Pittman, de Sousa honored by USEF
Steuart Pittman, founder of the Retired Racehorse Project, and Isabela de Sousa, several times a winner at the event, were honored by the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) at its Pegasus Awards on Jan. 10 in Florida.
Pittman received the EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award, established to honor a member of the equestrian world who has devoted considerable personal time to making the quality of life of horses paramount. Pittman, the eighth generation of his family to own and operate Dodon Farm in Maryland, founded the Retired Racehorse Project in 2010. The organization annually hosts the Thoroughbred Makeover in October, which, in addition to a multi-discipline competition showcasing the trainability of ex-racehorses, also offers educational opportunities, panel discussions, and a Thoroughbred market.
Pittman stepped down from his position of executive director of RRP last year – handing the reins to Jen Roytz – in order to pursue a successful election campaign for county executive of Anne Arundel County in Maryland. He remains involved as board chair.
“Establishing the Retired Racehorse Project as a thriving national institution was the achievement that gave me the confidence to enter the political arena and confront challenges faced by our own herd,” Pittman said in accepting his honors. “If we can shift market forces in the horse industry to train racehorses for second careers, maybe we can figure out how to train people for the careers of our modern economy.”
De Sousa, 17, was honored at the Pegasus Awards as the 2018 Junior Equestrian of the Year. De Sousa, who grew up around Thoroughbreds as the daughter of Hidden Brook Farm managing partner Sergio de Sousa and equine veterinarian Karen Wolfsdorf, won the show jumping division at the Thoroughbred Makeover in three consecutive years, from 2015-17. Last year, she trained Cozmic One, the first foal out of champion Zenyatta, to finish fifth in the division.
“The retraining of Thoroughbreds has brought my family together for the good of the horse and love of the sport,” de Sousa said in accepting her award. “The Thoroughbreds I have retrained off the track have taught me, and others in the program, so much about heart, spirit, determination, courage, patience, and, most of all, camaraderie.”
