Letter to the Editor: Stu Story #2

[Wandering Eyes]

Editor's note: Stuart Angus, a Senior Thoroughbred Advisor for Taylor Made, passed away Aug. 28 at the age of 60. His friends are encouraging those he touched to submit `Stu stories' to the TDN.

How can Stuart Angus possibly be the man behind so many?

I have no doubt you're going to learn that with the flood of Stu Stories to be shared. A tribute fitting of his profound impact.

He knew when to listen, when to advise, and when to let you brave the world on your own…always knowing he was there if you needed him. Stuart didn't just teach you the skills to excel in the industry; he taught you about life. Which makes perfect sense, since he lived larger than life itself.

An educated farrier. Knowledgeable in forestry. Once-upon-a-time farm manager. Account manager and Thoroughbred advisor. Esteemed colleague. Mentor. Friend. Family. Son. Father.

Accomplished in everything he did.

But he would never speak of himself. Ask him, and he'd tell you how proud he was of Drew. Or how Alexa could bake better than anything you'd ever tasted. He'd tell you about the incredible foster children their family welcomed, and how much of a gift that was. Or he'd light up telling you something special a friend (of which he had too many to count) had done. Maybe he'd pass along a lesson from his mother, Carol. That's just a small slice of the things that could bring that big, unforgettable smile to his face. A smile we'll all remember, especially when it came with that deep belly laugh he gave after sharing one of the many jokes he had up his sleeve.

Stuart was a consummate horseman, from his Jersey roots to a farm in Kentucky. He worked incredibly hard every single day to accomplish all he did. His one focus was always to raise good horses alongside good people–something he achieved tenfold.

His perseverance in the face of obstacles, including his illness, was something to be admired. Stuart is a Grade One winner and should always be remembered and honored as such.

If all of us who knew him choose to live a little more like him each day, we'll not only appreciate life more, but we'll leave the industry better off.

I'll follow suit to Hunter Houlihan's “offset knee,” but my story is a little different.

Stuart and I had been visiting his client farms all morning one spring day, and–as we typically did–we stopped in for lunch. On this particular day, it was at J. Alexander's.

We were recapping all the horses we'd seen, the tasks ahead to best position everyone for the sales, and which horse he might be able to find to sell that week (the man never stopped working, because it wasn't work after all it was just his way of living.)

The waiter came by and went to remove Stu's plate. He waved him off and said, “Please leave it here.”

I was puzzled; he was clearly done.

That's when he shared a piece of wisdom that went far deeper than the sentiment itself.

Stu told me how Mrs. Payson and his mother, Carol, had taught him that you never clear a plate from a table when not everyone is done, because why would you ever want to rush a good thing, or make someone feel their time wasn't as valuable as yours?

When sharing a table with someone, you should savor every moment. Let your laugh be a little louder, lose your voice from sharing stories, drink the good bourbon, and cheers to being a part of such a beautiful life.

So, my plan is to savor all the moments I got with Stu. Although they'll never feel like enough, they were monumental to me.

To contribute your own `Stu story,' email suefinley@thetdn.com.

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