Pattie Auricchio, a U.S. Equestrian Federation steward and judge, died on Feb. 5 after a three-year battle with cancer. She was 57.
Ms. Auricchio began riding as a child when she attended St. Joseph’s Academy in Brentwood, N.Y. As a junior, she competed throughout Long Island, earning top honors in hunters, jumpers and equitation classes. Many fellow judges and horse show officials were her fiercest competition, including James and Patrick Rice, Marty and Harriet deLeyer, Nancy and Linda Thomas, Ken Johnson and Rita Timpanaro.
After graduating from C.W. Post College (N.Y.), Ms. Auricchio returned to the horse show world aboard Harry Wisenfeld’s jumpers. In addition, she showed hunters owned by Trudy and Bernie Cohen. The mentoring she received from highly regarded officials James Walsh and Penny Rosenthal Carpenter prepared her to begin to officiate in 1975.
For the past 30 years, Ms. Auricchio was a prominent official at Long Island competitions as well as major events throughout the country, including the Winter Equestrian Festival circuit (Fla.), Devon (Pa.), Capital Challenge (Md.) and Lake Placid (N.Y.).
It was always her desire to officiate at the Olympic Games, and to that end she pursued and was delighted to receive her Fédération Equestre Internationale steward’s license in 2004.
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Her motto was “Always give the exhibitors a fair shake.”
She was a champion for the animal kingdom and adopted several rescue dogs. She traveled into the wilderness to photograph wolves and spent her happiest moments caring for her horses and walking her dogs in the mountains.
She was also an accomplished downhill skier, who loved the beauty of the Rockies and had homes in Utah and Idaho during her life.
Ms. Auricchio was married to James Stagnitto from 1975 to 2004 when they were divorced.
She is survived by her father, Pat Auricchio, Oyster Bay Cove, N.Y., and a sister, Joan Young, St. Louis, Mo.
Memorial donations may be made to Defenders of Wildlife, 1130 17th St. N.W., Washington, DC 20036 or the American Cancer Society, 75 Davids Dr., Hauppauge, NY 11788.
