Page 131 - June_2023

Lifelong equestrian Cheryl Asmussen, 65, knows a good horse when she sees one. She also recognizes opportunity.
Alongside her three daughters—the remaining Cs in 4C—Catherine, 30, Carolyn, 27, and Christine, 25, Asmussen started the aptly named 4C Breaking and Training in Laredo, Texas, about 10 years ago when her life’s path took on an unexpectedly different direction.
While working for the famed John T.L. Jones,
≤ Marilyn Asmussen, trainer, and Keith Asmussen, jockey, after winning the 1978 Rainbow Futurity-G1 at Ruidoso Downs. © Speedhorse Archives
While based at Chantilly Racecourse, Cash scored a number of important victories in France and was champion jockey on multiple occasions. Cheryl and Cash were married for 25 years, but following a divorce in 2013, Cheryl formed 4C Breaking and Training, mainly because Cheryl and Cash’s daughters were in high school at the time and Cheryl wanted the transition to be as smooth as possible.
“I was debating what to do after the divorce,
Horses before, but I had horses for them that first year, and 4C has kind of evolved from there. It was started mostly for the girls. I didn’t want them to be pulled out of their high school. I thought that would have been the wrong thing to do.
“When I worked for Johnny Jones, I ran his training center in Texas,” Cheryl continued. “I worked for Johnny for about 11 years, and he is the reason I met Cash. Johnny sent his daughter and me to France to see how they trained horses there, so we worked with (trainer) Alec Head. We observed how they trained there, and all of that, and that is where and how I met Cash.”
4C Breaking and Training operates out of Keith Asmussen’s training center, where Cheryl also lends a hand getting on horses
regarded as one of the Thoroughbred industry’s most influential figures and founder of Walmac Farm in Kentucky, Cheryl met jockey Cash Asmussen on a sojourn to France. Cash hails from
a Texas horse racing family—his parents are Keith and Marilyn “Sis” Asmussen, and his brother is Hall of Fame Thoroughbred trainer Steve Asmussen.
and with the kids in high school, I didn’t want
to go anywhere else,” Cheryl Asmussen shared. “Javier Garza asked me if I would break some horses for him. Since I had done that, even before I was married in the Thoroughbred business, it made sense. So, I decided to break babies for the Quarter Horse industry. I had never broke Quarter
in the mornings. “Keith has run this place forever,” Cheryl said, “and I also help him in the mornings. He is an amazing man and an amazing horseman. He is very much into the mental development of the horse. So, when you break them, you see how they think, and what they need mentally.
Left to right: Carolyn, Cheryl, Catherine, and Christine. © Myriam Maynard, Speedhorse
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