Peter began riding at CTRC nearly 45 years ago. For 44 of our 46 years of service, Peter was here, week after week, year after year, a steady, joyful, determined presence in our arena and community. His life is a testament to what perseverance, humor, and belonging can create.

Born in Belp, Switzerland, Peter moved to Boulder with his family as a child. In the 1970s, he experienced a severe traumatic brain injury that resulted in left-side paralysis, short-term memory loss, and seizures. He became wheelchair-bound,  but Peter never allowed his injury to define the fullness of his life.

Therapeutic riding became one of the anchors of that life.

 

For 40 years, Peter participated in weekly mounted riding lessons. When sitting in the saddle became too painful, he transitioned, with the same determination, into weekly Wheelchair Showmanship for the past four years. Whether mounted in his western saddle or proudly navigating the arena in showmanship classes, Peter showed up ready to work, ready to laugh, and ready to connect.

  

Peter had many beloved CTRC horses over the decades, including Lou, Dander, Honky Tonks, Molly, Beasty, Patron, Jo-Jo, and so many more. He utilized adaptive equipment, including ladder reins and side-walker support, and in 2017, he was among the first riders to benefit from the SureHands lift, allowing him to continue riding longer than might otherwise have been possible.

Peter competed in numerous CTRC horse shows, most recently in the 2024 AQHA-modeled Wheelchair Showmanship Class. In 1999, he qualified to represent 

Colorado in the Special Olympics in North Carolina, earning two bronze medals.

(You can see a special segment featuring Peter from our 40th Anniversary Special beginning here)

But Peter’s legacy is not measured in medals. It is measured in relationships.

 

Over four decades, Peter formed bonds with volunteers, instructors, staff, and board members, from working alongside our founder, Jody Marken, in the early years, to working recently with Instructor-in-Training China. His time at CTRC spanned generations.

Peter wrote letters and poems to the staff. He brought flowers, treats, and small treasures to share. He loved to joke. He loved to socialize. He loved his horses deeply. For 44 years, therapeutic riding provided Peter with strength, challenge, purpose, and community. Being on horseback gave him the gift of movement; it made him feel like the tallest one in the room. It allowed him to engage in life in meaningful ways, maintain function, and find community after his injury.

Peter showed us, week after week, what resilience looks like.  

 

In honor of Peter’s extraordinary legacy, his family has established the Peter Schmutz Memorial Endowment Fund through the Longmont Community Foundation to benefit CTRC. This endowment ensures that Peter’s impact will continue for generations of riders to come.