Hometown: Brewster, N.Y. Birthday: 10/17/1975 Sport/Disciplines: Jumping Olympic Years: 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024

McLain Ward was introduced to riding before he could walk and has a competitive prowess which only continues to increase with age. In 1990, Ward became the youngest rider ever to win both the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Medal Finals and the USET Talent Derby at age 14. After turning pro, he quickly became the youngest rider to reach the $1 million mark in earnings in 1999, at the age of 24. 

Ward is a six-time Olympian, including as a member of the gold-medal-winning U.S. teams in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 with his longtime mount, Sapphire. With HH Azur, he was part of the U.S. team that took silver at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ward was also a team silver medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games riding Contagious and most recently earned team silver once again, this time aboard Ilex at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.  

He was a member of the gold-medal winning NetJets® U.S. Jumping Team for the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018 riding Clinta, WEG Normandy 2014 team bronze medalist with Rothchild, and a WEG Aachen 2006 team silver medalist with Sapphire, and represented the U.S. in 2022 in Herning with Contagious. As a Pan American Games athlete, Ward was a part of the gold-medal team in Guadalajara 2011 riding Antares F, as well as aboard Contagious at Santiago 2023, where the pair helped the team secure their Paris 2024 qualification. 

In 2025, Ward was selected to the U.S. Jumping Team for the LLN Ocala CSIO5*, where he and Ilex contributed to the team’s top podium finish. He went on the compete for the U.S. in the Rome Nations Cup CSIO5* on Imperial HBF and La Baule Nations Cup CSIO5* on Ilex. He was named to the winning U.S. Jumping Team for the CHIO Aachen CSIO5* with Imperial HBF and second place finishing team at the Falsterbo Nations Cup CSIO5* with High Star Hero. A highlight of 2025 was Ward’s win aboard High Star Hero in the FEI Jumping World Cup Qualifier CSI5* at Santa Anita.  

Ward began 2026 as a selected member of the U.S. Jumping Team for the Wellington Nations Cup CSIO4*, where he and Jordan Molga M contributed to the team's victory.  

Ward resides in Brewster, New York, with his wife, Lauren, and their two young daughters, Lilly and Madison.