Diane Crump, the first female jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby, dies at 77
CNN••sports
Key Points:
- Diane Crump, the first woman to ride professionally in a horse race in 1969 and the first female jockey in the Kentucky Derby in 1970, has died at age 77 after being diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer.
- Crump won 228 races during her career, overcoming significant gender barriers including boycotts by male jockeys and societal resistance, with her historic debut at Hialeah Park marked by security protection and altered race traditions.
- Her groundbreaking Kentucky Derby ride in 1970 paved the way for future female jockeys, though it took 14 years for another woman to compete in the Derby, highlighting her role as a trailblazer in horse racing.
- After retiring, Crump ran a horse buying and selling
