Jill MedingerMarkus Beerbaum and Meredith Michaels- Beerbaum, celebrated for their show-jumping prowess, are now training some of the sport’s top riders, including their daughter, Brianne, who is already making waves.
PHOTOS BY George KamperIn the international equestrian community, the Beerbaum name is synonymous with success, accomplishment, and legacy. Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, renowned for her remarkable achievements, etched her name in history as the first female rider to reach the number one spot in the show jumping world rankings. Her husband, Markus Beerbaum, is a prominent figure in German show jumping, hailing from a deeply rooted equestrian family. Their daughter, Brianne, is an emerging young rider already demonstrating exceptional talent, following in her parents’ footsteps.
As a long-time admirer of Meredith’s accomplishments, I found myself having to overcome a bit of nerves. However, as our interview began, her welcoming and easygoing demeanor instantly set the tone for an engaging and heartfelt discussion. We covered a gamut of topics, from their home life, career shifts, and lifetimes spent with horses.
TRANSITIONING FOCUS
Markus began his impressive show-jumping career at age 13, winning many prestigious European grand-prix events and achieving top placings in some of the world’s biggest competitions. Representing Germany in numerous nations’ team competitions, he brought home coveted gold medals.
Originally from Los Angeles, Meredith fell in love with horses and riding when she was 7 years old, despite not being from a riding family. After a competitive junior career, she attended Princeton University with no plans of becoming a professional show jumper. Yet, her love for riding and grand-prix successes led her to pause her university career and move to Germany to train and ride in 1991.
In Munich, Meredith and Markus met and fell in love. They started their own training and sales business in Germany and married in 1998. Markus shifted his focus to training Meredith, playing a pivotal role in her ascent to becoming the world’s first female show jumper to achieve the number one ranking. Meredith’s admiration for Markus is evident; she considers him her best decision. Their mutual respect and loyalty are inspiring. Reflecting on their past and future, Meredith says, “We did it as a partnership. Now, we are doing it as a family. It’s priceless.”
Today, Meredith and Markus have transitioned from competing to coaching some of the world’s most promising riders, including their 14-year-old daughter, Brianne. With years of experience coaching top international riders, Markus continues to thrive. Coaching feels like a natural fit for Meredith, especially when working with Brianne. Her eyes light up as she says, “I love being such a big part of my daughter’s life, and it has brought us so close.”
The Beerbaum family spends their winters in Wellington, Florida, and the rest of the year at their farm in Germany and at competitions throughout Europe. They each have their roster of clients, often bouncing ideas off one another. Their training model is unique and individualized, with students from around the world, many of them American. Some students keep their horses with Meredith and Markus year-round, traveling throughout Europe together in the summer months and joining them in Wellington for the winter season. Meredith finds this approach particularly impactful for her students. For other clients, Meredith and Markus will train remotely from videos and arrange strategic meetups at important shows worldwide. Meredith emphasizes that being in Wellington is superb for training because all their clients are centrally located.
“WEF [the Winter Equestrian Festival] is very concentrated, which is a huge advantage for training. We can train a lot more people as they are all on the same showgrounds,” Meredith explains.
Above: Brianne and Balotelli at WEF 2024 in the High Junior Classic. Photos by Bridget Ness
BRIANNE’S JOURNEY
Initially a rather timid rider, Brianne’s confidence began to shine after a few challenging ponies. She attributes her growth to her first horse, Carlucci, who taught her the ropes and sparked her competitive spirit. “We started in .90-meter classes and have gone all the way to 1.45-meter classes together,” Brianne says with pride.
In addition to Carlucci, Brianne has four other mounts. With her horses Carrero TZ and Balotelli, who is proudly leased from Georgina Bloomberg, she racks up wins in High Junior Amateur divisions and competes on Children’s Nations Cup Teams and in Children’s Grand Prix in Europe. Her ponies, Glow and Noriego, soar over jumps up to 1.30 meters and secure podium finishes in European Pony Nations team competitions. Most recently, Brianne won the German National Championship Preis der Besten (Prize of the Best) in both the pony and children’s division. She was nominated to represent Germany at the 2024 Youth European Championships in Peelbergan, Holland. After jumping four out of five rounds clear with her mount Carrero TZ, Brianne earned an individual Bronze medal out of 104 riders; a huge success demonstrating phenomenal riding, horsemanship, and determination. Additionally, Brianne has recently tied a German record for the youngest rider, at 14 years old, to win 10 1.40/1.45-meter classes, granting her the German Goldene Reitabzeichen award. Balotelli helped her secure six of these wins.
In the region of Germany where the Beerbaums live, there are limited options for trainers compared to the U.S. Brianne quickly realized her mom would be her trainer, and with a laugh, Meredith said, “She realized I was fit and qualified for the job.” Brianne attends the International School of Bremen and is one of the few students with intense athletic commitments and the only competitive equestrian. She remarks that the school is very supportive of her obligations.
Above Left: Brianne winning the individual German Children’s Championship in 2023. Above Right: Brianne and Carlucci winning the Team Children’s European Championship in 2023.
Germany has no pony hunters or equitation divisions, so Brianne has been competing in jumpers from the start and gaining unique experience. She has already achieved individual victories and represented her country, continuing her family’s legacy of exceptional riding. “My dream is to go to the Olympics and to win the Grand Prix at Aachen. These have been my dreams for a really long time,” Brianne says.
A MOTHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP
One might assume that the daughter of top equestrians would naturally follow in their footsteps, but Meredith and Markus see it as a miracle that she has the love and passion for the horses that they have. They recognized the industry’s hardships and thought Brianne might choose a different path. “It’s been a gift to be such a huge part of her life and so rewarding. We have a great relationship both as mother and daughter and teacher and student,” Meredith muses. “I can give her personal insight; I have been through it all myself.”
Brianne benefits from her parents’ expert careers in the industry. “I feel like I have more experience through their experience. Even when I’m not at the ring, we openly discuss rounds and our future plans at home,” Brianne says.
Brianne and Meredith cherish their close relationship. Meredith treasures their daily drives to and from school, saying, “We talk, listen to music, and I get to learn about her day.” These moments are some of her most cherished times to connect with Brianne.
However, Meredith admits to being apprehensive when her daughter competes. “I get crazy nervous,” she says. Her nerves had started to improve, but now, with Brianne jumping in 1.45-meter classes, Meredith finds herself anxious again. “I’m thinking, ‘these are too big, and [I know] all that could possibly go wrong,’” she adds.
Above: The relaxing setting at the Beerbaum’s farm in Germany.
A DAY IN THE LIFE: WELLINGTON AND GERMANY
Meredith describes life in Germany versus Wellington as “a perfect combination of two totally different lives.” Life in Germany is slower-paced, allowing for more relaxed family time. Meredith starts her day driving Brianne to school, then heads to the market or back to the farm. After picking Brianne up, they ride, prep dinner, and do homework. Meredith loves to cook, and the family enjoys sitting down to dinner together each night. On weekends, they travel to nearby shows, loading up their lorry with their horses and belongings. Affectionately called “The Beast,” it serves as their home away from home.
In contrast, Meredith describes Wellington as “a small little world, with a lot going on.” Their winter months there are fast-paced and full of competing and social events. During the week, Brianne attends Upper Echelon Academy, where she remotely completes her schoolwork from Germany around her show schedule. Meredith and Markus are busy riding, teaching, or coaching Brianne and their other students. As a golf enthusiast, Meredith enjoys rounds of golf in Wellington when not at WEF.
The tempo of life in Germany is vastly different from Wellington. “In Germany, we have time to spend with the horse,” Meredith explains. “At many shows, parents and children are the grooms. The family takes care of the horse, making it part of the family. Wellington is often the other extreme.” The countryside life of Germany lends itself to a calmer pace at the farm.
HOME IS HOME
Meredith, Markus, and Brianne adore their home and farm in Germany. “We have an absolutely beautiful farm that we live on and love; it’s our nest,” Meredith exclaims. Located about 30 minutes outside the city of Bremen, their farm boasts 45 stalls, indoor, outdoor, and grass arenas, as well as large turnout paddocks. Their home is a renovated thatched-roof house surrounded by sprawling green pastures, blooming cherry blossom trees, lush gardens, and a pond. Brianne’s favorite thing about their home is seeing the horses from any window.
Their farm is a haven for beloved horses and ponies retired from competition. Meredith’s iconic partner, Shutterfly, who won three FEI World Cup Finals, the Rolex Grand Prix at Aachen, and two bronze medals at the World Equestrian Games, spent his retirement on their farm, remaining part of the family until his passing in January 2023. His gravesite on the property features a beautiful tree and an engraved rock.
“I cherish hearing the horses in the morning when I wake up and looking out and seeing our retired horses outside of our back porch,” Meredith expresses about their farm.
Above Left: A tribute to and site of Shutterfly’s ashes, one of the greatest horses to ever live. Above Right: In view, the retired horses graze in the field behind the family home.
REFLECTION AND WORDS OF WISDOM
“No matter what level you are at, it is important to recognize the [value] of a good team. From a team of horses to good staff and people,” notes Meredith. Caring for sport horses requires a dedicated, talented, and knowledgeable team. Meredith proudly shares that two of their grooms, Ninna Leonoff and Anu Harrila, have been with them for over 26 years and currently groom for Brianne. Meredith adds that Ninna was even Brianne’s nanny.
Meredith’s advice focuses on understanding true horsemanship. She emphasizes that the fast pace of horse showing often leaves little time for people, especially young riders, to become true horse people. While aware that she and her family have the luxury of having their horses at their home in Germany, she feels there must be more balance between the horse being part of a family rather than just a machine.
Meredith gets a bit nostalgic during the weeks of competition at Aachen, her favorite horse show. Still, reflecting on her successes, she says, “I was able to enjoy an incredible career with my husband, Markus, by my side. And now, to be able to share it with my daughter is a miracle. I look back on my amazing career and I have achieved all the success I wanted. I am able to move on now and give to my daughter.”
Read the full story in the September/October issue: