Photo 140x140

Peter ATKINS

Peter ATKINS is an Australian athlete and competes in Eventing.
Name Peter ATKINS
FEI ID 10026804
Gender Male
Date of Birth 08/06/1965
Competing for Australia - AUS
Registration Eventing 2014
Last update 09/05/2022
FEI Database


Eventing 70x70
Sport Specific Information
When and where did you begin this sport? His family owned a farm in Tasmania, Australia, so he was around horses almost from the moment he was born. He began competing at age six. "As well as eventing our family did a lot of showjumping, point to pointing and trained steeplechasers. I rode in a few professional hurdle races and steeplechases."
Why this sport? His mother was an international event rider and he loves the range of skills required to be successful in eventing. "It's the ultimate of horse sports and training. It has the intensity and discipline of dressage, the speed and thrill of cross-country and the accuracy of showjumping."
International Debut
Year 1983
Competing for Australia
Location Melbourne, VIC, AUS
Further Personal Information
Family Wife Amy, son Owen
Residence Ocala, FL, USA
Occupation Athlete, Horse Trainer
Languages English
General Interest
Injuries He broke the tibia and fibula in his right leg after his horse was spooked while hacking in April 2012. He had screws, pins and plates inserted and was out of the saddle for six weeks. (chronofhorse.com, 17 Apr 2012; atkinseventing.blogspot.com, 16 Apr 2012)
Sporting philosophy / motto "I discovered a long time ago the more I learn about horses, the more I realise how little I really know and how much more I have to figure out. My whole riding philosophy is figuring out how to make it easy for the horse to do what you want it to do. The next step is to figure out how to make them think it is their idea to do what we want them to do." (eventingnation.com, 02 Jun 2010)
Famous relatives His mother was shortlisted to compete in eventing at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. (badminton-horse.co.uk, 11 May 2014)
Other information AUSTRALIAN ARMY At age 16 he joined the Australian Army, where he was an avionics technician for 12 years. (cedarcreekstables.us, 18 May 2012) CHANGING SPORTS In 2004 he gave up riding for two years and took up pistol shooting. "I got pretty competitive. It's very much the same concept as eventing, various kinds of courses with targets that have to be shot as quickly and accurately as possible." (eventingnation.com, 02 Jun 2010)