Meet Caroline Darcourt, our next Rider Spotlight at #AGDF2020! Caroline began her equestrian career as a jumper, later falling head over tall-boots for dressage when she started working with Lövsta Stuteri in 2003. The talented athlete has many impressive accolades and a true passion for the sport that we all know and love. Beyond the show ring, Caroline is a major advocate for living a healthy lifestyle, sharing her favorite recipes through her cookbook Challenge Yourself with Smoothies and Stuff. Continue reading to learn about her string of horses, goals for the season, health and fitness regime, and more! 

Photo courtesy of ESP

How did you get into riding?

I’ve been riding since I was eight years old. I started out at a riding school and would go once a week, so I got the basics right away. In 2003, I got the job here at Lövsta thinking I would be able to learn some dressage to help with the jumping, but then I got hooked on dressage. I started breaking young horses since I already had experience with that. As the horses got older and older, I was able to bring them up through the different levels. Actually, I started riding Paridon Magi – the horse I’m riding now and competed with in the Friday night Freestyle – when he was two and a half years old. I took him up to the Grand Prix level with Tinne’s [Vilhelmson-Silfvén] help. She took him to win a European team medal. I have him back now, so this is our first time showing together in two years. 

Tell us about your horses!

Along with Paridon Magi, I have Bon Coeur, who’s a stallion that’s doing the small tour here. I’m very proud of him. He’s such a star! He’s been breeding a lot, so he has many approved sons in Germany. That’s why we haven’t competed with him that much. It was his first time in the arena here [AGDF] doing Prix St. George, as well as the one star. I also have an 11-year-old who I would like to start at the national grand prix level, so I’ve been riding him as well. 

Photo courtesy of ESP

What are your goals for the season?

My goal with Bon Coeur, the eight-year-old stallion, is to basically get him in a routine and keep him showing because when he goes home, he’ll have to breed, and the shows are a lot further away. Here, it’s perfect to just go to the show and get the experience. For the one I just started in the Grand Prix, Sankt [Erik Li 1265], my goal is to get us in a routine and comfortable riding at the Grand Prix level. I felt like there were so many things we needed to work on, so to be able to go in the show ring and do it over and over again is really great. 

What sparked your interest in fitness?

I’ve always had a sweet tooth and loved candy. I was always taking candy for my lunch breaks then would get so tired and wonder why. I always had an interest in health, so I got into making smoothies, trying new recipes, and then sharing them. People were surprised at how easy and good they were. To make something that’s healthy, tastes good, and is really quick fits in well with our world since we’re so busy and always on the go. It just got bigger and bigger, so we decided to do a book with the Lövsta Future Challenge, Challenge Yourself with Smoothies and Stuff. I already had the recipes, so I just added workout and lifestyle tips.

Photo courtesy of ESP  

What inspired you to write your cookbook?

Tinne actually was the one who asked me if I wanted to do it. She thought it would be a good idea because I already had all these recipes. We just put them all together, and it was very successful!

How do you think being dedicated to a healthy lifestyle has impacted your riding?

It has made a huge impact on my energy level. I was always tired before. The biggest thing about my diet is that I never took anything away. I think that’s a huge mistake people make, and then you end up craving something. I’ve just added on healthy foods, which I think is the key. Also, with the smoothies, my goal was to get my kids to have more energy. I love working out, so I have two personal training sessions a week. The combination of eating better, working out, and getting a better core makes it so much easier to keep the energy levels up and maintain focus. 

Photo courtesy of ESP   

Tell us about your involvement with Lövsta! 

Antonia [Ax:son Johnson], who’s the owner of Lövsta, has the mentality that everyone should feel like they’re a part of the business. We really work as a team. Everyone loves working here because you always feel appreciated and like you’re part of something. Everyone sees how hard you work. Antonia is very interested in people. She always asks how you are and is always available to help. She doesn’t care if you’re an intern or if it’s your first day. It’s very different from what a lot of people do, and that’s how you keep hard-working people with you. 

Thank you, Caroline. We can’t wait to watch you compete at AGDF 2020!