Life Member of the Month – November – Anthony Joannides

The Racehorse Owners Association is proud to feature Anthony Joannides as our Life Member of the Month for November. A friendly and familiar face at the races and the sales, and a passionate owner, we honor Anthony for his dedicated support to the ROA for 25 years.

Anthony’s journey into horseracing is one of passion and perseverance. Though not born into the sport, he was always involved in the industry in some form from a young age. Growing up in Johannesburg, his father owned a corner café adjacent to the Lerena family’s hardware store. Inevitably, they would take him to the stable yard, and he would lend a hand where possible. Anthony even learnt to ride horses from one of the jockeys and although he was always fond of the majestic thoroughbred, this grounding experience at a young age cemented his deep love for horses. He also recalls encounters with legendary trainers growing up.

As a registered owner and breeder, Anthony has many notable racing memories, but he mentions that there is no better feeling than breeding your own horse, watching it race, be successful on the track and then sharing those moments with family and friends. His past trainers include Alec Laird, the Alexander Brothers and Mike Azzie on the Highveld, Gavin Smith in the Eastern Cape, Mike Robinson in the Western Cape and Duncan Howells in KwaZulu-Natal. He currently has horses conditioned by Johan Janse van Vuuren and has shares in several unraced two-year-olds; the anticipation of their debut fills him with great excitement. Among the many horses he was fond of and has supported in the early 2000’s, a grey son of Fard (IRE) named Manje Manje holds a special place in his family’s heart. A lot of Anthony’s racing success, he attributes to his dear friends and racing partners, Lawrence Wernars and Harry Haralambous.

Anthony’s wife Julie and their two sons, Nicholas and Costandino(Dino), know and share his passion and while the boys are of an age where they find girls more interesting, they attend a race meeting when they are available. Dino is currently studying Architecture abroad.

Professionally, Anthony has built an illustrious career as the head of sales and acquisitions in the property industry. Starting in the late 1980s, he climbed the ranks through sheer hard work, and throughout his career he has successfully concluded sales and lease agreements with an impressive accumulative value in the billions. With a demanding career, Anthony says that entertainment on the weekends is paramount, he enjoys good sporting events and said to Julie “I don’t play golf, I go racing”, he also says that as with any other male, he supports soccer, rugby, and cricket and for relaxation after hours he enjoys a good movie.
We wish Anthony, his family and friends a wonderful remainder of the season and all the success in the sport they all love!