Achleiten
Since 1992, the Schloss Achleiten Riding Club has hosted the international dressage elite. Once a year, dressage competitions ranging from tests for young horses and young riders to Grand Prix are on the programme.
Das Schloss
Das Turnier
The Facility
The stately castle park of Achleiten with its old buildings in front of the picturesque backdrop of Achleiten Castle offers the best conditions for dressage sport at the highest level.
The square with the international dimensions of 20 by 60 meters has a structure with Otto mats and a sand / shavings footing. This also applies to the preparation area. The pedal surface of the riding arena also consists of a non-slip but resilient mixture of sand and shavings.
The Castle
Achleiten Castle is mentioned in historical documents for the first time in 1189. Because of its strategically opportune location, it was possible from this location to completely block off the Kremstal (Krems Valley) through the Veste Rohr which no longer exists today.
In the centuries that followed, the owners of the estate changed often, one of which was the Prince Archbishop of Salzburg, Johan Ernst Graf Thun, in the 18th century. It was during this period that the castle was given the appearance it has today. The magnificent castle fountain and garden pavilion also originate from this period.
The Max-Theurer family purchased the castle and park in 1982 and went to great effort to restore the estate and maintain its style.
Under the direction of Sissy Max-Theurer, a riding facility was created at Achleiten Castle between the years 1989 and 1991 and since 1992 it has been the annual venue of the CDI**** Achleiten and was also the venue of the European Junior Dressage Championships in 1999 and the Austrian State Championships in 2007.
The Achleiten Show Committee was founded in 1991 by Sissy and Hans Max-Theurer, the engineer Hubert Winkler, and Evelyn Beuerlein. The list of world class riders that have found their way to Kremstal is long: Isabell Werth/GER, Dorothee Schneider/GER, Nicole Uphoff/GER, Klaus Balkenhol/GER, Ann-Kathrin Linsenhoff/GER, Anky van Grunsven/NED, Heike Kemmer/GER, Sven Rothenberger/NED, Gyula Dallos/HUN, Otto Hofer/SUI and last but not least Sissy Max-Theurer and her daughter Victoria Max-Theurer.
The Show
President
Vice president
Secretary
Cashier
Elisabeth Max-Theurer
Fritz Biermayer
Rolanda Fassl
Harald Schwarzer
The founding members of the riding club
Sissy Max-Theurer
Married to Hans Max-Theurer from 1983 - until his death in 2019
2 children: Victoria (born 1985) and Johannes (born 1987)
Nationality: Austria
Born: on 20.9.1956 in Linz
Parents: Dr. Josef Theurer (industrialist) and Doris Theurer (teacher)
Horses are her life. Sissy Max-Theurer had a great career in dressage with extraordinary successes - supported by her family and especially by her husband and trainer Hans Max-Theurer.
With Mon Cherie, who she trained herself, she surprisingly beat Christine Stückelberger/SUI, who had been unbeaten for years, to silver at the 1979 European Championships. At the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow/RUS, she won gold (the only one to date for her home country Austria in equestrian sport).
Two further final placings came at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles/USA and 1992 in Barcelona/ESP, as well as numerous final placings at international championships and five national championship titles.
Sissy Max-Theurer is also a passionate breeder and owner of the traditional Vorwerk stud farm. Augustin OLD, who was bred by her, reached the final at the Olympic Games, World and European Championships under her daughter Victoria.
She is also a state-certified riding instructor and riding master, President of the Austrian Equestrian Sports Federation (OEPS) since 2002, Vice-President of the Austrian Olympic Committee (ÖOC), 5* judge, Chairwoman of the EEF Dressagegroup and successful organizer of high-level CDI4* competitions.
Hans Max-Theurer
Married to Sissy Max-Theurer since 1983
2 children: Victoria (born 1985) and Johannes (born 1987)
Nationality: Austria
Born: August 17, 1942 in Wels
Hans Max-Theurer was involved in the training of horses and riders for over 50 years. He began his career as a professional rider in the riding village of Ampflwang. With the Yugoslavian Lipizzaner mongrel Astor, who originally earned his oats as a school horse, he represented the Austrian colors at the 1974 Dressage World Championships in Copenhagen. His best-known pupils were his wife Sissy, whom he guided to the European Championship title in Aarhus/DEN in 1979 and to the gold medal at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow/RUS, as well as to six Austrian national championships and with whom he tied the knot in 1983, and his daughter Victoria, who was born in 1985. As a pensioner, he devoted himself exclusively to training Victoria and her horses and if, contrary to expectations, something didn't work out, his motto was: “Dad will sort it out”.
More than 30 Grand Prix horses and many advanced (S) level dressage horses made their way into the big dressage sport through his training. His most famous horses are the European Champion and Olympic Champion Mon Cherie as well as the Olympic final horses Acapulco and Liechtenstein, the European Championship fifth, WEG sixth, Olympic 13th and Burg Cup winner Augustin OLD as well as Walzertraum, Agrigento, Donaufürst, Falcao OLD, August der Starke OLD, Salieri OLD, Eichendorff, Della Cavalleria OLD and many more.
Hans Max-Theurer was awarded the title of riding master due to his successes. He was also head of the main department for equestrian training in Austria. Other interests included art and antiques, castles and palaces.
Hans Max-Theurer died unexpectedly on August 11, 2019, six days before his 77th birthday.
Evelyn Beuerlein
Evelyn Beuerlein was born and bred in Salzburg, mother of three daughters, one of whom is a rider, assistant in her husband's dental practice and used to ride competitions up to medium (M) level herself.
For more than 30 years, she was involved in the organization of tournaments (CDN, CDI, European Championships for juniors and young riders), first at RC St. Georg Salzburg/Hellbrunn-Klessheim and then in Achleiten.
She served as a national judge for dressage and show jumping for over 20 years and soon as a dressage referee for the LFV Salzburg for just as long.
On December 28, 2019, Evelyn Beuerlein passed away after bravely enduring illness.