Angel Karolyi was born with a passion for horses. He began riding at a young age, following in the footsteps of his mother, Gladymar Verswyvel, and stepfather, Jorge Verswyvel, both former international show jumping competitors who now run a small breeding operation in Monterrey, Mexico.
When he was just 20 years old, Angel made the decision to make riding a full-time career. He turned professional and earned his first grand prix victory soon after in the $25,000 Masters Grand Prix at the 2008 Aiken Spring Classic in South Carolina. At the end of his first year as a professional, Angel had more than a dozen top 10 grand prix finishes to his credit, including a close second place finish in the $100,000 President’s Cup at the Washington International Horse Show.
In 2009, Angel rode as a member of the Venezuelan Team in the Nations’ Cup in Wellington, FL, alongside his older brother, Alejandro Karolyi, who is also a grand prix competitor. At the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Angel helped Venezuela capture the Team Gold Medal. Riding James T. Kirk, Angel again represented his native Venezuela at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Angel began the 2012 season by once again representing Venezuela in Nations’ Cup team competition in Wellington, Florida, and closed it out by scoring victory aboard a new mount, Indiana 127, in the $30,000 Raleigh Grand Prix in North Carolina in November. In 2013, it was Amigo who carried him to victory in the $75,000 Upperville Jumper Classic at the prestigious Upperville Colt & Horse Show in Virginia.
In what can only be described as a ‘career year’, Angel enjoyed incredible success at Canada’s Spruce Meadows, widely considered to be one of the best show jumping venues in the world. Riding Indiana 127, Angel claimed the $210,000 Cenovus Derby, marking his biggest win to date. He was then named to the team for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France, signaling the first time that Venezuela had fielded a full team for the world championship competition. One month later, Angel again represented Venezuela, this time riding Indiana 127, at the Furusiyya FEI Nations’ Cup Final in Barcelona, Spain, to cap off an incredible 2014 season.
A dual citizen of Venezuela and the United States, Angel operates Hollow Creek Farm with business partner Andrea King in Aiken, South Carolina.
Wings
1998 chestnut Dutch Warmblood gelding by Lexicon x Columbus
Owner:
Indiana 127
2002 chestnut Dutch Warmblood gelding by Indoctro x Voltaire
Owner: Hollow Creek Farm
Amigo
2004 bay Zangersheide gelding by Coriano Z x Silvester
Owner: Hollow Creek Farm
Si Como No
2006 bay selle francais gelding by Voltaire x Olisco
Owner: Hollow Creek Farm
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