“Awesome” and lots of hearts and unicorns – Olympic finalist Sandra Sysojeva, who competes for Poland, has touched people’s hearts with a video of her mare Maxima Bella on Facebook. It shows that if you don’t want to have a heated discussion, just ride with a neck ring and no spurs.
Sandra Sysojeva and her Oldenburg mare Maxima Bella, the Millennium daughter with a talent for piaffe and passage, were the surprise of the 2024 season. At just eight years old, the black mare was the youngest horse to take part in the 2024 Olympic Games. This was entirely in line with the rules, as dressage horses are allowed to compete at the Olympics at the age of eight, while all others are only allowed to compete at the age of nine. The mare made it to the final, where, accompanied in part by French chansons, she did what she was obviously born with: piaffe and passage – which she can do with a neck ring and without spurs.
Maxima Bella: Piaffe and passage in the blood – neck ring is enough, without spurs
The Lithuanian-born rider had already let the black mare perform briefly at the vet check in Versailles. Maxima Bella piaffeed without a whip, just with a voice aid. There in the shade of the trees, the mare huddled up and lifted her legs as she waited for the moment in front of the judges and vet, just as she would later do in the dressage arena. With 80.075 percent, the two finished the freestyle in Versailles in 15th place. This is the best result ever achieved by Poland in the dressage arena at the Olympic Games.
As in the stadium in the park of Versailles, the mare radiated a certain joy of movement this morning. She did not seem overwhelmed. Sandra Sysojeva has now demonstrated in a video on Facebook that Maxima Bella can do lessons such as piaffe and passage with a neck ring, without a bridle or curb bit. She rides the mare without spurs and only with a neck ring. The comments under the video clip show that the rider from the Baltic States has hit a nerve! Lots of positive emoticons, and the word “awesome” over and over again – impressive.
At first, Sandra Sysojeva was not completely convinced by Maxima Bella. She almost didn’t buy her. But now there is a lot of speculation about the sale of the mare, who is bred from a Christ mother. There are supposed to be offers from overseas, according to dressage insiders. Who knows – if the sport wants to avoid the blue-tongue discussions, it might make sense to invest in a horse like Maxima Bella, who can do piaffe and passage with a neck ring and without spurs…
Jan TönjesEditor-in-Chief
Editor-in-chief since 2012, at St.GEORG since 2003. Horse journalist since 1988. After studying German and English, worked for eight years at public broadcasters, ARD, SFB, RBB in Berlin. Family man, radio fan, TV experience, presenter, horse breeder, podcast host, awards: Silver Horse, Alltech Media Award. President of the International Association of Equestrian Journalists (IAEJ).
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