Lexington, Ky.—Jan. 13  

The U.S. Equestrian Federation Pegasus Awards should have been a celebratory night that capped off an incredible year for Phillip Dutton, as not only did he receive the William C. Steinkraus Trophy in conjunction with dressage rider Laura Graves for his individual bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Games, but he also earned the overall Equestrian of the Year accolades. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to attend, and Joanie Morris, the USEF managing director of eventing and a longtime friend of Dutton’s, accepted on his behalf.

“For a man of few words, he definitely has a significant influence across the sport of eventing,” said Morris before she went on to read a statement Dutton had prepared:

“I want to apologize for not attending this prestigious evening. 2016 has had some incredible moments for me, most obviously the Rio Olympics. That was a major highlight. Unfortunately just before Christmas our daughter Lee Lee had a serious riding accident and is in the hospital with a long recovery ahead of her. My wife Evie and I need to be with her at this time, but we are really sad to not be there with you all this evening. Winning equestrian of the year is an incredible honor for me, and one I will always cherish. Anyone who is involved with the upper level of horse sports realizes you cannot be successful without a great deal of support. This includes family, coaches, owners, friends, staff, sponsors, of course the horses, and all of these people and the horses play a huge part in any person’s success. I personally would like to express my sincere gratitude to the many people who have helped me throughout my career and the many years along the way. I’m also deeply grateful to everybody who helps all the U.S. horses and riders compete at the top level. It’s definitely cliché to say, but it certainly takes a village.”

Dutton thanked everyone from his coaches to his owners to his groom to the USEF support staff to his family.

“Lastly, when I left Australia some 25 years ago, I was trying to decide where to travel to further my eventing career,” Dutton wrote. “Someone said to me, ‘For every hour of work, you’ll receive more reward in America than anywhere else in the world,’ and I’m certainly grateful I followed this advice.”

The Pegasus Awards concluded with noted trainer, show manager and volunteer Larry Langer accepting the USEF Lifetime Achievement Award.

“You name it, and Larry has been involved as a tireless volunteer,” said HITS President Tom Struzzieri. “The sport owes him a great deal for his tireless work. Just his show management résumé is enough for Larry to earn tonight’s award. Heck, just his volunteer résumé is enough for Larry to earn this award.

“My experience with Larry has driven me to appreciate his integrity, his loyalty to anyone whom he considers part of his circle, his non-stop energy to help out the sport at from the grassroots level all the way to the Olympic Games,” continued Struzzieri. “For me most importantly, his mentoring, his guidance and friendship for the over 30 years we’ve worked together.”