Alisa and Max soar into the record books

When putting the numbers together—a 24-year-old rider, an 11-year-old
Paint Horse and seven APHA World Championship Horse Shows—winning 20 World Championship titles seems nearly impossible.

However the impossible has never seemed to be a problem for Alisa
Bernhard and her sorrel overo homebred gelding Fleetstreet Max of
Germantown, Wisc. While only half-way through this year’s World Show
and with a handful of events left, Alisa and “Max” have become the
lifetime leading earners of APHA World Championships.

The dynamic duo, who entered their first horse show together when Max was only a yearling, made their first trip to Fort Worth for the World
Show in 2001 and earned their first World Championship in Youth Hunter Hack a year later. They knew they had a chance at breaking the record previously held by Too Sexy Formyspot after garnering seven world titles in 2006.

“That year put us three away from the record,” said Alisa. “Together
we earned another one in 2007 and I knew my long-time goal was within reach.”

Alisa made it a goal of hers to get Max’s name to the top of that list
the first year she showed at the largest Paint Horse show on earth.

“I remember seeing that list in 2001 and knew that someday Max could
be the leader,” said Alisa. “I really just didn’t have any idea it would be so soon.”

As if those numbers and records aren’t impressive enough, there’s
more. On their way to setting the new record, the pair has won the
Amateur Hunt Seat Equitation five years in a row—beginning with their
first year in Amateur.

“Winning it this year was probably the most rewarding experience so
far,” said Alisa. “It was the World Championships that put us ahead of
the record, and I had tried and tried to win it in Youth and it never
happened, so it looks like my try finally paid off.”

Continuing with numbers, Fleetstreet Max has earned more than 8,223
APHA points, most of which were with Alisa. Also, Max and Alisa have
worked together to earn seven Reserve World Championships and more than $82,622.

So far at this year’s World Show, Alisa and Max have clinched World
Championships in Amateur Hunter Hack, Classic Amateur Trail, Classic Amateur Hunt Seat Equitation, and Amateur Hunt Seat Equitation Over Fences.

The perfect pairing
Growing up in a family that bred and raised Quarter Horses, Alisa
started out showing on the AQHA and AHSA circuits. Then, one day her
mom, Susan Bernhard, decided to breed their mare Cash Bar Maiden AQHA to a Paint stallion because she threw a lot of white. Susan picked a stallion close to home, Fleet Machine, and the rest is history.

Alisa and Max quickly became a team and entered their first show in
1998, competing in Yearling Lounge Line. Once she and Max started
earning success in the show pen, she switched her focus to mainly APHA shows, and hasn’t looked back.

When asked about their show ring success Alisa modestly answers,
“we’ve been together for so long that everything just comes naturally.
After a while you just start to figure each other out.” Although Max has proved himself as one of the best Paint Horses the association has seen, Alisa doesn’t plan to retire him soon.

“He enjoys it. He doesn’t want to be done. I will know when that time
comes.”

It’s obvious that Max feels most comfortable in the show pen, earning
award after award, but Alisa thinks he stays so healthy and interested
because he isn’t pushed too hard. The team hauls pretty hard in the
months prior to the World Show. After World Show, they pack up their
buckles, head back to Wisconsin and Max has the rest of the fall and
winter off.

Watch for more success from this team in the future.