Sam Savitt

Sam Savitt (1917 - 2000) was an accomplished equine artist and illustrator, as well as author. He was the official artist of the United States Equestrian Team, and illustrated more than 150 books. Among the 15 books he authored were:

• Dingle Ridge Fox and Other Stories
• Vicki and the Brown Mare
• Great Horses of the United States Equestrian Team
• Draw Horses with Sam Savitt
• Midnight, Champion Bucking Horse
• Wild Horse Running

His drawing style was spare and sketch-like - and he was a known talent for capturing the action of moving horses, especially jumping horses, with an economy of strokes. He painted and drew horses in a variety of media including oil, watercolor, ink and charcoal.

He painted numerous portraits, and worked for many commercial accounts. His widely sold "Sam Savitt's Guide to Horses" is in the collection of the Smithsonian Museum. This was the first of his series of information charts about horses. He was commissioned to do the official poster for the 1991 Kentucky Derby. In 1998, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American Horseman's Association, the only artist ever to be so honored. "The Chronicle of the Horse," a publication [1] dedicated to the entire sport horse industry since 1937, published Sam Savitt artwork on its magazine cover 30 times -- the most of any artist. His first major recognition came in 1958 when his book "Midnight, Champion Bucking Horse" won the Boys' Club of America junior book award.

The son of a salesman, Mr. Savitt grew up in Wilkes-Barre, Penna., and graduated from Pratt Institute [2] in Brooklyn in 1941. During World War II, he served in the Asia-Pacific theater and rose to the rank of first lieutenant. In 1950, he attended the Art Students League of New York [3] and, in 1951, studied sculpture at the New School. In later years, he frequently conducted workshops on drawing and painting horses.

From 1956 until his death, he lived on One-Horse Farm in North Salem, New York. An accomplished rider, he participated in local horse shows and rode as a member of the Goldens Bridge Hounds [4].He was survived by his wife Bette; daughter, Vicki of Berkeley, Calif.; and son, Roger of Bedford, N.Y.

See http://www.samsavitt.com for more.