in Princeton, but never gave up her passion for horses. Aged 21 she took a decisive step in giving up her life in the USA to move to Germany to train in the stronghold of the equestrian sport. “Of course, I took a big risk,” admits Meredith in retrospect. “But it paid off.” After marrying Markus Beerbaum, she took on German nationality and was not only the first woman ever to join the German jumping squad at the European Championships in 1999, but, by the end of the Championships, had also claimed team gold and the best German individual result. In December 2004, she was the first woman in the history of show jumping to head the world rankings. A legendary victory, which was followed by team gold at the European Championships in 2005 and an unforgettable victory in the Aachen Major. After taking double bronze at the World Equestrian Games in 2006 in HIGH JUMPS Pat Smythe in 1958 at the CHIO Aachen. GROSSE SPRÜNGE Pat Smythe 1958 beim CHIO Aachen. GRANDS SAUTS Pat Smythe en 1958, lors du CHIO d’Aix-la-Chapelle. Aachen as well as individual gold and team silver at the European Championships in Mannheim in 2007, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum also became a Rolex Testimonee. Her further top achievements include team gold at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in 2010, winning the World Cup Final three times, as well as the German Championships four times – two of them against fellow male competitors. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum has achieved almost every goal in equestrian sport. And yet she still dreams of one further big victory. “The Rolex Grand Slam is the crown jewel of equestrian sport. It is every show-jumper’s aim to win it,” she says. It would provide an excellent opportunity for her to be a pioneer once again.
Rolex Grand Slam magazine - Number 4
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