Bengt Ljungquist

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Bengt Ljungquist
Ljungquist at his retirement in 1967.
Birth nameBengt Helge Ljungquist
Born(1912-09-20)20 September 1912
Umeå, Sweden
Died15 July 1979(1979-07-15) (aged 66)
Förslöv, Sweden
AllegianceSweden (1936–1967)
Abyssinia (1948–50)
Service/branchSwedish Army
Years of service1936–1967
RankLieutenant Colonel
Commands held
Battles/warsWinter War

Bengt Helge Ljungquist (20 September 1912 – 15 July 1979) was a Swedish fencer, equestrian and military officer.

Early life[edit]

Ljungquist was born on 20 September 1912 in Umeå, Sweden, the son of Major Helge Ljungquist and his wife Edith Palander.[1] Ljungquist began riding at the age of ten.[2] He passed studentexamen in Stockholm in 1931.[1]

Military career[edit]

In 1934 he received his cavalry commission, which he resigned in 1939, along with many of his fellow officers, to fight in the Winter War for Finland in its two-year conflict with the invading Soviet Union.[2] Ljungquist also attended the Royal Swedish Army Staff College between 1938 and 1940 and then served as a General Staff Corps aspirant. Ljungquist was promoted to Lieutenant in the Life Regiment Hussars (K 3) in 1936 and became ryttmästare in 1943. He then served as a teacher at Military Academy Karlberg from 1944 to 1948 and as a military instructor in Ethiopia from 1948 to 1950.[1] Ljungquist was commanding officer of the Swedish Cavalry Cadet School (Kavalleriets kadettskola, KavKS) from 1950 to 1954 when he was promoted to Major. In 1955, he was appointed executive officer of the Life Guards Squadron (K 1).[1] As part of his military duties, Ljungquist organized the equestrian competition at the 1956 Stockholm Olympic Games.[2] Four years later, Ljungquist was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and appointed executive officer of the Life Regiment Hussars (K 3).[1] He retired from the military in 1967.

Sports career[edit]

Bengt Ljungquist
Ljungquist at the 1952 Olympics
Personal information
Full nameBengt Helge Ljungquist
Born(1912-09-20)20 September 1912
Umeå, Sweden
Died15 July 1979(1979-07-15) (aged 66)
Förslöv, Sweden
Height185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight90 kg (198 lb)
Sport
SportFencing
Event(s)Épée, sabre, foil
ClubSkövde FF
Stockholms AF
K3 IF, Skövde
Medal record
Representing  Sweden
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1948 Helsinki Épée, team
Silver medal – second place 1952 Melbourne Épée, team
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1937 Paris Épée, team
Silver medal – second place 1938 Piešťany Épée, team
Silver medal – second place 1947 Lisbon Épée, ind.
Silver medal – second place 1947 Lisbon Épée, team
Bronze medal – third place 1951 Stockholm Épée, team
Silver medal – second place 1954 Luxemburg Épée, team

He competed in various fencing events at the 1936, 1948, 1952 and 1956 Olympics and won a silver and bronze in the team épée in 1948 and 1952. In 1964 he took part only in mixed dressage events and finished fifth with the Swedish team.[3][4]

At the world fencing championships Ljungquist won four silver and two bronze medals in the épée in 1937–1954.[5]

During a visit with his sister to the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, he made a trip to the United States that sparked his interest in furthering dressage. He later became a United States Equestrian Team coach.[2] As a United States Equestrian Team coach, Ljungquist guided the US dressage team to a bronze medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics and a gold medal at the 1975 Pan American Games. He was inducted into the United States Dressage Federation Hall of Fame in 1998.[6]

Personal life[edit]

In 1942, Ljungquist married Märta Thorén (born 1915), the daughter of Captain Gösta Thorén and Märta Bernström. He was the dather of Ewa (born 1943), Sten (born 1944) and Ulf (born 1947).[1]

Death[edit]

He died on 15 July 1979 in Förslöv, Sweden during a visit from the United States where he was living.[5]

Dates of rank[edit]

Awards and decorations[edit]

Swedish[edit]

  • Sweden Knight of the Order of the Sword[1]
  • Sweden Skaraborg County Schooting Association's Gold Medal (Skaraborgs skytteförbunds guldmedalj)[1]
  • Sweden Swedish Equestrian Badge of Honor (Svensk ridsports hederstecken)[1]
  • Sweden Swedish Fencing Association's Gold Medal (Svenska fäktförbundet EtoGM)[1]

Foreign[edit]

Honours[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Harnesk, Paul, ed. (1965). Vem är vem?. 3, Götaland, utom Skåne, Halland, Blekinge [Who's Who?. 3, Götaland, except Scania, Halland, Blekinge] (in Swedish) (2nd ed.). Stockholm: Vem är vem. p. 696. SELIBR 53511.
  2. ^ a b c d "American Dressage Legends: Col. Bengt Ljungquist". www.yourdressage.org. United States Dressage Federation. 14 February 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  3. ^ "Olympics Statistics: Bengt Ljungquist". databaseolympics.com. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  4. ^ "Bengt Ljungquist Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  5. ^ a b "Bengt Ljungquist]" (in Swedish). Swedish Olympic Committee. 14 July 2020. Archived from the original on 8 October 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Colonel Bengt Ljungquist (1998)". United States Dressage Federation. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  7. ^ "Många ordnar utdelade vid drottningbesöket" [Many orders awarded at the Queen's visit]. Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 9 June 1956. p. A13. Retrieved 26 October 2022.

External links[edit]

Military offices
Preceded by
Anders Grafström
 Life Guards Squadron
1955–1959 		Succeeded by
Nils-Fredrik Haegerström
Preceded by
Fritz Magnus Sommar Bruzelius
 Life Regiment Hussars
1959–1967 		Succeeded by
Gustaf Malmström
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