Hometown: Wellington, Fla. Birthday: 7/30/1983 Sport/Disciplines: Jumping

Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, Alex Granato began English riding lessons at nine years old. He became the youngest rider to win the Utah Hunter Jumper Association Medal Finals at 13 years old, going on to win it three years in a row. He competed in his first Grand Prix when he was 18 years old. During his final year as a junior competitor, he found Mad Season, who fueled his career for over 12 years, ultimately winning over 20 grand prix events and over $500,000 in prize money. In 2017, he began his partnership with Carlchen W, and the two have moved up the levels amassing impressive results. They won the $130,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix CSI3* at the Kentucky Spring Classic, their second grand prix as a combination. In 2018, they earned their first start on a senior FEI Nations Cup team in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Mexico, where they were one of only two pairs to produce a double-clear. They were also part of the NetJets® U.S. Jumping Team for the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final, jumping a clear round. They continued with a string of notable results in 2019. In February, they won the $208,200 FEI Palm Beach Masters World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix CSI4*-W followed by a second-place finish in the $391,000 Palm Beach Equine Clinic Grand Prix CSI5* during week seven of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). In March, they placed fourth in the $391,000 Douglas Elliman Grand Prix CSI5* during week nine of the WEF. In May, they won the $134,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix CSI3* at the Kentucky Spring Classic and were part of the silver medal-winning NetJets U.S. Jumping Team in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Mexico. Their consistent record resulted in Granato’s selection for his first Pan American Games. Granato runs the show barn Mad Season, LLC, based out of Wellington, Fla., and Lexington, Ky., with professional rider Josh Dolan. In his spare time, Granato helps rescue and rehabilitate miniature horses for a non-profit he and Dolan created, The Peeps Foundation.