Peter Murphy

VITAL STATISTICS

Based
Penwortham, Lancashire

Age
36

Height
6’

Number of Horses
10

Peter Murphy

From a horsey background, Peter was successful from a young age as a show jumper, including taking two Junior European Championships and the National Under 18 and Under 21 Championships, before going on to achieve considerable success as a Senior rider, including as a member of the British Nations Cup Team on numerous occasions.

He now runs his own yard in Penwortham, Lancashire with his wife, Eleni, who is also a talented rider. He is an accredited BSJA coach, training riders of all ages both at home and in clinics across the UK, and he has ten horses in work at the moment, including his Grand Prix horse, Atlantis, plus up and coming star, Grazie, and exciting novice, Two Mills Seander.

A typical day for Peter starts at 7.30 when he takes his two sons, Robert and Michael, to school, before riding six or seven horses during the course of the morning and then fitting in three or four lessons with clients in the afternoon.

Peter told us, “I can’t really imagine doing anything else apart from show jumping, but I suppose if I hadn’t done this it would have been something else to do with horses, such as being a vet or a blacksmith.” He added, “The best things about being a show jumper are meeting lots of different people and travelling all over the world, but more especially, the feeling you get from winning!”

Peter would love to represent his country at the British Olympics in 2012 and gives this advice to aspiring show jumpers, “Buy the best horses you can afford, get the best training and work as hard as you can because this is a tough sport and nothing is won easily.”

He says that his mother was a great influence on him during his Junior years and was the one who really got him going in show jumping, and he credits wife, Eleni with being his greatest influence now, because “she is very good at motivating me!”

What couldn’t you live without?

My mobile phone

Likes?

Spending time with my family, although this is not easy as I’m never at home!

Dislikes?

Wet, rainy shows

Bad Habits?

Changing the length of my stirrups before I go in the ring.

If you could have any horse, past or present, who would it be and why?

A horse called Gem Twist from the USA, because he was careful, scopey and fast – he had everything. Milton was also great but so was his rider.

Who do you admire?

John Whitaker, because he can ride any horse and he has unbelievable determination.