Compared with some, the career of jockey Charles “Charley” Kurtsinger didn’t last all that long. Modern-day superstar jockey Mike Smith took out his jockey's license in 1982 and continues to compete at the highest level; Russell Baze, the all-time leading North American jockey by career wins, started out in 1974 and stayed at the top of his game until he retired with 12,842 wins in 2016.
