Beezie Madden and Authentic dominated the show jumping scene during their competitive career together, winning team gold medals at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and the 2008 Hong Kong Olympic Games, where they also earned individual bronze. Authentic turned 29 years old on June 22, and he celebrated with carrot cake and party hats at his retirement home, Madden Mountain in Cazenovia, New York.

In honor of “Bud’s” birthday—and this week’s CHIO Aachen, which concludes with the Rolex Grand Prix on July 7—we’re looking back at one of his biggest wins with Beezie Madden: the 2007 $340,642 Grand Prix of Aachen (Germany). This article originally appeared in July 2007.

Beezie Madden and Authentic have won one of the most prestigious grand prix events in the world, the $340,642 Grand Prix of Aachen. It is the first time a U.S. rider has won the class in 16 years—Anne Kursinski won on Starman in 1991.

In the very same stadium, in Aachen, Germany, last year, Madden experienced heartbreak with Authentic, toppling the last rail of the jump-off course and losing the individual gold medal in the 2006 World Equestrian Games. (She ended up with the individual silver.) But this year at the CHIO Aachen, on July 8, she wasn’t going to be beaten, as she topped a three-horse jump-off for the top check.

From a starting field of 40, only 18 returned for Round 2. For fellow Americans Margie Engle, on Hidden Creek’s Wapino, and McLain Ward, on Sapphire, the day ended after Round 1, with two rails for Ward and three for Engle. But Laura Kraut jumped clear in Round 1 aboard Anthem, and then turned in a four-fault Round 2 performance. She ended up tied for seventh with Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum on Goldfever.

Madden and Authentic duplicated their clear first-round performance in Round 2, as did Germany’s Christian Ahlmann on Cöster and France’s Roger-Yves Bost on Ideal Del La Loge. Bost went first in the jump-off, and picked up a rail at the last fence. German hopes rested on Ahlmann, but Cöster clipped two rails on their speedy way around the jump-off course. All Madden had to do was keep Authentic’s mind on the clear round.

And that she did, as they cruised to a slow—but more importantly, fault-free—round to earn the title. 

The win was a bright spot in American spirits after the U.S. team experienced Super League Nations Cup disappointment yet again, finishing sixth in the Mercedes Benz Nations Cup at Aachen on July 5. The German team romped in the Nations Cup, winning easily on their home turf.