Eighteen-year-old John Angus (Fort Lauderdale, FL) guided W. Tonix Hero to a win in the $5,000 Horseware Ireland Welcome Stake in Tryon Stadium, stopping the jump-off timers in 34.676 seconds. Following in second was Ricardo Villa (Campobello, SC) and Joyce van den Bisschop, his own 2011 Belgian Warmblood mare of unknown breeding, with a short-course time of 35.513 seconds. Miriam McClure Adam (New Hope, PA) secured third aboard GQ, his own 2011 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Contago x Cinderella), after speeding through the second round in 36.285 seconds.
John Angus on W. Tonix Hero. Photo by Sportfot.
Angus has been partnered with W. Tonix Hero, a 2003 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Ogano Sitte x Major De La Cour) owned by Stephanie E. Angus, for over two years, and described the Nick Granat (Wellington, FL) course design as “very nice. I think for the money, everyone that was in it, and the standards, it was very nice.” One of 25 to challenge the first round, and against nine combinations in the jump-off, Angus explained that he adjusted his plan for the short course after watching Ramiro Quintana: “I was planning to do eight strides, but when I saw him do seven, I thought I could do that. Tonix loves a nice gap, so coming around to the Horseware in-and-out, I saw a nice gap and thought, ‘Alright, let’s go!’ We were even tighter back to the plank. He loves those gaps.”
Ricardo Villa on Fancy Girl. Photo by Sportfot.
“He’s such a sweet guy,” Angus shared. “We’ve had him for maybe two and a half years now. When we got him, he was sixteen. He doesn’t look that old! Before him, I rode my mom’s horse, ‘Brad.’ We didn’t click very well, but he got me to where I needed to go. A friend of ours contacted us about riding one of her horses that she couldn’t ride. He [Tonix] was kind of a runaway and too strong for her. She told me I could try him out.”
Miriam McClure Adam on GQ. Photo by Sportfot.
Angus and his mom, Stephanie, are well-known at TIEC and will continue to compete at the venue through the Tryon Fall Series, he concluded. “We are staying here for the whole Fall Series. I love that they moved a lot of the Finals here. It’s great!”
For full class results, click here. The Tryon Fall Series continues with six more weeks of Hunter/Jumper competition.