Elisabeth Theurer

Elisabeth Theurer

Theurer and Mon Cherie, in their gold-medal performance at the 1980 Olympics
Personal information
Born	20 September 1956 (1956-09-20) (age 68) Linz, Oberösterreich, Austria
Medal record Equestrian Representing Austria Olympic Games 1980 Moscow Individual dressage European Championships 1979 Aarhus Individual dressage

Elisabeth "Sissy" Theurer (born 20 September 1956 in Linz, Oberösterreich) is an equestrian from Austria, now known as Elisabeth Max-Theurer after marriage.

Biography

Max-Theurer began riding at age 10. In 1968 she met Hans Max, a riding instructor, in cooperation with whom she achieved her main results and whom she married fifteen years later. In 1973 she received Mon Cherie, a gray horse, as a bonus while buying another one. Mon Cherie's first steps were rather disappointing, but after consequent and persistent work he became very skillful, famous for his piaffe-passage tour and pirouettes.

At the 1979 European Dressage Championships in Aarhus Theurer with Mon Cherie won the gold medal. A year later on Mon Cherie she became the Olympic Champion at the 1980 Summer Olympics.

Various international successes followed. On another horse, Acapulco, she participated at the 1984 Summer Olympics and came in 11th. After breaks for the birth of her daughter Victoria (in 1985) and son Johannes (in 1987), Theurer returned to competition and participated in the 1992 Summer Olympics, where she competed on the horse Liechtenstein, finishing 8th.

After finishing her career in 1994, Theurer now supports her daughter. Victoria was 20th in individual and 8th in team event at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She has also been the President of the Austrian Association for Riding and Carriage Driving since 2002.

Theurer is also the major stake holder in the company Plasser & Theurer which manufactures rail tracks maintenance machines.

References

• Media related to Elisabeth Max-Theurer at Wikimedia Commons
• A story of Elisabeth, Hans and Mon Cherie on the website of Victoria Max-Theurer