Steuart Pittman, a voice for horses AND people. Photo by Leslie Wylie.
No Thoroughbred Makeover is complete without a nod to Maryland horseman and Retired Racehorse Project (RPP) founder, former executive director and current board chair Steuart Pittman. The first edition of the Makeover, held in 2013 at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course, was a landmark moment for RPP, and it just gained momentum from there — some 440 horses are contesting the event in 2018. The competition and corresponding symposium has been a gamechanger for OTTB advocacy, positively impacting the lives of countless Thoroughbreds facing otherwise uncertain futures, and we have Steuart’s leadership to thank.
Steuart is doer: He sees something that needs to be done, and he goes out and does it. That attitude is what led to his current campaign to be elected Anne Arundel County Executive in November 2018. The incumbent Executive, Steve Schuh, was bad news: a far right-wing Republican with a developer-funded agenda of unchecked, fiscally irresponsible growth. When nobody came forward to oppose him for reelection, Steuart reckoned that he was going to have to do it himself. You can read more about Steuart’s community-first platform via his campaign website here.
Steuart has done so much for the horse community, and now it’s time for us to repay the favor. Make a donation, volunteer, spread the word, and by all means if you’re an Anne Arundel County resident get out there and rock the vote! Early voting takes place Oct. 25 – Nov. 1, with the general election on Nov. 6.
National Holiday: National Get Funky Day
Major Events This Week:
Morven Park CIC & HT: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Live Results
Woodside C.I.C. & HT: Website, Entry Status, Ride Times, Live Scores
Thoroughbred Makeover: Website, Schedule, Entries, Ride Times, Live Scoring, Marketplace, Seminars, Finale Live Stream
U.S. Weekend Preview:
Kent School Fall H.T. [Website] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
WindRidge Farm Fall H.T. [Website] [Entry Status] [Ride Times] [Live Scores]
Middle Tennessee Pony Club H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
Heritage Park H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
Willow Draw Charity H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
Spokane Sport Horse Farm H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
The Event at Skyline H.T. [Website] [Entry Status/Ride Times/Live Scores]
News From Around the Globe:
Elisa Wallace holds the top two spots on the scoreboard after day 1 of Thoroughbred Makeover eventing with her mounts Sharp Johnny and Reloaded. Show jumping coach Richard Picken is in third with Betterthanexpected. EN’s own Kate Samuels is currently 4th in Show Jumping with Turkomani, and Horse Nation editor Kristen Kovatch Bentley is provisionally 7th in Ranch Work with Jobber Bill. Much, much more to come! [Thoroughbred Makeover]
Flat tires, a last minute horse swap, missed ride times … Tom and Clare Mansmann’s first trip to the Thoroughbred Makeover didn’t go to plan. But it did reignite their passion for training young horses: “If you want to do something that might give you back a little a little shot of joy and pleasure and fun — even if you don’t feel like you’re lacking that — I would say grab a horse, send in your entry and come on to Kentucky.” [COTH: The Thoroughbred Makeover Re-Inspired Tom And Clare Mansmann To Be Horse Trainers]
Two CIC3*s are taking place this weekend, one on either coast. On the westerly edge we’ve got Woodside International, where the three-star division is small and marks a debut effort at the level for five out of six competitors — only Alexis Helffrich and London Town are the only veterans of the group. Over 330 riders will compete across the divisions, which include Introductory through Intermediate horse trials divisions including championships, and CIC1*, CIC2* and CIC3* divisions. The USEA put together a breakdown of Woodside “fast facts”; we’ll be along shortly with a Morven Park CIC3* preview. [USEA: Fast Facts — 2018 Woodside International Horse Trials]
Video: I don’t care to contemplate what would happen if I tied a 25-foot strand of balloons to my pony, took off all her tack, and went for a ride. Let’s flashback to this highlight reel from last year’s Thoroughbred Makeover Finale, an incredible testament to an amazing breed. This year’s Finale takes place on Saturday and will be live streamed here.
