‘I was born into temple life’: how Buddhist upbringing gives Olympic showjumper zen composure

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Eiken Sato riding Conthargo-Blue at the Olympic showjumping team qualifier
Eiken Sato and Conthargo-Blue in the Olympic showjumping team qualifer at Paris 2024.
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Eiken Sato’s philosophical reaction to a “disappointing” first round in the Olympic showjumping may be in part thanks to his heritage. The Japanese showjumper was born into a centuries-old Buddhist temple compound, where his father, Shodo, was the chief priest. Both Shodo and Eiken’s older brother Kenki are Buddhist monks.

“I was born into temple life, but I’m the middle brother so I don’t have to be a monk,” says Eiken, 38. “I was free to go and ride horses! Maybe this background helps me to be calm, it’s possible.”

Martha Terry
Martha Terry
Features editor

Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.