Diane Crump: Trailblazing Jockey and First Woman to Ride in the Kentucky

Diane Crump was a pioneering American jockey and horse trainer best known as the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby, a barrier she broke in 1970 aboard Fathom. Born on May 18, 1948, in Milford, Connecticut, Crump was granted a jockey's license in 1968 at a time when few women rode professionally. Her courage in the face of open hostility opened the door for generations of female riders.

On February 7, 1969, Crump became the first woman to ride as a professional jockey in a pari-mutuel race in the United States, at Hialeah Park in Florida. Two weeks later she rode her first winner. In 1970 she finished 15th in the Kentucky Derby, and she went on to a long career that ended with her retirement in 1999 with 228 wins credited by Equibase, although she counted 235 herself.

Crump was married to trainer Don Divine from 1969 to 1987 and had a daughter. She was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2025 and died on January 1, 2026, in Winchester, Virginia, at age 77. Remembered as one of the great trailblazers of American horse racing, she showed that talent and determination could outrun any tradition.

Achievements: Became the first woman to ride as a professional jockey in a U.S. pari-mutuel race (1969), became the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby, finishing 15th on Fathom (1970), won her first race just two weeks after her debut (1969), retired in 1999 with 228 official wins.

Birth: May 18, 1948 - Milford, Connecticut.

Profession: Jockey and horse trainer.

Interesting Facts: In 1989 Crump was crushed under her horse and broke her leg in six or seven places. Doctors told her she would never ride again, but she returned to racing.