12 Facts About Petrus Kastenman

Lars Petrus Ragnar Kastenman, ne Kahlsson was a Swedish Army officer and equestrian who won an individual gold medal in eventing at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.

Petrus Kastenman's father was a tailor who fell out of a window and was forced to amputate both legs and who now lived out his days as a merchant; he ran a business in his own cottage.

Petrus Kastenman had to keep the estate owner's dogs going for weeks, so they were properly trained when the weekend guests came out to the castle and wanted to hunt.

Petrus Kastenman was ten when he got his first shotgun.

Petrus Kastenman took up horse riding at the age of 17, when he enlisted in the Life Regiment of Horse in Stockholm.

Petrus Kastenman attended the Army Riding School from 1946 to 1947 and in 1949 he transferred from K 1 in Stockholm to the Life Regiment Hussars in Skovde.

When he was moved to K 3 in Skovde in 1949, the officers had to choose their horses according to rank and when it was Petrus Kastenman's turn, there were only two horses left.

Petrus Kastenman heard the order "The team is broken, Johan is gone, go for victory" and increased the speed.

Petrus Kastenman then got up and sat down with radio commentator Lennart Hyland and commented the rest of the competition.

Petrus Kastenman rode on Queen Elizabeth's horse Kilbarry, which had not knocked down an obstacle in two years.

Petrus Kastenman's regiment announced that in the future he would be allowed to have Illuster as a service horse, which meant that as long as they both remained at K 3 in Skovde, no one would be allowed to take Illuster and Kastenman apart.

Petrus Kastenman served in K 3 until 1974 when he retired from the military as captain.