2017 Stallion of Distinction: Salute the Truth, continued...
him and couldn’t even lead him around the indoor without him rearing at the end of the shank,” he remembered. Steuart sought advice from jockey turned trainer Hugh McMahon, who helped him teach Willie ground manners to keep everyone involved safe. “Even then it was clear that horse was king of the farm.” After a winter of rehab, Willie, renamed Sa- lute the Truth by Steuart, was entered in his fi rst horse trials, Beginner Novice at Marlbor- ough. At the same time his eventing career was getting started, Steuart was learning the ins and outs of running a breeding barn. “I took him to classes at Equine Reproductive Concepts in Virginia,” Steuart explained. T ere he learned how to collect and package semen for shipping. T e plan was to be able to do everything in-
volved with breeding sport horses at home. Eventing at the Top
Steuart and Salute the Truth quickly moved up the ranks from local starter events to na- tional U.S. Eventing Association recognized
horse trials. In 2001, when Willie was just six years old, he was entered in his fi rst three-day event, placing 13th in the one-star at Midsouth T ree-day Event and Team Challenge Horse Trials. T is was still in the day of long-format eventing, and the big chestnut stallion was foot perfect on endurance day with no time or jump faults on steeplechase or cross-country. In fact, Willie’s cross-country record is nearly spotless, having only had cross-country troubles in 13 of 66 starts, according to his USEA records. T e following year, Steuart and Willie moved up to Intermediate with their eyes set on two- stars, but withdrew at both Radnor and Jersey Fresh. “He was not too competitive at the up- per levels and I was not too competitive either,” Steuart said. He could be tense on the fl at and lazy over show jumps but he was rock solid on cross-country.
At that point in Willie’s eventing career,
Steuart was riding with Jimmy Woff ord and Bruce Davidson, Sr., and wondered if he should
Fond Farewell to Saluter
Two prominent horses by Salutely died this summer when champion steeplechaser and half brother to Salute the Truth, Saluter, passed away. While Salute the Truth jumped around the top levels of eventing, Saluter, out of Curvie, made his mark on the steeplechase world as Maryland-trainer Jack Fisher’s winningest horse. Bred by Rose M. Estes in Virginia and owned by Mrs.
Henry F. Stern, Saluter won six Virginia Gold Cups in a row from 1994 through 1999. He also won the Middleburg Hunt Cup twice (1995 and 1998) and fi nished third in the 1999 Marlborough Cup at Barbury Castle in England. Saluter was named Timber Champion in 1994, 1995 and 1998 and earned $434,989 in his 44-race career with 22 wins, seven places and three shows. Saluter is pictured here on his way to winning his sixth and fi nal Virginia Gold Cup in 1999 with Fisher in the irons.
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Salute the Truth with owner Steuart Pittman on the cross-country course at the Fair Hill International CCI3* in Elkton
hand the reins over to Bruce or his son Buck. “Bruce was riding him on the fl at one day down in Florida and just said how he wished he had him as a fi ve year old. Jimmy got on him once too and told me he had to get off before he tried to buy him from me.” Steuart was not selling, but Bruce did breed several mares to Willie with at least six foals on the ground. Willie tended to be a tense horse at competitions but Steuart kept the ride for himself, as at this point, “he was my horse. We had this relation-
continued...
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