Trailblazing jockey Diane Crump, first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby, dies at 77

Diane Crump, whose rides in 1969 and 1970 shattered long-standing gender barriers in U.S. horse racing, died Thursday night at a hospice facility in Winchester, Virginia. She was 77. According to her daughter, Della Payne, Crump had been diagnosed in October with an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Early breakthrough at Hialeah Park

Crump entered the public eye on Feb. 7, 1969, when she became the first woman to compete in a sanctioned professional horse race in the United States. The milestone took place at Hialeah Park in Florida, where she rode a 50-1 outsider named Bridle n Bit. Tension surrounded the event: six of the 12 originally scheduled male jockeys—including future Hall of Famers Angel Cordero Jr., Jorge Velasquez and Ron Turcotte—refused to ride once Crump’s participation was confirmed. Photographs from the day show security personnel surrounding her as she walked to the saddling area.

Despite finishing 10th in the 12-horse field, Crump’s appearance marked the end of a prolonged licensing battle for female riders. One month later, she secured her first professional victory aboard the same horse at Gulfstream Park, reinforcing the legitimacy of women in the sport.

Historic start in the Kentucky Derby

The following spring, Crump added another first to her résumé by becoming the initial female jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby. On May 2, 1970, she won the day’s opening race at Churchill Downs and later took Fathom to the Derby starting gate. Fathom finished 15th in a 17-horse field, yet Crump’s participation proved seminal: no additional woman appeared in America’s most famous race until 1984, and only four have done so in the decades since.

Riding career and statistics

Crump continued to compete until 1998, retiring one month before her 50th birthday. Over nearly three decades she amassed 228 victories, a total achieved despite limited opportunities and occasional boycotts prompted by her presence. Colleagues and historians frequently cited her persistence more than conventional competitiveness. “I wouldn’t say she was as competitive as she was stubborn,” Payne recalled of her mother’s approach to obstacles both on and off the track.

Life beyond the saddle

Upon leaving racing, Crump settled in Virginia and launched a business that matched prospective buyers with suitable horses. Away from equine circles, she devoted time to volunteer visits at hospitals and medical clinics, bringing her Dachshund therapy dogs to patients with chronic illnesses. The routine led many staff members to meet her long before she became a patient herself.

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When deteriorating health required assisted living late last year, Crump was already well-known within the medical center. Doctors, nurses and even the man who mowed her lawn visited regularly, according to her daughter. Two words tattooed on her forearms—“Kindness” on the left and “Compassion” on the right—summarized her personal credo during these visits.

Industry reaction

Mike Anderson, president of Churchill Downs, said in a statement that Crump “will be forever respected” for expanding opportunities in racing. Chris Goodlett of the Kentucky Derby Museum characterized her legacy as one of “courage, grit and progress,” noting that her 1970 Derby ride “opened doors for generations of female jockeys.”

End-of-life arrangements

Crump will be cremated, and her ashes are to be interred between her parents at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Front Royal, Virginia. Details of any public memorial service have not been announced.

Crédito da imagem: Associated Press