Storm Of Angels seems to know when the stakes are high.

“It’s uncanny how he rises to occasion for big classes,” said owner Nancy Crosswell. And in the $100,000 Queen City Hunter Classic, held during the Queen City Classic horse show, “Storm” took the top check with Hunt Tosh in the irons.

The Queen City Classic took place April 6-10 at the brand-new Cabarrus Arena, on the other side of Charlotte, N.C., from the Charlotte Jumper Classic.

Tosh also grabbed second on Cortie Wetherill’s Take Away. In fact, he was winning the class on Take Away after the first round, with a score of 95.25 from the panel of four judges. Storm stood third with 89.75. But in the second round, Storm strutted his stuff as only he can, jumping to a 95.25 score and the victory.

“He’s a fun horse, and when it’s time for a big class, he’s one of those who steps up,” said Tosh. “It’s a blast. He’s one you can really try to win a class on. You can gallop and ask him to do impressive things.”

Storm, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood (La Dalco–Hivette, Grosso), is a veteran of the hunter ring. Crosswell bought him eight years ago, when he had just made the transition from the jumpers to the hunters. Liza Towell had shown him in the second year green division a few times, and her father, trainer Jack Towell, thought Storm might be a good horse for Crosswell.

“He reminded me of my Arc d’Triomphe, who had been really successful with Danny Robertshaw,” said Croswell. Storm took up residence at Croswell’s farm in Atlanta, Ga., and embarked on a successful hunter career. Liza and Hardin Towell showed him in the junior hunters, and in 2001, Tosh took over the reins in the regular working division.

“I did show him briefly in the amateur division, but I had gotten a little unfit, and I didn’t like the rides I was giving him,” said Crosswell. “I thought it would be real fun to see him do the four-foot. I asked Hunt to come and school him, and it was an immediate match.”

Tosh and Storm don’t show much–perhaps 10 times a year–but they win quite a bit. Tosh credits Crosswell and Jack Towell with much of the work. “It’s truly a team effort between the three of us,” he said. And Croswell added that Patty Voghell, who cares for Storm at home and on the road, play a large role as well.

Crosswell rides Storm at home, and he has sessions with a local dressage trainer three days a week. “He lives a plush life,” she said. In fact, after claiming the regular working hunter championship at the Queen City Classic on Thursday, Storm shipped home to Atlanta for some turnout before returning to win the classic on Sunday.

While Storm is a veteran he knows well, Tosh had to do some quick adjusting to Take Away. Havens Schatt had ridden Take Away to the regular working hunter circuit championship at the Winter Equestrian Festival (Fla.), but she couldn’t make it to Charlotte to show him. And trainer Jeff Wirthman was judging in California.

Tosh got acquainted with Take Away quickly, showing him on Thursday and then in the Classic.