Gustaf Lewenhaupt

Gustaf Lewenhaupt won gold with the Swedish team in show jumping at the 1912 1912 Stockholm Olympics. He achieved the best result among the four members of the team. One day earlier, in the individual event, he only took a shared ninth place together with his brother Charles. Gustaf Lewenhaupt also finished 17th in the first edition of modern pentathlon at the same Olympics. By far his best event was the final run in which he came in fourth. Interestingly, he was only 15th in the riding.

Gustaf was the son of colonel Sixten Lewenhaupt and his wife, a baroness. He graduated from school in 1899 and embarked on a military career as an officer with the Life Guards on horseback. In 1901 he attended the Krigshögskolan (Royal Swedish Army Staff College) and in 1913/14 attended the French military riding school in Saumur. He reached the ranks of major in the Army and captain in the cavalry, respectively. Lewenhaupt then resigned in 1930. He served at the royal court, from 1918 as adjutant and from 1932 as chamberlain to the then Crown Prince Gustav Adolf, later King Gustaf VI Adolf.

Lewenhaupt was made Commander of the Order of the Polar Star, Knight of the Order of the Sword, and Knight of the Order of Vasa. He was also decorated in Denmark, Belgium, Russia, and Prussia. In 1927 Gustaf Lewenhaupt married Margit Amalia Matilda Friberg, 25 years his junior. They had two sons and one daughter.