Country Life Farm

by Josh Pons Andrew MacNamara Pons, who managed his family's Country Life Farm in Maryland during the 1970s, died on Tuesday evening, Jan. 2, following complications from cardiac arrest five days earlier. He was 70 years old. Born in Baltimore on May 31, 1953, he was the oldest son of Joseph and Mary Jo Pons. He grew up working with horses at Country Life, the oldest Thoroughbred farm in the state, established in 1933 by Pons' grandfather, Adolphe. Fresh out of high school, Pons began work as an assistant for...

The Maryland Horse Breeders Association and the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association will host a Tesio Talk and continental breakfast in the International Room at Laurel Park on Federico Tesio S. day, Apr. 15. The "Talking Tesio" event begins at 10:30 a.m. and will feature a continental breakfast followed by a panel discussion with industry leaders about Tesio's influence on the breed. Speakers include Country Life Farm's Josh Pons, J. William Boniface, the owner of Bonita Farm, and Ned Moore, owner of Corner Farm in Clark County, Virginia, bloodstock agent, and...

WinStar Farm's GISW and first-year sire Global Campaign (Curlin--Globe Trot, by A.P. Indy) was represented by his first reported foal when a filly was born at Maryland's Country Life Farm Friday night, Jan. 14. The filly is the second foal out of Miss Mystique (Teuflesberg)--a multiple stakes-placed winner who earned $258,283--and was bred by Country Life. "We were excited to breed to him and we couldn't be happier with this filly," said Christy Holden, Country Life's general manager. "Being a Maryland-bred will give her lots of opportunities to earn bonuses...

Congratulations to Christy Holden, a finalist in the Leadership Award in Breeding category of the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (TIEA), presented by Godolphin. Holden has been the general manager of Maryland's Country Life Farm, including its Merryland division, since 2015 after first working at Country Life 30 years prior as a teenager. She eventually returned to Country Life in 2004, beginning in the office and working her way up to broodmare manager and finally general manager. Holden, who has also served on the board of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association...

Officials at the Maryland Jockey Club announced the cancellation of Friday's scheduled live racing program at Laurel Park and will pause racing indefinitely following an executive order from the office of Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. "In accordance with the Maryland Governor's Executive Orders and as part of the continuing effort to protect the health and safety of essential personnel and the horses they care for, the Maryland Jockey Club will temporarily pause live racing at Laurel Park and Rosecroft Raceway," read a statement. "Our top priority is the well-being of...

Country Life Farm in Fallston, Maryland, is hosting an open house Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a heated tent, featuring crab soup, and stallions will be shown in the breeding shed. Among the stallions on display will be Mosler, Divining Rod, Friesan Fire and Super Ninety-Nine.