Beth Underhill

http://www.jumpmagazine.com/beth.htm

Beth Underhill is an accomplished athlete. She competes in the one field that women are equal to men. She rides for the Canadian Show Jumping Team. She has piloted her horses to victory where others have failed having courage in her own ability and that of her equine partner. Riding the horses is not the only aspect of her career though, another big part is managing the money. As anyone who has ever spent time around horses knows, riding is an expensive business. It is more expensive for the professionals. Both of these aspects make Beth Underhill a most influential entrepreneur.

Beth Underhill was born on September fifth, 1962 in Guelph Ontario. She started riding horses at age seven at the Georgetown YMCA. Her parents later purchased a farm soon after and Underhill's competitive career had begun.

As a teenager, Underhill earned top honours for her singing from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, but her passion for horses won out.

After competing for many seasons in Junior/Amateur shows, Beth Underhill moved on to Open Jumper at age twenty-one with her trusty horse Sagan. Underhill triumphed there too, winning the Ontario Open Jumper Championships in 1984 and 1986.

In 1990 Beth Underhill rode for the Canadian Equestrian team for the very first time. Soon after that, Underhill was paired with her long time equine partner Monopoly, a New Zealand-bred Hannoverian gelding. Since they have been together, they have won over one million dollars and contributed a solid effort to Canada's team efforts.

These are just a few of the titles won by Beth Underhill and Monopoly.

5th (tie) $200,000 Bank of Montreal Nations' Cup, Spruce Meadows, AB (1996),

2nd $30,000 Grand Prix, Tournament of Champions, York, ON (1998),

1st $20,000 Equi-Fest Grand Prix, Equestrian Festival, Palgrave, ON (1998),

1st $100,000 Shell Cup Derby, Spruce Meadows National, AB (1996)

Monopoly is now nearing the end of his Grand Prix career but that will not keep Underhill down. She has a new mount, Altair, an 11-year-old bay Dutch Warmblood gelding, measured at 16.3hh. After some ownership disputes, (Most riders do not own their horses. The Canadian Equestrian Team owns Monopoly.) Underhill took a risk and bought Altair. He has already proven his courage and stamina. In September 1999, Beth Underhill and Altair came second at the De Maurier International, coming short of the winner by less than a second. Considering show jumpers don't reach their prime until they are twelve or thirteen years old, 11 year old Altair is defiantly an achievement.

Underhill has two other horses she sometimes rides, Ishan is a 9-year-old bay Dutch Warmblood gelding, measuring 16.1hh. He is owned by Susan Grange. Jasmyn is an 8-year-old bay Dutch Warmblood gelding, measuring 16.3hh he is also owned by Susan Grange.

Congratulations to Beth Underhill for being one of if not the most successful Canadian female show jumper of all time. Next time you see her ride into the ring, give her a cheer. After all, the road to get there was a lot harder than it looks.

http://www.jumpmagazine.com/beth.htm

Information:

Canadian Equestrian Team Biographies: Beth Underhill - A basic biography of the career of Beth Underhill as of 1999
http://www.equestrian.ca/biobeth.htm