A native of Santa Barbara, CA, Russ earned his Bachelor of Science, Biology from Claremont Men’s College, Master of Science, Animal Nutrition from University of California at Davis, and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of California at Davis in 1979.

 

Dr. Peterson played a key role in establishing veterinary supervision and standards for the AERC endurance competitions from 1979-1990. He quickly became sought after by many of the nation’s most prestigious associations. In 1984 he was active as a founder and board member of the Association of Equine Sports Medicine, in 1986 became a member of the UC Davis External Advisory Board, and in 1993 began service on the California Veterinary Licensing Board Exam Committee among others.

In 1979, Russ co-founded Peninsula Equine, a 2-man Thoroughbred/Quarter Racing and Sport Horse practice, which quickly grew to be solely a Sport Horse practice within 2 short years. Since Peninsula Equine's inception, cutting-edge diagnostics and therapeutics have been a core principle. In that spirit, Russ was one of the founding members of ISELP (International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology), serves on the ISELP Board of Directors and continues to instruct at ISELP meetings both nationally and internationally. 

 

Although Dr. Peterson practices almost exclusively sports medicine now, he has perpetuated a desire to offer clients only the best of all the services available by hand-picking a team of vets and staff to offer complete care from wellness exams to the most complex of medical and surgical cases.
 
What you might be surprised to learn about Russ: He’s a race car driver, competitive sailor and ex-rugby player, who is a grandfather of seven!