FEI Tribunal Dismisses Appeal by Schmidt Family, Ulrike Prunterhaller Against FEI in Case Involving Austria’s Elisabeth Max-Theurer

An appeal by Edda M. and Maximilian-Emanuel Schmidt, owners, and rider Ulrike Prunthaller against the International Equestrian Federation over its decision to reject complaints against Austrian national federation president Elisabeth “Sissy” Max-Theurer has been dismissed by the FEI Tribunal.

Rejection of the appeal by José A. Rodriguez Alvarez, of Mexico, was the latest step in complaints by the Schmidts and Ulrike against Sissy Max-Theurer, a FEI 5* judge, three-time Olympian who won individual gold at the 1980 Moscow Games and hosts CDIs in both Austria and Germany. Victoria Max-Theurer, 34, her daughter, is a four-time Olympian for Austria.

The Schmidts argued that Sissy Max-Theurer had conflicts of interest in her various roles.

The Schmidt family owns Bartlgut equestrian and several horses that are competed by Ulrike Prunthaller. In 2013, she was banned by the Austrian federation from competition for nine months for alleged “painful and illegal training methods” of horses.

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Article written by: KENNETH J. BRADDICK