Diane Crump, first female jockey to ride in Kentucky Derby, dies aged 77

Diane Crump, first woman to race in the Kentucky Derby, dies aged 77, remembered as a trailblazer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Diane Crump, the first female jockey to compete in the Kentucky Derby, has died at the age of 77. Crump passed away on Thursday, January 1, after battling brain cancer. 

Crump made history in 1970 when she became the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby, breaking through decades of resistance to female participation in professional horse racing.

The year before, she became the first woman to compete in a professional pari-mutuel race in the United States, a milestone highlighted by the Kentucky Derby Museum as a pivotal moment in the sport.

“Diane Crump’s name stands for courage, grit, and progress. Her determination in the face of overwhelming odds opened doors for generations of female jockeys and inspired countless others far beyond racing. We are honoured to preserve her story and share her legacy through the museum’s permanent collection,” said Chris Goodlett, Sr., director of curatorial and education at the Kentucky Derby Museum.

Crump achieved 79 victories at Churchill Downs between 1969 and 1984 and paved the way for five other women to follow in her footsteps at the Kentucky Derby.

“Diane Crump was an iconic trailblazer who admirably fulfilled her childhood dreams. As the first female to ride professionally at a major Thoroughbred racetrack in 1969 and to become the first female to ride in the Kentucky Derby one year later, she will forever be respected and fondly remembered in horse racing lore. The entire Churchill Downs family extends our condolences to her family and friends,” Churchill Downs Racetrack President Mike Anderson said.

Crump’s career and achievements are commemorated in the Kentucky Derby Museum’s “Right of Ride” exhibit, created in 2020 to honour women who fought for the right to compete at the highest levels of horse racing.

Reflecting on her historic Derby ride, Crump once said, “It gives you a feeling that you are somewhere so special and that you’re in something of such a great magnitude that the whole world is watching. It is truly amazing.”