Steve Cauthen
was born on the 1st of May 1960 in Kentucky. Cauthen rode his first race
in 1976 where he finished last. This losing streak didn't last long
though, and he won his first race under a week later on Red Pipe. He
very quickly became famous and was the leading race winner in 1977 with
487 victories under his belt.
He gained the nicknames 'Stevie Wonder' and 'The Six Million Dollar Man'
when he became the first ever jockey to win $6m in one season.
He was the youngest jockey in history to win the Triple Crown - he did
this in 1978 riding Affirmed. He's also the last jockey to accomplish
this feat (as of the 2008 season). He won the Eclipse Awards for both
Apprentice Jockey and Outstanding Jockey and was named ABC's Wide World
of Sports Athlete of the Year.
As he got older though, he began to struggle with making weight. He
moved over to England in 1979 where jockeys are usually able to compete
at higher weights. He was also highly successful there and won the St
Leger Stakes 3 times, the Two Thousand Guineas, Irish Oaks and Epsom
Derby twice. Steve Cauthen retired in
1993 at the age of 33 and in 1994 was inducted into the National Museum
of Racing and Hall of Fame. Cauthen was named British Champion Jockey 3
times and achieved the rare feat of winning the jockey's championship in
both the UK and the USA.
