McLain Ward has represented the USA at five Olympic Games, three World Championships, many World Cup Finals, and three Pan American Games. He gives full credit to all the horses who made it possible.

Ward was riding a Belgian Warmblood Mare named Sapphire at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic games and won team gold.

Sapphire retired May 14, 2012 at the Devon Horse Show; the night Ward won the $100,000 Wells Fargo Grand Prix of Devon. She was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Ward again rode for the U.S. Team, this time on HH Azur, owned by Double H Farms and Francois Mathy. In 2017 he won the Longines FEI World Cup Championship during his 17th appearance at the final.

Most recently Ward and HH Azure won the Rolex Grand Prix at the Dutch Masters. After his win, Ward referred to his horse as smarter than the rest and a queen.

At the 2020 Summer Olympic games in Tokyo, Japan, Ward, rode his 12-year-old gelding, Contagious, who was selected ahead of the legendary HH Azur in the team jumping final. The team took home a silver medal.

Ward currently has horses of his own, as well as riding for other owners. Ward is from a family of equestrians and married a fellow rider, Lauren They have two daughters, Lilly and Madison, (Lilly recently began competing.) They currently reside and operate out of Castle Hill Farm in Brewster, NY and Wellington, FL.

But McLain Ward didn't start out winning. He had a difficult start on his ponies, and it was only when he got to ride horses that his skill and talent took off.

Once it did, he skyrocketed and experienced phenomenal success, causing Ward to earn his nickname, “The Kid” after his early success. In 1990, at just 14, he was the youngest rider to win the United States Equestrian Federation's Show Jumping Derby. Less than three months later, he was the youngest rider to win the USET Medal Finals. McLain also became the first and youngest rider to win both titles in the same year. His parents (both equestrian professionals) encouraged him to ride. Every “Kid” has to start somewhere, and that somewhere is with a pony.