Kyra Kyrklund's Max Passed Away

Dressage

Finnish Dressage News

Kyra Kyrklund had to say goodbye to Max, the last Grand Prix horse that she has competed at international Championships. The 22-year old Swedish warmblood was euthanized on Friday 24 February 2017 due to bone cancer.

Owned by Kyrklund in partnership with Yvette Conn and Roy Moed, Max was by Master out of Aperetiffa (by Alpenfurst)

Max made his international Grand Prix show debut in 2005 and immediately represented Finland at the 2005 European Championships in Hagen. The pair went on to represent Finland at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen (7th in the kur), 2007 World Cup Finals in Las Vegas (4th), 2007 European Championships in Turin (19th), 2008 World Cup Final in Den Bosch (3rd), 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong (6th), and 2009 European Championships in Windsor (7th).

Kyrklund and Max at their last international championship, the 2009 Europeans in Windsor Max was officially retired from competition in September 2009 at age 14. He spent a peaceful retirement at Kyrklund's Snow Hill Farm in the U.K. His sad passing came very unexpected.

On Monday we found out that he had cancer in the bone in his lower jaw," Kyrklund explained. "We hoped for him to have some good months still as he was eating well and was very happy when I rode him. Unfortunately it turned out to be very agressive growing fast and yesterday afternoon he could not eat his hay and even struggled with his sugarlumps. He spent a comfortable night on painkillers eating apples and eating normally. This morning we took him to his favourite grassing place in the sunshine and he was peacefully put to sleep. His ashes will be buried in our beloved bluebellwoods behind our house. He filled a big chapter in our lives."