Ronald “Tex” Cauthen, a member of the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame and the father of three sons who are prominent in the Thoroughbred industry, died on Monday at his home in Walton, Kentucky.
A Texas native, Cauthen, 77, was a blacksmith on the Kentucky and Ohio circuits while he and his wife, Myra, raised their sons, Steve, Doug, and Kerry. Myra Cauthen was a trainer.
At age 17, Steve Cauthen led the nation in wins by a jockey and garnered three Eclipse Awards for the 1977 season. A year later, Cauthen became the youngest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby (G1) in guiding Affirmed to a sweep of the Triple Crown.
Cauthen later became the only jockey to win the Kentucky, Epsom, Irish, French, and Italian Derbys. He was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1994.
Doug Cauthen serves as president of WinStar Farm, the Versailles, Kentucky, operation that stands Tiznow and annually ranks among the leading owners and breeders in the nation.
Kerry Cauthen is the managing partner of Four Star Sales, a Lexington-based firm that finished among the top 15 consignors of yearlings in 2008.
A memorial mass service will be held at 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday at All Saints Church, 62 Needmore Street, in Walton, Kentucky. Services will be handled by Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home of Walton. There will be no visitation.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundatin, 383 Main Avenue, 5th Floor, Norwalk, CT 06851 or online at www.multiplemyeloma.org.
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