Spotlight: John Pyott

John Pyott races a modest stable of horses, many of which are homebreds. He has been involved in harness racing for over 50 years. “I started out when my dad decided to move us out of the suburbs of Philadelphia in the early ‘70s.” His father, a former marine then carpenter, took a leap and bought a farm to foster his passion for harness racing. “After school I would help him with the horses and I have done it ever since. It’s been a lifelong thing.”

John quickly took to the game of harness racing. “I remember the first time I read ‘The Care of the Trotter and Pacer’. I appreciated a lot of the insights in that book and it allowed me to get my trainer’s license at the early age of 15 or 16.” Since then, John has made over one million dollars in earnings as a trainer and over one-hundred thousand as a driver.

He also attended Delaware Valley College (now University) and earned a bachelor’s of science in animal husbandry. This was just as the college was beginning its equine program, which has grown into a huge aspect of the school. Pyott’s professors appreciated his insights on the Standardbred horse as they did not have much knowledge of them at the time. The curriculum has since evolved to include Standardbred broodmares in the school’s breeding program.

John became partners with his father in their family construction company but the family always stayed involved in harness racing as it was a love that they shared.

“The first year I went to Freehold was about 1976 which is 48 years ago. That was the first time I went there as a groom.” When asked about his fondest memory at Freehold Raceway, he laughed and said, “I have a lot of those. A lot of funny memories too. The most interesting was when Herve flew out in a helicopter on the infield in between races.”

He also remembered one of his proudest wins as a trainer at Freehold. “I had claimed a horse, Nippy W Hanover. I brought her home. The girl that was taking care of her said she had sore front feet. I took her home and I shod her all the way around. The next week she went out and she won. She dropped 3 seconds off her time after I personally shod her. It was a very proud moment for me.”

Pyott enjoys helping younger horses reach their full potential. “My father would always say, ‘This horse is gonna be a good horse one day once we figure them out.’ I used to think he was absolutely insane, but then over time he would prove me wrong.”

Not only does John enjoy guiding young horses to success, but young horsemen as well. “My wife and I just celebrated our 29th anniversary this week. We both really wanted kids but unfortunately it didn’t work out. So my animals are like my kids. I view the younger people in the business like my step kids and if I can help them, I will. I try to nurture them and point them in the right direction because I don’t have my own kids to pass on my knowledge to.”

In flipping through a Freehold program, one would notice that John often lists novice drivers on his horses. He recalled the people who helped him when he was starting out, “We were located in South Jersey, so we were kinda away from people so it was tough to get a whole lot of help myself so I appreciated any bit of help that I got. I remember talking to the trainers and drivers. I grew up with Cat Manzi. I talked to Herve on many occasions. I always appreciated them sharing any knowledge they had, because when you are starting out in a business that you really don’t know that much about, every little bit helps.”

John explained that though the horsemen are in competition with each other, it is still important to be friendly and helpful. “I’m a very competitive person; everyone in this business is extremely competitive. I always felt that it was important to be not only competitive, but also friendly. I remember as a kid, if a horse went down, everyone would run to help.” Pyott also takes a lot of pride when he is able to help a horse in need, “I love the animal, more than just the sport.” This friendly yet still competitive atmosphere is something that Pyott tries to foster among the young horsemen.

“I always try to pass on some wisdom. I don’t know how much I have, but if I can answer any questions or give anyone an opportunity, I am always willing to do that.  We gotta be in this together or we won’t have anything at all.”

Everyone in the harness racing industry has fond memories and appreciation of the people who helped get them started and there is no doubt that John Pyott is that person for many young people in the industry.  Whether it is helping new drivers get enough qualifying drives to earn their P-license, listing a novice driver before others with more experience in a race, or simply sharing some of his wisdom- John Pyott understands the magnitude of a helping hand.

by Katie Eick, for Freehold Raceway