Peter Robeson followed in the footsteps of his father Gilbert, a pre-war champion, and made his first international appearance whilst still a teenager. After narrowly missing selection for the 1952 Summer Olympics he made his Olympic début in Stockholm and, despite his own performance being a little disappointing, won a bronze medal as part of the British team. His next Olympic appearance came eight years later when, partnering his self-owned horse Firecrest, he won the individual bronze medal in a jump-off against Australia’s John Fahey. The partnership with Firecrest was also responsible for the biggest win of his career when they won King George V Gold Cup in 1967. Later in the decade he was accused by a national newspaper of using dubious training methods but was eventually cleared of any misdemeanor by the sport’s authorities. From a wealthy background, he was married to a member of the Rothschild family, and was able to retain his amateur status as his peers turned professional and was recalled for a final Olympic appearance at the age of 46 in 1976. In a near 40-year career Robeson rode for Great Britain over 80 times.
Great Britain