Madden’s real name is Elizabeth, but she goes by her childhood nickname of “Beezie” which was her great-grandmother’s name. She did quite well at her first Olympic competition in Athens, achieving a team silver medal. Her nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood, Authentic, may be young but performed like a veteran.

Madden took her first riding lesson when she was three and competed in her first horse show three years later. She received her first horse as a Christmas gift when she was four and began riding at the Milwaukee Hunt Club. Madden spent part of her junior year in high school on the Florida showjumping circuit, flying back and forth between horse shows and classes. After graduating valedictorian from Southern Seminary, a Virginia junior college known for its equine excellence, Madden turned down admission to the University of Virginia.