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Eurodressage
F.O.C.U.S.
Rider in the Spotlight: Kyra Kyrklund
 The
Finnish dressage legend, Kyra Kyrkland has participated
in five Olympic Games, two World Equestrian Games and
six European Championships. With Matador, Kyra Kyrklund
placed fifth at the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988 and
won the silver medal at the 1990 World Equestrian Games
in Stockholm, Sweden. Besides numerous international
victories, she has earned the national title of Finnish
Dressage Champion more than ten times.
In the Beginning
Born in 1952, Kyra's equestrian career started in a
stable near Helsinki, where she attempted to ride her
uncle's draft horses. In 1967, she participated for
the first time in the National Show Jumping Championships
for junior riders with the Polish gelding Dragon. Two
years later, she purchased her first horse, Kasper.
With this Swedish gelding she achieved various successes
in dressage, show jumping and three-day event competitions.
In 1972, Kyra and Dragon were the Finnish Dressage Champions.
She participated for the first time at a European Championship
with the Danish horse Piccolo (by Pilar), finishing
20th. In 1980, the combination represented their homeland
at the Olympic Games in Moscow, placing fifth. Riding
Danish Nor (by Monark) in the Los Angeles Olympic Games
in 1984, she placed 17th.
Matador
With perhaps the most special horse of her career, Matador,
she placed fifth at the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988.
Surviving colic surgery, Matador with Kyra as his guide,
won the silver medal at the 1990 World Equestrian Games
in Stockholm, Sweden. After their victory in the 1991
Volvo World Cup finals, Matador (by May Sharif) was
sold to Yoshinaga Sakurai from Japan.
Edinburg
With the Russian Trakehner stallion Edinburg (by Elever),
purchased in St. Petersburg, Russia, she expanded her
list of achievements. Edinburg started his career as
a racehorse, but Ivan Izimov, the gold medal winner
at the Olympic Games in Mexico, discovered his talent
as a quality dressage horse in 1988. In 1992, Kyra and
Edinburg placed fifth at the Olympic Games in Barcelona.
One year later, they finished fourth in the European
Championships in Lipica. And in 1994 she was third in
the World Cup Finals in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Trainer
Besides her own busy show schedule, Kyra also trained
the Finish Young Riders Team for a couple of years.
In November 1991, Kyra accepted the position of head
trainer of the Flyinge National Breeding Centre in Sweden
where she trains with Richard White. In that capacity,
she helped the duos of Ulla Hakkanson and Flyinge Bobby,
and Annette Solmell and Flyinge Strauss earn spots on
the Swedish dressage team. With Flyinge Amiral, a Swedish
Warmblood Stallion (by Napoleon 625 out of Flamkella
by Flamingo 481) she entered the international dressage
circuit again. At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, a last
minute injury to Amiral's eye made for a tense moment
at the horse inspection, which he passed. It was a disappointing
performance in Atlanta, but he went on to place 10th
at this year's World Equestrian Games, in Rome, Italy,
with an average of 70%.
 Clinics
in the USA
Known in the United States as "the great communicator"
Kyra Kyrkland gives clinics and training sessions, including
the incredibly successful USDF
Dressage Symposiums, which are always
sold out. Usually limited to a precious few American
riders, who earn the privilege of being invited, she
fills the stands to capacity with auditors.
Boards and Clothes
Kyra is also on the board for The International Dressage
Riders Club, and has her own wardrobe line of quality
functional jackets and vests. Her latest version of
the lightweight yet warm jackets are cut comfortably
for riding, and even have a special "sugar pocket"
for easy access to reward your horse. At the end of
1998, Kyra will end her function as trainer at Flyinge
and will move to England where she will start her own
dressage stable.
This article is also featured on http://horsesdaily.com
and has been covered in http://dressage
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