Cash Asmussen

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Cash Asmussen (born March 15, 1962, in Agar, South Dakota) is an American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. Born Brian Keith Asmussen, in 1977 he legally changed his name to "Cash". From a Texas horse racing family, his parents, Keith and Marilyn "Sis" Asmussen, operate a ranch in Laredo, Texas. His brother Steve is a successful horse trainer, whose Curlin was the 2007 U.S. Horse of the Year after winning that year's Preakness and Breeders' Cup Classic, and also won the 2008 Dubai World Cup.

Asmussen scored his first important graded stakes race win at the Beldame Stakes in 1979 and went on to win that year's Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey. In 1981 he won the Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont Park and traveled to Japan where he won the Japan Cup. The following year he won the Washington, D.C., International and his first of two Turf Classic Invitational Stakes then gained his most success as a jockey racing in France where he went to ride under contract for the wealthy stable owner, Stavros Niarchos.

While based in Chantilly, France, Cash Asmussen also scored victories in a number of important stakes races in England including the 1988 July Cup, 1989 Coronation Stakes, 1990 Coronation Cup, and the 1993 St. James's Palace Stakes. Racing in Ireland he won the 1987 Irish St. Leger and the 1988 National Stakes. Asmussen also returned to compete in the U.S. for various major races and won his second "Washington, D.C., International" in 1984 plus the 1988 and 1992 Arlington Million in Chicago. Internationally he also won the 1993 Canadian International Stakes and the 1994 Hong Kong Cup.

The only foreign rider to ever win the French riding title, between 1985 and 1990 Cash Asmussen was the country's Champion jockey every year except for 1987 when he competed in Ireland. In 1991, he rode Suave Dancer to victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, France's most prestigious race. In 1998, riding Dream Well Cash completed the double, by winning both the Irish and French Derby. During his career in France he won numerous other Group 1 races.

Cash Asmussen retired from riding in 2001. Over the course of his career, he rode more than 3,000 winners races. He resides in Laredo with his wife, Cheryl Lynn Asmussen and their three daughters.