Swedish Warmblood, Gelding, Born 1995
Breeder: Britta-Stina Eriksson, Mellösa, Sweden
In the summer
1999 a friend of Kyra contacted her and said she had been
riding a 4-year-old black gelding by Master. His name was
Max and he was to be sold at the auction at Falsterbo Horse
Show. She said Max had “Kyra” written all over
him. Kyra bought him unseen and Max arrived in England later
that year. The stable was full so he had to stay the first
night at the farm of one of our students, Yvette Conn. She
fell in love with him and insisted in becoming a co-owner.
She was and she still is Max’ and Kyra’s greatest
supporter both at home and at shows.
Max’s
competition debut was qualifying for and winning the Championship
for 6-year-olds at Hickstead. Kyra continued the education
towards Grand Prix at home and when Max was nine years old,
they returned to Hickstead for a Prix St Georges (which
they also won).
Max in Aachen 2006 Photo Astrid Appels
Two weeks later
Max did his first Grand Prix at a small national show (winning
again). One month later it was time for his international
debut, he was second in the Grand Prix and won the Kür
at CDIO Hickstead - A promising start of the international
career.
The following
year (2005) it was time for the international championship
debut and Max and Kyra were overall 12th at the Europeans
in Hagen, Germany. In 2006 they were 12th in the Grand Prix
Special and 7th in the Grand Prix Kür at the World Equestrian
Games in Aachen.
The success has
continued and they were 4th in the World Cup Final in Las
Vegas 2007. In Las Vegas Kyra said: “I rode Max’s
sire, Master, in the 1998 World Cup Final. Max is a little
bit the same as Master. They come in and say, ‘Oh, 17,000
people have paid for tickets only to look at me today, I think
I have to do my best.’ They grow when they go into the
arena instead of shying away.”
Celebration cake for the Europeans
2005
Watch Kyra and Max in
their winning Freestyle
in Stuttgart November 2006
