Finland’s most successful rider, school rider and assistant professor Kyra Kyrklund was awarded a major medal of merit at the annual meeting of the Finnish Olympic Committee.
As justification for the large merit badge, it was stated that Kyra Kyrklund has for more than 50 years promoted dressage and its appreciation as well as national visibility with his own competition success, as a trainer and trainer of horses and as a trustee.
Kyrklund’s sports achievements and the fact that he has participated ten times in the Olympics as a rider and coach were also mentioned.
Chairman of the Board of the Olympic Committee Jan Vapaavuori said that the badge of merit will be presented to Kyrklund at an event deemed appropriate by the Riders’ Association. The proposal was rewarded with applause from the meeting audience and the motion was unanimously approved.
– Kyra is a true horse riding icon and our role model. He is also a great example of how unyielding and consistent work can take a Finnish athlete to the very top of our sport and internationally respected both as a rider and as a coach. He is also an example of how you can stay at the top from decade to decade and at the same time pave the way for others”, says the Chairman of the Board of the Riders’ Association Marjukka Manninen.
In January 2023, Kyrklund was elected to the Finnish Sports Hall of Fame, and he received his Uno pin at the Sports Gala. In December 2015, the sports pioneer was awarded the Pro Urheilu recognition award of the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Kyrklund, 71, lives with his spouse by Richard White with in Coolham, Great Britain, where they have their own training center. Kyrklund has participated in the Olympics six times. In addition, he has twice been nominated for the Olympics, but has not been able to participate due to a horse injury.
Kyrklund has placed fifth three times in the Olympics (in 1980, 1988 and 1992) and eighth in 2008 in Beijing. In addition, Kyrklund has placed sixth in the team competition in Seoul in 1988.
He won the World Championship silver in Stockholm in 1990 with the horse Matador. Kyrklund won the World Cup final in 1991 in Paris.
For Finnish dressage riding, Kyrklund’s importance as a coach is immeasurably valuable. His students have been successful internationally and are still sharing their knowledge in their own coaching work already in the second generation. Kyrklund is an honorary member of the Finnish Riders’ Association and his riding club Helsinki Riders.
To be coached by Kyrklund at the World Championships in Herning in 2022 Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour won two golds and two silvers with the horse Vamos Amigos.
Kyrklund is also a significant international influence. He has made a significant contribution to dressage, e.g. in the Dressage Committee of the International Equestrian Federation, the FEI, the European Equestrian Federation, the EEF Dressage Committee and as the chairman of the International Dressage Riders’ Club.
Kyrklund started riding at the age of 11 at the Keskustalli riding school in Helsinki. He has been riding actively until these years. Kyrklund’s hobbies include music and gardening.