Charles Hussey: The Jamaican jockey who conquered the American racing scene

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Jockey Oneil Mullings (right), winner of the Charles Hussey Trophy, getting guidance from the man of the hour himself, Charles Hussey, on July 5, 2021.

In an illustrious career spanning decades, Charles Hussey established himself as one of Jamaica’s greatest jockeys, with an impressive 1,239 wins at Caymanas Park, including four coveted jockeys’ championship titles and many Classic winners.

However, Hussey’s impact extended far beyond the borders of his home track, earning him international recognition and acclaim.

Hussey reflected on his time spent riding in America, where he rode well over 600 winners, honing his craft and becoming one of the most sought-after jockeys on the circuit. Hussey’s best season abroad came in 1979, when he rode an impressive 108 winners, a testament to his skill, dedication, and hard work.

“I went to Florida [in 1978], I couldn’t get a ride, could only exercise horses, and a little man said to me that I should go North, and I said, well, I’m afraid of the cold, I can’t ride in the cold,” Hussey recalled.

“He then said, well, go to Tampa Bay Downs, and although it was still cool, I went. It was like an hour flight from [where I was] to Tampa. I went to the racetrack, and a man told me to go to Ohayneo Reyes, he is a Jamaican trainer. I went to Mr Reyes, and he told me to get my things and come, because he has some rides for me,” Hussey further said.

Hussey’s big break came when he rode three horses for Reyes, despite not having exercised them on the Tampa racetrack before.

“So I jumped up on the plane, reached back home, got my boots, and went to the track, got my clearance, which I had from Jamaica,” Hussey said.

“Reyes had put me on three horses that time, I didn’t even exercise horses on the racetrack in Tampa down as yet. The first ride I got [finished down the track]; the second ride I finished second; and the third I won in a blanket finish. That was the start, as everybody [then] wanted me to ride their horses,” he noted.

Hussey’s association with Reyes proved to be a turning point in his career, as he went on to ride many winners for the trainer. That year Hussey rode 58 winners from 518 mounts.

Within a year, Hussey had picked up a big barn, Marvin Moncrieff, who had a stable of 40 horses. Hussey got associated with a lot of high-quality horses, but his most memorable experience during his time in America was his association with the legendary Spend a Buck .

Hussey’s journey to riding Spend a Buck began when he met trainer Cam Gambolati, an Italian who was said to have never trained a horse before. Gambolati had been given two-year-old horse Spend a Buck to train, and Hussey was instrumental in helping him develop the horse’s talent.

“I got to ride a champion horse, I got to win six races on a horse that went on to win the Kentucky Derby,” Hussey said.

With Hussey in the saddle, Spend a Buck went on to win several prestigious races, including the Arlington Washington Stakes Futurity (Grade One) and the Cradle Stakes.

Despite being promised the ride on Spend a Buck in the Kentucky Derby, Hussey was replaced by legendary jockey Angel Cordero. Cordero went on to win the Derby, but Hussey harbours no regrets.

“After the Arlington Washington Stakes, every single jockey in the United States was calling the owner, including Angel Cordero. I’ll never forget when I got replaced. The owner said, ‘Charlie, Angel said when you ride Spend a Buck and win the Kentucky Derby, and when the camera is pushed in your face, and they ask you how do you feel, I’m gonna say this is a great horse.’ And the next question is, which other great horse have you ever had? And I am going to say Harlequin from Jamaica,” Hussey said.

Hussey acknowledged that Cordero’s reputation and experience ultimately led to him being replaced.

“He said that Spend a Buck ’s value would go down from $30 million to $2 million,” Hussey said.

“Cordero said when he wins the race, he is going to say that this is a great horse, his [ Spend a Buck ] value would go up from $3 million to $30 million, because he has ridden the greatest horse in the United States. So I got replaced with Angel Cordero,” he remembered.

Despite the disappointment, Hussey said his experience riding in America was invaluable.

“I learned to ride here overseas,” he said.

“When you ride every day, you know it’s different from Caymanas Park, where you ride on Saturdays and Wednesdays. If you do something every day, you’re getting tuned — your body, your mind, and your whole DNA become one with the horse. You learn to really ride and become one with the horse, and really fine-tune your riding,” Hussey ended.

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