Josh Pons’ ‘Letters from Country Life’ wins the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award 2024

Well-known racing journalist and rider Josh Pons has been named the 19th^e recipient of the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, presented by Castleton Lyons of the Ryan family, for excellence in thoroughbred racing literature published in 2024. He received the winner’s check for $10,000 at a reception on November 6 at the farm in Lexington, Kentucky. The ceremony took place in an attic above the historic stallion stable where 19 stallions once lived^e century champions Domino and Commando.

Pons won for “Letters from Country Life: Adolphe Pons, Man o’ War, and the Establishment of Maryland’s Oldest Thoroughbred Farm,” a look back at the Golden Age of racing, as seen through a remarkable amount of correspondence with his grandfather, Adolphe Pons. Early 20s^e century, the senior Pons had served as private secretary to Racing Hall of Fame breeder August Belmont, a role in which he played an integral part in the breeding and eventual sale of Man o’ War.

During the Great Depression, Pons boldly struck out on his own, moving from New York to Maryland, where he acquired the 100 acres that would become Country Life Farm. Today it is owned and operated by his grandsons, Josh and Mike.

Josh Pons left home in the 1970s to pursue a career in journalism, which ultimately earned the third-generation rider two Eclipse Awards. He returned in 1982 and continued writing as history was made on the family farm. Eight years later, future Hall of Famer Cigar saw his first light of day at Country Life.

Ten years ago, Josh came across a large stash of letters to his grandfather in the basement of the century-old farmhouse, many written by titans of the Turf. It quickly became clear to him what he had to do. His resulting work was ‘Letters from Country Life’, a fascinating glimpse through the veil of history. By compiling and expanding what he learned from this extraordinary correspondence, Josh brought the thoroughbred world – from past to present – ​​to brilliant life.

Two other finalists were honored at the ceremony in Castleton Lyons, Arthur B. Hancock III for his autobiography, “Dark Horses: A Memoir of Redemption,” and John Perrotta, for his international mystery thriller, “A beggar’s ride.” All three authors have extensive backgrounds in the thoroughbred racing and breeding industry, in addition to honing their creative talents in literature, poetry, songwriting and screenwriting.

Head judge Kay Coyte noted that “Josh Pons had already established his writing talents, but ‘Letters from Country Life’ is another level of literary achievement. In it, you’ll discover historical gems, just like Josh, and join him in worrying about the future of racing in Maryland and his beloved ranch.”

Judge Caton Bredar described Pons as “as much a poet as a horseman, able to bring the past vividly and lyrically to life with his deeply personal retelling of his family’s history.”

The dr. Tony Ryan Book Award was established in 2006 with a $10,000 winner’s check, equal at the time to the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. The late philanthropist and founder of Ryan Airlines loved a good book and was equally passionate about horse racing. Observing that racing works in a book like Laura Hillenbrand’s 2001 bestseller “Sea cookie: an American legend”had failed to gain industry recognition, and he worked with Thoroughbred Times editor Mark Simon to remedy that by creating the lucrative prize. Since Dr. Ryan’s passing in 2007, the competition has been continued by his son Shane.

This year’s judges included Coyte, Eclipse Award winner and former editor at the Washington Post; Bredar, award-winning television channel now reporting for FanDuel TV; and Kim Wickens, winner of the Dr. Last year’s Tony Ryan Book Award, for her national bestseller: “Lexington.”