Childhood – youth

Mikael had a happy childhood growing in Helsinki, Finland, between the Oulunkylä and East-Pakila suburbs. As a young boy Mikael was more of a whirlwind than a laid back figure.

- It been said that I had a hard time staying in one place for too long, as I was always up to something, in a positive way. At least so I’ve been told, Mikael added.

 Riding came early and there was a young lady involved, when he took the first steps in the Ponihaka riding school.

- I meet my mother’s friends daughter, when were participating in the making of a children program. This girl was riding, so I had to do that also. I guess it was about impressing that girl, six or seven at that time, Mikael smiles.

Into a competitor

In Ponihaka Mikko rode for some time, but the actual hobby got started as an 11-year old at the Toumarinkylä riding school.  The Aalto family in charge of the riding school and Markku “Make” Nyman, the instructor and a former rider competing at Finnish national championship level, became important figures for Mikael’s early career. There was an active show program at Toumarinkylä and young riders were encouraged to participate, and they were given horses from the riding school to use.

- I had been riding for only 6 months, when I was taking part in the first local or regional show. We did in general a lot of showing at nearby shows at Ruskeasuo and elsewhere. The first major thing was when I as 14-year old and took part with the riding schools horse winning an open class in a national show at Santahamina. It was such an amazing start, which made me really eager to continue.

As 15-years old Mikael had his first own horse. At those same times Helsingin Kilpatalli, “Helsinki Show Stable”, started its activity.

- Kyra Kyrklund trained riders in dressage and Tom Gordin gave jumping lessons, meaning right away the best possible training that was available in Finland.

Gordin became to have an important role in developing Mikael in to competitor, other names to mention behind the then young rider’s career were the international trainers Jan-Olof Vannius and Daan Nanning.

Mikael was an active athlete and besides horses he was competing on championship level in both soccer and alpine disciplines. As 17-year old he had an injury in the alpine sports, which later became an important factor in the young man’s career decisions.

- I’ve later tried to understand why I actually opted for riding. The injury kept me away of training other disciplines for a while, but I could still sit in the saddle and ride. I guess I big factor was still the fact that riding can give one a long career, where as many other sports offered only a very short active future, Mikael tells.

Going International

The mathematically talented young started to study at the Helsinki Technical University, but soon riding took the better of the man as 23-year old Mikael headed for the world.

Spending over a year at the legendary Paul Schockenmöhlen’s stable was an important learning period for the young rider. Mikael stayed permanently in Germany and Holland, but spent many summers in Finland.

He did close co-operation with Anneke von Frenckell-Mikkola during the years 1998-2003 and showed successfully her horses in many national championships and on many GP tours. Mikael won in fact 5 times the Finnish championship and has been numerous years the highest ranked Finnish rider.

In 2003 a fresh couple Mikael Forstén and Noora Pentti decides to move abroad. After a time spent in rented stable in Germany they head to the Netherland, where they buy the well-known Dutch trainer Henk Nooren’s stable as permanent new base. Nooren will become an important figure, training and helping the couple especially during the early years in Guttecoven.

Life in Guttecoven

- Thinking about our horses I couldn’t think about a better place to train. We have a riding hall, a splendid outdoor arena, a derby arena, a galloping track, a walker, places for working on the longe and jumping exercises, green fields. If one can’t achieve results at Guttecoven, it certainly isn’t about bad settings, Mikael tells.

The main stable can take house 27 horses. Additionally there are two smaller three horse stables, which typically are in use of our students or other temporary need. Each horse has an own, individual and carefully planned training plan and week schedule. In all we do, we emphasize the health and well-being of the horses.

- We try to ensure we do all that needs to be done and that we do it right, Mikael explains.

Mikael’s riding style is a product of 20 years of training, a synthesis of both classic German riding and more modern, light riding American seen developed by George Morris. Mikael’s riding trademarks are lightness and sensitivity.

- I emphasis lightness. I strive towards a horse, which is light on both hand and leg, and more fundamentally, that it can trough its balance and form be sensitive to one’s aids. A horse needs to use the right muscles in a relaxed way. I believe this ensures stays fit both mentally and physically. 

Mikael is a genuine friend of animals, which makes training them much more rewarding.

- It’s an amazing feeling to see progress both in oneself and another creature. Overall I like tremendously all animals, cats, dogs, horses, you name it! Already as a small boy I thought a chicken to follow me, Mikael laughs.

The Stall Forstén-Pentti team consists besides Mikael and Noora of 2-3 riders that also grooms horses. Many times we have some talented young rider from Finland, doing a while as a working student. Moreover we have also 4-5 experienced and professional grooms, some of them following us on the shows.

Mikael and Noora work with a rather unvarying week schedule.

- From Monday to Wednesday we ride from nine in the morning till 3 or 4 in the afternoon. From Thursday till Sunday we are then at shows, me myself both car races and horse shows.

Our jumpers

Mikael’s first horse Isaaq du Jonquet is a 12-year old Selle Francais –gelding. Isaac has been plagued  with hoof problems and came back only a year ago, after a year and a half off active training.

- Isaac has huge capacity, but it comes with a technique far from ideal. It’s very seldom to see a photo of him jumping anyone want to put on the wall. Isaac always tries, he is really careful and with that huge jump he compensates for the lacking technique, Mikael thanks his horse.

The second top jumper is the 15-year old Skybreaker, Mikael’s mount at both the WEG and the EC. The horse was a rather sad-looking creature when it first came to Mikael and Noora, but has recovered well in good care.

- When Sky came to us he had already quite some mileage, and not all the best possible. Fortunately the horse has come back and is now again in the sport. We try to jump him sparingly in the shows already due to his age. He’s always such a trier, even if he’s not all well, making it even more important to show him with care. We call him “opa”, which locally means grandpa, and we treat him with the dignity of an older gentleman, Mikael explains.

Mikael’s and Noora’s plans 4 years ago were to acquire a few more experiences horses to take them to the big international shows, and thereafter mostly young, talented horses to take themselves up to Grand Prix level. It seems like the right decision.

- Vanity, which jumped the World Cup qualifier in Amsterdam, is among the first of the young horses we bought.  There are also several others really promising horses in the stable.

- I plan to jump in Bordeaux as in Amsterdam, meaning Vanity will jump the Friday qualifier. I hope to have a few points from Bordeaux, so I could be certain about a ticket for Gothenburg. The season’s most important show will probably be the World Cup final, if we make it there.

The Amsterdam World Cup win was a 20-year dream come true for Mikael, what is next?

- The next big thing is a world ranking among the top-30. I’m not dreaming about things that are dreams. Dreams are goals for me, hard and difficult, but possible to achieve. The important thing is now to have chosen the right horses and hope they stay healthy.

Motorsport

Mikael is an active contender in car racing and this season will take him to the FIA GT Championship–series, where he will help Porsche making a comeback to the GT2 category. He drove last year a full season in the Porsche Supercup as the first Finn ever, and raced the Formula Renault Italian Championship the year before. 

- We had put in so much effort, sacrificed our lives in many ways, yet nothing seem to go right, nothing even close in justifying those significant contributions  to jumping. Twenty years of head banging brought the disappointment, tiredness – whatever one should  name, Mikko tells.

Racing brought back the joy in life.

- I was really excited about racing at that time, so I decided to give it a shoot, driving seriously for a year or two, making it to the international level. I decided to enjoy the driving and be less stressed about riding. This made it also possible finding a new approach to training and enjoy riding since a long time, all the good things back, when there was mentally less on stake.

Next summer the FIA GT Championship behind a ProSpeed Porsche will be the main thing.

- There are still 40 weekends left in ones year to be showing horses. Racing has given me a good feeling and when the horses are jumping well, I’ve been since the autumn more motivated than in ages.

Mikael and Noora

Mikael’s partner Noora Pentti is an international jumping rider, who has done tons of work to achieve the skilled level she’s at today. How well do two competitors make an item?

- We are doing great. The fact that both competes in jumping has newer brought any tensions to our relationship. Quite the contrary, we have been able to stand there for each other and support each other full heartily, Mikael explains.

- On the other hand, I believe this is such a sport that if one part would part of a so-called normal life, there could quickly arise real issues in the both one’s life and relationship. Competing on top-level requires commitment from both sides, and being a part of the sport helps.

Noora appreciate highly Mikael as a rider.

- He’s so skilled, keeps his cool, he’s accurate and adjust to the even most diverse horses he rides. With his long experience, he has a lot of understanding and patience to develop the horses, Noora tells.

Things of Importance

Name three most important things in life?

 - Health, happiness in family life and friends, Mikael names and adds that only thereafter he things about sport and other matters.

Spark of life?

- It’s important to live and do things in a way that it all feels good, worthwhile. I price winning, continuous learning, doing things one needs to focus on, and give it one’s everything.  Challenges and then winning (the odds) is what keeps me going.

Facts and figures

Mikael “Mikko” Forstén is born December 7th 1969 in Helsinki. Read Mikael's bio for more details.

Top horses

Isaac du Jonquet aka “isaac, Iisakki”, A noble French born selle francais  gelding with tons of jump. Born 1996, sire Laeken, dam’s sire Jasmin.

Skybreaker aka “sky”, A handsome Belgian breed BWP gelding, huge jump, big and very energetic canter. Born 1993, sire Heartbreaker, dam’s sire Lys De Darmen.

Horses on the Rise

Vanity aka “vani”, Vanity is a lively character with plenty of jump, Belgian BWP, born 1998. Sire Canadian River, dam’s sire Grannus. Mikael’s apple of eye, which did recently a comeback and international début after a long sick leave.

Nandele,  a tall and noble Holstein mare, born 1998. Sire Cassini I, dam’s sire Landgraaf I.

Tosca’s Lena aka “tosca, lena”. a massive year 2000 born mare that descents from the KWPN-stallion Corland, dam’s sire Wellington. Tosca's Leena has great big gaits and a lot of capacity.

Mikael’s horses are owned by Olavi and Noora Pentti.

Free translation of interview done by Sonja Holma.