Limburgse Lars Kersten ziet Rotterdam als zijn thuisconcours

The equestrian business of their parents, of which Niels and Lars are now a part, consists of not only the sport aspect but also a small-scale breeding program, a trading stable, and a training facility, where a lot of lessons are given, primarily by their father, Pieter Kersten.

Started Riding at Four on a Pony
Lars: 'When I was four years old, a very sweet and well-behaved pony came along that I started to ride. Then I began riding at a riding school, but by the time I was about seven, I got my first own pony, with which I started competing. My brother followed a few years later. As a young rider, I was mainly focused on style riding. My father emphasized the basics, and I didn’t need to go fast just yet.'

Double clear in his first 5* in Rotterdam

“Three years ago, I rode in Rotterdam for the first time. It was also my first time at your competition, and it turned out to be a fantastic experience. It was my first five-star competition, and I managed to go double clear in the Grand Prix. In the end, I placed sixth or seventh. There are many familiar faces, and from that moment on, despite being from Limburg, it felt like my home competition. I find it extremely special that you have the Nations Cup. A Nations Cup is always wonderful, but it’s even more special for a local audience. At every competition, you think about certain things; every event has something unique, and for you, that’s the Nations Cup. Unfortunately, I’ve never competed in it in my own country, and that’s high on my wish list. My best memory of you so far is that double clear in my first five-star Grand Prix; I’ll never forget it. I hope to create many more beautiful memories, and Rotterdam is definitely marked in my calendar for next year and hopefully for many years to come.”

Longines League of Nations

“While I haven't competed in the LLN with you yet, I did participate in the final—completely unexpectedly, by the way. If you had mentioned Barcelona to me at the beginning of this year, I would have looked at you strangely. My first competition with Team NL in show jumping was in Aachen this year (laughing), a fun event to start with. Then I went to Hickstead, where we finished second as a team. I also competed in Brussels, where I went double clear. After that, Jos Lansink quickly approached me to confirm my spot for Barcelona. That was, of course, a great honor, and to remain faultless in the first round was amazing. The final result, second place, was fantastic. Naturally, we would have loved to win, but we fought for the victory right up to the last rider, and we had agreed to that beforehand.”

Funky Fred Marienshof Z

“My horse for this competition was the ten-year-old stallion Funky Fred Marienshof Z. Funky Fred belonged to two Belgian owners, and I have been riding him for over a year and a half. He had jumped 1.40m a few times before, and we started very gradually. He was able to develop nicely in the shadow of my then-top horse Hallilea. When Hallilea was sold, Funky Fred immediately took her place. In principle, he is not for sale, but in our sport, you never know; sometimes, hefty sums are offered. Right now, I’m in Oliva with all my competition horses. We don’t really have a plan after this. They will first get some rest. The first big competition on my calendar is Jumping Indoor Maastricht.”

Dreams

“As a young boy, you always say that you want to compete at the Olympics someday. I still want that, but I have more dreams. I want to be able to compete at the highest level, not just at the Olympics, but at all the major competitions. Additionally, I want to successfully carry on my parents' business together with my brother. Regarding those big competitions I want to participate in, of course, I would love to win Grand Prix events, like Aachen and Rotterdam. However, this is easier said than done, and I will also need to take a step back at times.”

World Cup Victory in Gothenburg
“My best memory so far is my victory in the World Cup in Gothenburg. That was with the aforementioned Hallilea. This was special on multiple fronts. It was my first win in a World Cup, and it was also with a horse bred by my parents. We handled the entire process ourselves, and both my parents were present in Gothenburg. It doesn’t happen often, but this really meant a lot to my father. We never expected this, and it was so special to experience it together.”

“In the past, my role model was Marcus Ehning. His way of riding, competing for so long with so many different horses at the highest level, his riding style—he is a true horseman to me.”

Football and Country Music

Speaking of true horsemen, Lars seems to be one as well. He speaks calmly but passionately. We ask him about his life outside of horses. He thinks for a moment, but then we get an answer—a surprising one. Lars: “I’m a real sports enthusiast. I follow a lot, especially football, which I used to play myself. When I was twelve, however, I had to make a choice because both competitions and football matches took place on weekends. But I still follow it. I’m a fan of Liverpool, and not too long ago, I went to a match there with Willem Greve and Leon Thijssen. I’m absolutely not technical or handy; don’t ask me to do any repairs or anything with computers. But I really enjoy music, especially country music. Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs are my favorites, and I recently attended a concert by the former. He was in Amsterdam—very special.”

Aachen, Den Bosch, and Rotterdam are favorites

Let's go back to the horses for a moment. Lars is still young, but he's been active in the sport for years, so we asked him about his favorite competitions. He didn't have to think long about his answer. Lars: "Aachen is at the very top of my list. When you ride into the ring on Thursday evening for the Nations Cup, it's like something out of a fairytale. In the Netherlands, I would mention Rotterdam and Den Bosch. I've always said I'd love to compete at Spruce Meadows one day, but I don't think anything can top Aachen.""In the end, all those competitions are wonderful, but working with horses is the most beautiful thing of all. That's the foundation of everything, and the bond you create with your horse is ultimately what it's all about."

Beautiful words from Lars at the end of a lovely conversation with a young but genuine horseman. Thank you for your kind words to us as well. We wish you the best of luck in your career and hope to welcome you to Kralingse Bos many more times in the future.