SAMSPEL

Maxime Livio wanted to ride when he was five years old. Furthermore, he immediately wanted to do eventing, the discipline combining the three elements of dressage, showjumping and cross-country in one competition. Today, Maxime is one of the big French champions in international eventing.

Despite his young age he is, however, just as known in the equestrian society for having a very personal view of the riding and the horses. This view transpires in all his work and his relationship with horses and humans.

I have followed the life in Maxime’s stable closely since it was created. My images try to be testimonies to the synergy existing in this small world, of the hard work and the striving to reach the objectives, but also to the joy, team solidarity and playfulness that are indispensable for the ultimate goal - to reach the top.

Because, for Maxime, reaching the top is not only about results. It is also about the way things are done and the sense that you infuse in the activity. With an acute conviction of the power of engagement and good will, Maxime knows that the mutual confidence – may it be with a horse or a human - is key, and that the place you leave for everyone’s personality is essential.