Nash Turner (1881–1937) was an American Hall of Fame

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

who competed in

Thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in t ...

in the United States and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. A native of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, Nash Turner began his professional riding career in 1895 and by 1900 was one of the top ten jockeys in the United States. Although he is best remembered as the jockey of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame filly,

Imp IMP or imp may refer to: * Imp, a fantasy creature Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Imp (She-Ra), a character in ''She-Ra: Princess of Power'' * Imp a character in '' Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony'' * Imp, a character in the '' Cl ...

, Nash Turner rode

Ildrim Ildrim (foaled in 1897) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1900 Belmont Stakes at Morris Park Racecourse in The Bronx, New York under future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey, Nash Turner. At age three, Ildrim al ...

to victory in the 1900 Belmont Stakes and captured the first two runnings of the Saratoga Special.

In France

Nash Turner moved to race in France at the invitation of friend and Thoroughbred owner/trainer Eugene Leigh for whom he had won numerous races in the United States including the Belmont Stakes. Once there, Turner chose to make it his permanent home. In 1905, Nash Turner had his best year as a jockey in France when he won two of the

French Classic Races The French Classic Races are a series of Group One Thoroughbred horse races run annually on the flat. The races were instituted in the nineteenth century, taking the British Classic Races as a model. In the original scheme, one race, the Poule d'E ...

. In May 1905, for owner

Michel Ephrussi Michel Ephrussi (May 10, 1844 – January 5, 1914) was a Russian-born French banker who also bred and raced Thoroughbreds. Early life Michel Ephrussi was born on May 10, 1844, in Odessa, Ukraine. He was a member of the Ephrussi family. His ...

, Turner won the

Prix du Jockey Club The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a ...

with

Finasseur {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Finasseur , image = , caption = , sire = Winkfield's Pride , grandsire = Winkfield , dam = Finaude , damsire = Clamart , sex = Stallion , foaled = 1902 , country = France , colour = Chestnut , br ...

and followed this up with another win on the colt in France's most important race at the time, the

Grand Prix de Paris The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it ...

. The following year he won his third Classic race, capturing the

Prix de Diane The Prix de Diane, sometimes referred to as the French Oaks, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 2,100 metre ...

aboard the filly Flying Star. He finished the year as the 11th-leading rider in France. Nash Turner's last year of riding was in 1914 after which he turned to training horses for himself and others. He died in France in 1937. On its formation in 1955, Nash Turner was part of the inaugural class of inductees in the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Nash 1881 births 1937 deaths American jockeys French jockeys French horse trainers United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees People from Texas