Drew University Athletics

Peter Leone comes from a family of show jumping champions. In the equestrian world, he is commonly referred to as one third of the "Team Leone," as he grew up riding competitively with his two brothers, Armand and Mark. In an unprecedented move, the three were collectively named the 1984 Horsemen of the Year by the New Jersey Equine Advisory Board. Yet Peter has made a name for himself individually, competing on the Grand Prix circuit for over a decade, and has amassed numerous equestrian honors.

In 1984 he was selected as the recipient of the national Olympia Award presented by the Southland Corporation in recognition of his international success as a member of the 1982 U.S. World Championship Team and the 1983 U.S. World Cup and U.S. Equestrian teams. The award was presented to students who, in addition to noteworthy physical accomplishments, displayed "loyalty to ideals of true amateur athletics, leadership in sports, and achievement in cultural and educational pursuits."

When he was 20 years old, Peter won the International Jumping Derby in Rhode Island, which was regarded as the most challenging show jumping event in the nation. A year later, he placed a remarkable 12th in the World Championships. He has represented the United States Equestrian Team (USET) in international competition many times, including the 1982 World Championships in Dublin, Ireland, where the team finished fourth. He was also co-champion of the USET Show Jumping Championship.

After so many years of rigorous competition, Peter achieved his longtime dream of competing in the Olympics. He was a member of the silver medal-winning show jumping equestrian team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.