Asmussen slaughter mares rescued

Posted on by Tuesday's Horse

It seems inconceivable that a member of a prominent horse racing family that includes a celebrated jockey and trainer does not know when he is sending horses to an auction frequented by buyers for a slaughter plant. However, that is what Keith Asmussen, father of retired international jockey Cash Asmussen and noted American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer Steve Asmussen, is claiming.

Esther Marr and Ron Mitchell reporting for The Blood-Horse write:

Ten broodmares at a Texas livestock auction frequented by kill buyers were shipped there by Keith Asmussen’s Asmussen Horse Center July 7.

Nine of the mares—two of which are by top sires Storm Cat and Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew—were purchased by a Thoroughbred aftercare activist and are now under the care of Donna Keen’s Remember Me Rescue. Located 50 miles west of Austin, Texas, the Round Mountain sale is allegedly attended by many buyers that ship their purchases to Mexico to be slaughtered for human consumption.

Asmussen told reporters:

“As far as I am concerned (this was a legitimate horse sale), and I had no idea about the killer buyers until (horse rescue activists) started writing me letters.”

The mares are reportedly in good condition except for one who is slightly underweight. They will be checked the weekend of July 14 to see how many are in foal.

The list of rescued horses reads as follows:

—Valid Obsession, a 20-year-old daughter of Valid Appeal and a full sister to sires Valid Expectations and Littleexpectations. She is reported to have a 2012 foal by Asmussen Horse Center stallion Intimidator and was bred back to that stallion for 2013.

—Luxury of Time, a 17-year-old daughter of Seattle Slew. She was bred to Intimidator for 2013.

—Adios La Cucaracha, a 15-year-old daughter of Storm Cat with a 2012 foal by Intimidator and bred to Intimidator for 2013.

—Rhododendron, a 7-year-old daughter of Mutakddim. She has a 2012 foal by Seneca Jones and was bred to Intimidator for 2013.

—Our Revival, a 12-year-old daughter of Ide with a 2012 foal by Heckle and bred to Asmussen Horse Center stallion Primal Storm for 2013.

—Endless Storm, a 20-year-old daughter of Storm Bird with a 2012 foal by Intimidator and bred to Intimidator for 2013.

—Ethel Is Best, a 13-year-old daughter of Woodman. She was bred to Intimidator for 2013.

—Karitsas Punch, a 14-year-old daughter of Two Punch. She was bred to Asmussen Horse Center stallion Littleexpectations for 2013.

—Fans Galore, a 15-year-old daughter of Lear Fan. She was bred to Primal Storm for 2013.

—Empress Jones, an 8-year-old daughter of Seneca Jones with a 2012 foal by Heckle and bred to Intimidator for 2013.

The rescue was first reported by the Paulick Report.

Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/71203/asmussen-mares-now-at-remember-me-rescue#ixzz20Rw9nG4n

Featured image: Trainer Steve Asmussen at the rail, Belmont Park, 2011. Source: Kathleen Toler, Flickr.

24 thoughts on “Asmussen slaughter mares rescued”

  1. It does not matter if a horse has papers or not they are still living breathing creatures of God…With brains, big hearts and have always served side by side with man….It’s those slime balls that don’t deserve to be called humans that inflict cruel and inhumane treatment to innocent, helpless animals that don’t have a voice…There is no choice for innocent animals they are the victims of this senseless tragic outcome to be served to damn foreigners that would eat anything they would probably eat the kill buyers if we slaughter them what a great idea and the ones that slaughter the horse as well lets serve them up for the foreigners dinner…..”Great Idea”…No more excuses to kill these helpless animals that serve us everyday with all that they have….Enough is enough let’s all take a stand and we can stop this ….Stop the kill buyers, the transporters and the ones that do the actual killing they are all a waste of precious oxygen here on earth …may they all go and rot in hell.

    Like

    1. Dear Peggy, You are right , as for the Mustangs my answer is give me lots of trucks with Horse trailers , I will truck them back, I will release them all back to the land that belongs to them !!!!!!!!! Where they belong on the Range !!!!!!!! I am tired of all the Greedy Criminal acts that go unpunished……………………………..Sometimes the answer is just go and get them !!!!!!! From the torture Hell the BLM belongs in , not the Mustangs ………………We just switch them out !!!!!!!!

      Like

  2. Thank you for your great comments everyone. And yes, Steve Asmussen is yet another trainer with a long list of drug violations and other horrors if you believe the comments from backsiders on racing forums. But look what an example his cruel thinking father Keith has set, using and disposing horses in this manner and who knows what else.

    Great thanks to the Thoroughbred activists who constantly work to trace these racehorses and expose the abusers for everyone to see. This is what will force US horse racing to change, or pack up shop and go away.

    Like

  3. And BTW, what did he think would happen when he shows up at a TX kill buyer auction with a load of TB horses in a truck with “ASMUSSEN” written all over it. Maybe not ignorance but feeling POWER, NO CONSCIENCE and/or has done this many times and not found out. And mares just gave birth and some may be in foal…again! Oh my God. The suffering. What is wrong with this man? (Another sociopath.)

    Like

  4. Even though it was the father of Steve Asmusssen it is no surprise Keith Asmussen “most likely” knew he was shipping his class horses to slaughter. The son, Steve Asmussen, top trainer, has many stales, with a couple of hundred horses at his stable in *Canada. He was also suspended for serious drug violations on his horses. The family is worth millions. One year, 14 million for Steve. And I imagine this is a “drop in the bucket” for the family $$$$$. The point is, again, GREED! And most importantly, it appears the horse as a sentient being, is not acknowledged by Keith Asmussen. The horse is an “IT!” A “THING.” Nor does it matter the horses are the main reason for making Keith Asmussen a multi-millionaire. Could he spare the $200+ for humane euthanasia & cremation (or rendering) for the mares that have served him so well? Served with their lives and their offsprings. I pray this goes VIRAL and opens the gates to other top owners/trainers who do the same. We know TB’s are sent to slaughter. However, to expose those in the “limelight,” those with well-known horses, will cast this horror way out into the open. That these high profile horses go to slaughter, and therein, spread the word further, that horse slaughter DOES exist, and in effect, NO horse is exempt.

    Like

    1. Hes not only lying his face off , worse yet does he really expect that anyone will believe him!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Like

  6. We need the names of everyone involved in breeding/slaughter and to have them exposed in a publication with a following by the general public like the New York Times. We also need to know the connection between Ky TB breeding and slaughter operations being run thru auctions and by name and location. If we can tie together the breeder by name, the specific auctions and the shipping to slaughter and get that published, it would go a long way toward ending slaughter. These habitual offenders need to be named and known publicly. The AQHA needs similar treatment and quickly.
    As to the many grade horses who are sold or sent to auctions (some simply without papers) they need to be followed up on. The Asmussen horses were found because many TB’s are tattooed. Qtr Horses and others are not. As a result, grade horses can’t be tracked or found. After they are stolen or sold to a kill buyer, it is almost impossible to save their lives.
    Until transport/slaughter ends, no equine is ever safe no matter what we want to think. We have to force the breeders/lobbyists/killers out in the open and have it known by all. They have to be tracked as to further offenses and feel consequences.

    In the meantime, the American public has to be educated on how to change this horror: they have to be told to pressure Congress to pass bills HB2966 and S1176 asap. With no law on the books and no enforcement to speak of, the horses will keep dying by the thousands. We (the US) are the guilty parties who sell our own horses to kill plants. This has to be stopped and with law, it can be.
    http://www.Congress.org

    Like

    1. The Suffering in quiet desperation by the Mustangs is MIND Defining coming from the range and coming from the LOCK UPS !!!!! Congree must hear the Mustangs Cries in the Night I do !!!!!! I hear them and feel their Suffering !!!!! Congress needs to Address this NOW !!!!!!!!!!

      Like

  7. This yearly re-breeding over and over is the very reason the slaughter pipeline even exists. This in a nutshell is exactly whats wrong with the horse industry, not only in the US but world wide. And look at the nurse mare foals that just this small number of TB brood mares has caused to be orphaned. All because of the search for that magic horse.

    Like

    1. They are so incredibility dumb, all horses are granted their own magical qualities, its is our job to figure out what they are all this breeding is unnecessary, it is right in front of them???????,

      Like

  9. I am sorry I am not buying that lame excuse, you are being paid to know whats going on , very unbecoming of a man who is suppose to be a professional,very unbecoming.of you to say the least !!!…

    Like

  10. I don’t believe a word of what he said! My guess is that they have shipped others to death at that auction. TB owners that want to sell TBs to other TB farms..ie: bred mares, do not take them to auction. I bet that these mares had been offered for sale through other TB sites and advertisements, none bought, so they dumped them… Classless and Inhumane. After those mares had given them their lives and their babies. I’m spreading their story and their name everywhere I can put it.

    Like

Leave a Comment