Asanosuke Matsui

Asanosuke Matsui, the son of a farmer, was adopted by his uncle, Lieutenant General Matsui Konosuke. He enrolled in Waseda High School and later attended the Army School pursuing a military career. At the Military Academy, he entered the cavalry and graduated being in charge of the equestrian training.

Starting in 1932, Matsui became instructor at the Army Cavalry School and was later promoted to secretary of the Equestrian Bureau and director of the Equestrian Department at the Army War College. When he participated in the eventing at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, he was disqualified in the cross-country section on day two.

Towards the end of World War II, Matsui served in Central China as Lieutenant Colonel and commander of the 26th Cavalry Regiment. He returned to Japan the following year and worked at a US military facility. In 1955, he returned to working with horses helping to train race horses at the Baji Koen Equestrian Park in Tokyo. At the age of 56, Matsui obtained a horse racing license and one year later became a trainer at the Kyoto Racecourse, and later at the Ritto Training Center. He retired in 1985 after 4429 races and 351 wins.