Return to Freedom Mourns the Loss of Supermodel and wild horse advocate Tatjana Patitz

News provided by

Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation

Jan 13, 2023, 16:01 ET

LOMPOC, Calif., Jan. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Supermodel and wild horse advocate Tatjana Patitz passed away from breast cancer on Jan. 10 in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Patitz became involved with Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation (RTF), a national nonprofit advocacy organization, after reading about RTF founder Neda DeMayo and her work with wild horses in People magazine in 2003. Patitz quickly became an active spokesperson for the organization and a close friend of DeMayo's.

"Tatjana did what she could to shine her light on Return to Freedom, the many hundreds of horses and burros at our sanctuary and our advocacy work to end horse slaughter and change policies so that wild horses could remain free on the range," DeMayo said.

Considered one of the original supermodels, the Germany-born, Sweden-raised Patitz entered her first modeling contest at age 17 in Stockholm. She took home third place, but famed photographer Peter Lindbergh photographed her a few years later, in 1988, and her career started to blossom. She went on to appear on magazine covers around the world.

Return to Freedom was asked to create The Tatjana Patitz Legacy Fund (https://returntofreedom.org/tatjana-patitz/) to help support wild horse conservation, educational activities, and events.

Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation (RTF) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to wild horse preservation through sanctuary, education, conservation, and advocacy since 1998. It also operates the American Wild Horse Sanctuary at three California locations, caring for more than 450 wild horses and burros. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates about wild horses and burros on the range and at our sanctuary.

SOURCE Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation