In 2012, a Host Country With an Equestrian Tradition The U.S. Olympic equestrian team will not be finalized for several weeks, but the contenders already range from a 17-year-old prodigy rider to a horse that twice cheated death. Also vying for a London berth is veteran show jumping competitor Elizabeth "Beezie" Madden, a two-time gold medalist in team jumping and winner of a bronze medal in Beijing for individual jumping. Equestrian at the Olympics hasn't always been embraced by it host country, riders said. At the 2008 Beijing Games, competitors were removed from the main action and competed at a separate facility in Hong Kong. The sport didn't have a large built-in audience among sports fans in Athens. But the London Games will mark the 100-year anniversary of equestrian at the Olympics in a country where the sport has deep roots and long-standing popularity. Logistics, too, will be easier, Madden said Monday. Although she is used to traveling internationally with her horses, things like feed will be easier to come by, ensuring that the horses can maintain their regular diets. "I think for the equestrian in particular it's going to be a very electric atmosphere," Madden said. For Madden, that means her international competition could be among the toughest in her career. The U.S. team is among the last to be finalized and Madden said she isn't sure which of three horses she will take with her should she make the team. Authentic, the horse she rode in the past two Olympics, suffered a tendon injury in 2009 and has subsequently been retired. In November, Madden acquired Simon, one of the world's highest-ranked horses. "On paper, he's one of the best horses in the world," she said. "It's a matter of me and him getting all the experience together," Madden said. He has all the experience, I have all the experience, but the partnership is an experience.