AQHA Magazine September / October 2019 AQHA Sept-Oct 2019 WEB | Page 12

PG.10
AQHA FEATURE
A Life of Horsepower
PETER GARRATT
ARTICLE BY: LYN HOFFMANN © 2019
Take a few minutes out with a coffee and sit with AQHA member,
Peter Garratt as he shares a little about himself, a man still revved up for that next win.
‘ W
ell, I was born in mid January of 1944, in
Newcastle, NSW, and one of my early memories
of any horses in my life was during the time my
grandfather had a fruit cart and I used borrow
his cart horse, Neddy, to ride to school. They were good times.
I was always mainly interested in cars, though, and my first job,
which happily suited me, was as a motor mechanic. I just loved
being amongst all of that. My parents owned the Newcastle
Hotel, so I also had a second job working there sometimes,
helping out when and where I could. Later on, as life has it, I
got married and started my own business, Garratt Earth Boring
Pty Ltd, and of course, my family. They were busy times, but
that kept us going until my retirement.
When my daughter, Michelle, was 4 years old, we bought her
a pony, and it was then that I also decided to buy my own
horse, so that, in amongst our busy life, we could have a bit of
fun together as father & daughter. That move introduced me
to Quarter Horses for the first time. Rastus was a first cross
Quarter Horse, as they were called back then, and we had a lot
of fun out riding together.
Peter Garratt
But when I started driving and racing a dirt track Super Sedan
V8 car, horsepower of a different kind took our family all over
Australia. I had a huge passion for success and winning, I guess
proven by a very successful 40 year driving career. I racked
up countless Australian and State titles, Coca Cola Grand
CONTINUED PAGE 12
AUSTRALIAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATION - WWW.AQHA.COM.AU