ABOUT
Born: November, 16th 1970
Family: Wife Meredith, Daughter Brianne (*2010)
Height: 1.83 m
Residence: Thedinghausen (GER)
Hobbies: Football
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Markus is the youngest child of Mathilde and Horst Beerbaum. He grew up in Adelebsen, Germany, together with his brother Ludger and his two sisters Ruth and Monika. His father managed a farm belonging to the Count of Adelebsen and thus Markus was introduced to agricultural life at an early age. As a kid, Markus was not really interested in horses and had other hobbies, like playing football.
When he was 13 years-old Markus competed in his first show. In 1988, he won the regional championships. After graduating from the “gymnasium”, he started an education as a merchant in wholesale and retail in Buchloe with Ludger’s sponsor the Moksel AG. At that time, he got the opportunity to train with his brother and was supported with horses.
Markus met Meredith Michaels at a show in Munich in 1992 and fell in love. In 1993, Markus won the Grand Prix in Stuttgart with Almox Alex, the first German rider ever to win that prestigious Grand Prix.
Two years later Meredith and Markus moved to Balve and took over the stable of Graf Landsberg-Velen. On November 15, 1997, they bought the stable of Gerd Wiltfang in Thedinghausen and in 1998, Meredith and Markus were married.
One of Markus’s most important successes came in August 1997, when he won team gold at the European Championships in Mannheim. He also placed 5th in the individual ranking. That was followed in 1998 by a team gold medal in the World Equestrian Games in Rome, all with Lady Weingard. Markus finished third in the World Cup Final in Las Vegas with Leena in 2007.
After years of success, Markus’s priorities shifted. Instead of concentrating on his career he focused on helping Meredith to become one of the most successful equestrians in the world and the first woman ever to be ranked number one in the world in show jumping.
"Markus is the best decision I ever made,” says Meredith. He supports Meredith in everything she does. By Meredith's standards, Markus is also the best trainer in the world. Not only has he helped Meredith, but he also has trained other students like Lucy Davis, who won team silver medal at the Olympics in Rio.
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