Actually, Hans Max-Theurer, born August 17, 1942 in Wels, had wanted to become a diver. But a ride on an Arabian stallion named Silver when he was 14 years old changed his mind and he switched from the underwater world to the backs of horses. When his father posed the ultimate question, “motorcycle or horse?” there could only be one answer because he was infected with the ‘horse disease’. During his apprenticeship to become a craft metalworker, he got up at 5:00 a.m. mornings to feed and ride his horse before he went to work.
"You ride so badly, you ought to be shot off the horse. But you have talent so I will teach you. But believe me, there will be a lot of suffering involved.” Even today, Hans Max-Theurer has never forgotten the words spoken in his ear by the cavalry officer, Wilhelm Pichler, his first riding teacher. What he said about suffering was not exaggerated - he spent months on the lunge, without reins and without stirrups.
When he was hired as a riding teacher in the equestrian vacation camp in Ampflwang in 1969, his hobby turned into his profession. Hans Max-Theurer managed a masterpiece when he trained a school horse named Astor. Never having known what it feels like to ride a schooled horse in piaffe and passage, he taught the Yugoslavian half-Lipizzaner all of the Grand Prix movements. This brought attention to the self-taught rider as well as attention from the national trainer, Georg Wahl, and that’s how Hans Max-Theurer got to go the 1974 World Championships in Copenhagen/DEN with Astor on the Austrian team.
Hans Max-Theurer quit the apprenticeship he had begun in 1971 at the Spanish Riding School after just nine days. A trainer of numerous advanced (S) level horses already, he did not want to begin “at zero” again with countless hours on the lunge. Back in Ampflwang, he met Sissy Theurer and she became his most successful student, winning EC and Olympic gold. In 1983 they got married and two years later, daughter Victoria was born who, thanks to the lessons she received from her father, is following in the footsteps of her mother.
Hans Max-Theurer has brought dozens of dressage horses to top level, including Sissy Max-Theurer‘s Mon Cherie, Acapulco and Liechtenstein, three horses that competed in the Finals of the Olympic Games. Because of his success, he was awarded the title “Reitmeister”. He sits in the saddle every day and rides three to five horses. The secret of his success? "I was always up to my own devices, I read the classic books on riding, I tried things out and thought about some of the problems that cropped up for nights on end.” The secret of his training method? "I don’t want riders to be marionettes that just do what they are told from below.” And what kind of horses does he prefer? "All of the really top horses are difficult, each in their own way, but not all difficult horses are top horses. As a trainer you have to accept what the horse offers himself and know how to utilize his energy.”
Hans Max-Theurer, who also has a passion for art, antiques, castles and forts, is the head of the training department for equestrian sport in Austria.