Petrus Kastenman

Lars Petrus Ragnar Kastenman, né Kahlsson (15 August 1924 – 10 June 2013) was a Swedish Army officer and equestrian who won an individual gold medal in eventing at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.

Early life Kastenman was born on 15 August 1924 in the cottage named Draget, close to Nynäs Castle in Bälinge socken, Södermanland, Sweden, the son of Johan Kahlsson and his wife Elin (née Johansson).

Career Kastenman took up horse riding at the age of 17, when he enlisted in the Life Regiment of Horse in Stockholm. He attended the Army Riding School from 1946 to 1947 and in 1949 he transferred from K 1 in Stockholm to the Life Regiment Hussars (K 3) in Skövde. In 1950 he passed realexamen (graduation from Realskola) and in 1951 he attended the Swedish Army Non-Commissioned Officer School.

In 1969, his family moved to Borgunda, where he built a championship eventing course. During the 1970s and 1980s, he was the national coach for juniors, young riders and pony riders, and also coach of the Norwegian and the Finnish national teams. At one time, he coached five different teams.

Awards and decorations