United States Eventing Association

Dutton Wins USEF Equestrian of the Year Title at 2017 Pegasus Awards

Lexington, Ky. – To close out a year of milestones, Phillip Dutton (West Grove, Pa.) was awarded the Robert P. Strub Trophy as the 2016 USEF Equestrian of the Year at the USEF Pegasus Awards Dinner.

In 2016, Dutton began the year by receiving the prestigious Whitney Stone Cup from the USET Foundation. His competition season began with a win in the CIC3* with Fernhill Fugitive at the Red Hills International Horse Trials. Dutton then placed fourth and fifth in the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover CCI4* with Mighty Nice and Fernhill Cubalawn, respectively. He partnered with Fernhill Fugitive again to win Team Gold in the FEI Nations Cup™ CICO3* at the Land Rover Great Meadow International presented by Adequan®. With Mighty Nice, Dutton was a member of the U.S. Eventing Team at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where he won an Individual Bronze medal.

Dutton was unable to attend the award ceremony as he is currently in Pennsylvania with his daughter, Lee Lee Jones, who was in a riding accident in December. He released this statement on his website:

As many of you know, our daughter Lee Lee had a riding accident just before Christmas. Lee Lee was home from the University of Pennsylvania where she is studying to get her Masters in Social Work and was doing canter sets out on our exercise track on an unseasonably warm December day. The horse she was riding bucked and somehow slipped over, and they both went down. The horse got up immediately and was not hurt; however, he landed on Lee Lee. She was wearing a helmet, as she does for every ride.

Lee Lee was not alone and an ambulance was called within seconds of the fall. Once the ambulance arrived the EMT immediately called for the medivac, and she was airlifted to Christiana Care Hospital in Delaware. After undergoing surgery to relieve swelling in her brain, Lee Lee has been in the Intensive Care Unit under the watchful eyes of the incredible trauma team at Christiana Care. Lee Lee continues to make small but monumental steps forward in her recovery. It will be a long journey to a full recovery but we are encouraged by her strength, determination and will to overcome this horrible accident.

Evie and I are so grateful for all the love, support and prayers for Lee Lee from the eventing community, Upland community, her True Prospect Farm family, all of Lee Lee’s many friends from childhood, Benchmark School, Sanford School, University of Delaware and University of Pennsylvania, friends in Australia, and most of all from her large and loving family.

I will be staying in Pennsylvania this winter so that I can be with Evie, Lee Lee, Mary and Olivia. We have sent part of the True Prospect Farm crew down to Aiken to get started with the young horses, and I am so grateful to my entire team for their support. I will be going back and forth between Pennsylvania and Aiken until Lee Lee’s condition has stabilized. My competition plans are on hold for the moment, but I anticipate competing possibly in February or March.

2016 was a year of unbelievable highs and unimaginable lows. We are so grateful for everyone’s love and support and request your continued understanding for our privacy as we attend to our most precious Lee Lee.

Nine equestrians were recognized for their competitive achievements in 2016 and honored with the following trophies:

Becky Grand Hart Trophy – Stefanie Putnam

Norman K. Dunn Trophy – Ted Carson

C.J. "June" Cronan Trophy – Joel Kiesner

Barbara Worth Oakford Trophy – Lou Roper

Bill Robison Trophy – Gail Aumiller

Vaughan Smith Trophy – Cynthia Burkman

William C. Steinkraus Trophy – Phillip Dutton and Laura Graves

Emerson Burr Trophy – Hunt Tosh

Additionally, Lawrence “Larry” Langer, who has been part of the horse industry for 66 years, from starting lessons as a child to his induction into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame, was honored for his devotion to equestrian sport with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Visit USEF Network to see the video honoring Langer at the USEF Pegasus Awards Dinner.

Elizabeth “Lizzy” Traband received the Ruth O'Keefe Meredith Memorial Trophy as the 2016 Junior Equestrian of the Year for her honor, courage, dedication, and sportsmanship.

The following equestrians were also honored for their service to the sport with many of the most prestigious awards bestowed annually:

USEF/EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award - Suzy Marquard of GallopNYC

Walter B. Devereux Sportsmanship Award – Sherry Cole

Richard E. McDevitt Award of Merit – William Becker, Roger Haller, and Parry Thomas

Pegasus Medal of Honor – Fran Crumpler and Kelly Valdes

Ellen Scripps Davis Memorial Breeders Award – Mary Gaylord McClean and Spy Coast Farm

Sallie Busch Wheeler Trophy – Chrystine Tauber