Country Life Farm

Mosler Wins Laurel Dash, to Stand in Maryland

• By Blood-Horse Staff
• September 10, 2016
• Thoroughbred Racing, Thoroughbred Breeding, Northeast Region, Mid-Atlantic Region

Will retire to Country Life Farm Nov. 30.

Colt First Winner for MD Sire Friesan Fire

• By Myra Lewyn
• July 12, 2015
• Thoroughbred Racing, Thoroughbred Breeding, Mid-Atlantic Region

Morning Fire won the second race at Parx Racing July 12 and became the first winner for multiple graded stakes winner and Maryland-based stallion Friesan Fire.

McCarron Named New Trainer at Merryland Farm

• By Blood-Horse Staff
• February 26, 2015
• Mid-Atlantic Region

Two-time champion steeplechase jockey Matt McCarron has been named the new trainer at the Pons family's Merryland Farm in Hydes, Md.

First Reported Foals for Freedom Child

• By Blood-Horse Staff
• February 11, 2015
• Thoroughbred Breeding, Mid-Atlantic Region

Maryland stallion Freedom Child was represented by his first two reported foals Feb. 6-7 at Country Life Farm near Bel Air, Md.

Northeast/Mid-Atlantic: Bay State Comes Back

• January 27, 2015
• Northeast Region, Mid-Atlantic Region

Maryland-Bred Fund sparks resurgence. Download Now

Malibu Moon's Stud Fee Unchanged in 2015

• By Blood-Horse Staff
• October 17, 2014
• Thoroughbred Breeding, Northeast Region, Southeast Region, Kentucky, Mid-Atlantic Region

B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift Farm near Lexington announced that Malibu Moon, currently 14th on the North American General Sire list, will stand for $95,000 live foal in 2015, the same fee he commanded this year.

Cigar: The Early Days

• By Steve Haskin
• October 9, 2014

When he eventually was sent to Allen Paulson's Brookside Farm as a baby, the son of Palace Music acquired a reputation for being feisty and mischievous. read blog

Racing Hall of Famer Cigar Dead at 24

• By Frank Angst
• October 8, 2014
• Breeders' Cup, Northeast Region, Kentucky

Racing Hall of Fame member Cigar, whose 16-race win streak from 1994-96 included victories in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) and Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), died at age 24 Oct. 7 at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital.

Super Ninety Nine to Country Life for 2015

• By Blood-Horse Staff
• September 14, 2014
• Thoroughbred Racing, Thoroughbred Breeding, Kentucky, Mid-Atlantic Region

Graded stakes winner Super Ninety Nine has been retired from racing and will stand in 2015 at Josh and Mike Pons' Country Life Farm near Bel Air, Md., as the property of Spendthrift Farm and Country Life.

Stonestreet Buys Ask the Moon for $1.8M

• By Frank Angst
• November 6, 2013
• Thoroughbred Sales, Kentucky

Stonestreet Farm tweeted that they were "over the moon," after landing grade I winner Ask the Moon for $1.8 million at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale Nov. 6 in Lexington.

Cal Nation to Stand at Merryland Farm

• By Blood-Horse Staff
• October 4, 2012
• Thoroughbred Breeding, Northeast Region, Kentucky

Kentucky's WinStar Farm and Maryland's Country Life Farm (owned by Josh and Mike Pons) have reached a co-ownership agreement to stand WinStar's homebred colt Cal Nation at the Pons' Merryland Farm near Hydes, Md., in 2013.

Friesan Fire to Merryland in Maryland

• By Blood-Horse Staff
• October 21, 2011
• Thoroughbred Breeding, Northeast Region

Friesan Fire, winner of the 2009 Louisiana Derby (gr. II) and the favorite in that year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), has been retired from racing and will stand at Merryland in Maryland.

Ask the Moon Weaves Way to Personal Ensign

• By Jack Shinar
• September 3, 2011
• Thoroughbred Racing, Breeders' Cup, Northeast Region

While racing erratically through the lane, front-running Ask the Moon captured the Personal Ensign Invitational Stakes Sept. 3 for her second grade I stakes win in a row at Saratoga this summer.

Ask the Moon Surprises Ruffian Stars

• By Jack Shinar
• July 31, 2011
• Thoroughbred Racing, Breeders' Cup, Northeast Region

Ask the Moon, claimed for $75,000 last month, took the lead and never looked back while widening her advantage through the Saratoga stretch to produce an 18-1 shocker in the $250,000 Ruffian Invitational (gr. I) July 31.

NJ Stallion Unbridled Jet Dies

• By Blood-Horse Staff
• July 11, 2011
• Thoroughbred Breeding, Northeast Region

Popular New Jersey stallion Unbridled Jet died July 7 when he was struck by lightning at Kurt Sleeter's Sleeter Farm near Clementon, N.J.

Maryland Stallion Citidancer Euthanized

• By Blood-Horse Staff
• August 17, 2010
• Thoroughbred Breeding, Northeast Region

Pensioned Maryland sire Citidancer, sire of 29 stakes winners, including grade I winners Urbane and Hookedonthefeelin, succumbed to laminitis Aug. 11 at the age of 23.

Pons Joins TCA Board

• By Blood-Horse Staff
• January 20, 2010

Thoroughbred Charities of America announced Jan. 20 the appointment of Josh Pons to its board of directors. Pons will serve a three-year term as a new member.

Gross Increases During Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale's First Session

• By Deirdre B. Biles
• December 5, 2005
• Thoroughbred Sales

The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December mixed sale opened Sunday in Maryland with a gross that exceeded last year's first session total, but the average and median prices both suffered setbacks.

Maryland Stallion Citidancer Pensioned

• October 25, 2005
• Thoroughbred Breeding

Citidancer, one of Maryland's leading sires for years, has been pensioned at the Pons family's Country Life Farm near Bel Air, Md., because of declining fertility.

Life of Joseph Pons Remembered at Memorial

• By Ray Paulick
• October 18, 2005

Joseph Pons Sr. touched a lot of people in his life, from breeders and racetrackers to prisoners he helped rehabilitate at a nearby detention center. Hundreds of those people turned out Monday at the Pons family's Country Life Farm north of Baltimore to celebrate the life of the beloved Marylander who died last Wednesday at the age of 83.

Maryland Horseman Joseph P. Pons Sr. Dead

• October 13, 2005

Joseph P. Pons Sr., patriarch of Country Life Farm near Bel Air, Md., died Oct. 12 of a heart attack at his home at the farm.

Oratory to Stand at Country Life in Maryland

• September 1, 2005
• Thoroughbred Breeding

Oratory, winner of this year's Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) in stakes-record time in the silks of Sheikh Mohammed's Darley Stable, arrived at the Pons family's Country Life Farm near Bel Air, Md., Aug. 30 to take up stud duties for 2006.

Maryland Stallion Carnivalay Pensioned

• December 17, 2003
• Thoroughbred Breeding

Carnivalay, one of Maryland's top stallions since entering the stallion ranks at the Pons family's Country Life Farm near Bel Air, Md., and one of the last of the Northern Dancers at stud, has been pensioned because of decreased fertility.

Country Life Adds Parker's Storm Cat

• By Evan Hammonds
• November 14, 2003
• Thoroughbred Breeding

Filling the void left when his half-brother Malibu Moon was recently moved to Castleton Lyons Farm near Lexington, Parker's Storm Cat will enter stud in 2004 at the Pons family's Country Life Farm near Bel Air, Md. The son of Storm Cat's fee will be $3,000.

Malibu Moon Relocated to Castleton Lyons in Kentucky

• September 9, 2003
• Thoroughbred Breeding

Malibu Moon, sixth on the first-crop sire list, has been moved to Dr. Tony Ryan's Castleton Lyons Farm near Lexington

Maryland Stallion Allen's Prospect Euthanized

• September 5, 2003
• Thoroughbred Breeding

Allen's Prospect, sire of 57 stakes winners and a hallmark of consistency, was euthanized Wednesday, Sept. 3, at age 21 following surgery at New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania for removal of a tumor under his jaw.

New! Farm Life Goes Interactive in New Year

• December 28, 2001
• Thoroughbred Breeding

Starting Tuesday, Jan. 1, bloodhorse.com will publish daily installments of the award-winning "Country Life Diary."

Country Life Farm Expands

• August 24, 2001
• Thoroughbred Breeding

The Pons' family's Country Life Farm of Bel Air, Md. announced Friday the acquistion of Merryland Farm, a 159-acre horse farm located in the Long Green Valley of Maryland.