Diane Crump, Trailblazing Jockey Who Changed Racing Forever, Dies Aged 77
Groundbreaking jockey Diane Crump has died at the age of 77. Her family confirmed she passed away on 1 January following a diagnosis of an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2025.
Crump’s place in racing history is secure. She was the first woman to ride in a pari-mutuel race and the first woman to compete in the Kentucky Derby, milestones that reshaped what was possible for women in the sport.
“I never felt like a pioneer or trailblazer,” Crump said in a 2019 interview. “I just wanted to live my dream — and I most certainly did.”
That dream began publicly on 2 February 1969 at Hialeah Park, where police escorted Crump through a hostile crowd as she was given a leg-up for her first pari-mutuel ride. She finished tenth of twelve aboard Bridle n’ Bit, but the significance of that moment extended far beyond the result.
Just over a year later, Crump won the opening race at Churchill Downs on 2 May 1970, before finishing 15th of 17 in the Kentucky Derby later that day — becoming the first woman ever to take part in America’s most famous race.
Across her career, Crump rode in more than 170 races, recording 228 wins before stepping away from race riding. She first retired in 1986 to work as a farm trainer at Calumet Farm, before returning to the saddle in the 1990s following a serious riding accident that left her with multiple injuries. She retired for a second and final time at the age of 50.
After racing, Crump remained deeply involved with horses, establishing Diane Crump Equine Sales, where she specialised in sport horses and retraining off-the-track Thoroughbreds. In 2020, she published her autobiography, Diane Crump: A Horse Racing Pioneer’s Life in the Saddle, marking 50 years since her historic Kentucky Derby ride.
Tributes from across the racing world have highlighted not only her achievements, but the doors she opened for others.
“Diane Crump was an iconic figure whose courage and determination changed racing forever,” said Mike Anderson, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack. “She will always be remembered as someone who turned possibility into reality.”
Crump is survived by her daughter, Della Payne, who wrote: “I hope my mum’s legacy of following dreams and helping others continues through those who were touched by her amazing life.”
Diane Crump did not seek to be a symbol. Yet her legacy stands as proof that progress in equestrian sport is built by those willing to ride first, often through resistance, so others may follow.
