First female Kentucky Derby jockey Diane Crump dead at 77

Diane Crump, nan first female to compete successful nan Kentucky Derby arsenic a jockey, died this week astatine nan property of 77. 

Crump was diagnosed successful October pinch an fierce shape of brain cancer and died Thursday nighttime successful hospice attraction successful Winchester, Virginia, her daughter, Della Payne, told The Associated Press.

In 1969, she became nan first female to thrust professionally successful a equine title and, a twelvemonth later, she became nan first female jockey successful nan Kentucky Derby. It would beryllium 14 much years earlier different female would thrust successful nan event. 

Only 4 others person raced successful it since then. 

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Crump won 228 races earlier her past title successful 1998, a period awkward of her 50th day and astir 30 years aft her trailblazing thrust astatine Hialeah Park successful Florida Feb. 7, 1969.

Crump was among respective women to conflict successfully astatine nan clip to beryllium granted a jockey license, but they still needed a trainer consenting to put them successful a title and past for nan title to run. Others were thwarted erstwhile antheral jockeys boycotted aliases threatened to boycott if a female was riding.

The president of Churchill Downs Racetrack, Mike Anderson, said successful a connection Friday that Crump "will beryllium everlastingly respected and fondly remembered successful equine racing lore."

He noted that Crump, who had been riding since property 5 and galloping young thoroughbreds since she was a teenager, "was an iconic trailblazer who admirably fulfilled her puerility dreams."

FAMED HORSE RACING JOCKEY WHO RODE THE LEGENDARY SECRETARIAT TO TRIPLE CROWN DIES AT 84

The 149th moving of nan Kentucky Derby astatine Churchill Downs May 6, 2023, successful Louisville, Ky.  (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Chris Goodlett of nan Kentucky Derby Museum said, "Diane Crump’s sanction stands for courage, grit and progress. Her determination successful nan look of overwhelming likelihood opened doors for generations of female jockeys and inspired countless others acold beyond racing."

After retiring from racing, Crump settled successful Virginia and started a business helping group bargain and waste horses.

In later years, she took her therapy dogs, each dachshunds, to sojourn patients successful hospitals and different aesculapian clinics. She visited immoderate pinch chronic illnesses regularly for years.

Payne said erstwhile her mother went into assisted surviving a period ago, she was already "quasi-famous" successful nan aesculapian halfway because of really overmuch clip she had spent there, and a "steady stream" of doctors and nurses came to spot her. One of nan past group to sojourn her was nan man who mowed her lawn.

Her girl said Crump would ne'er return "no" for an answer, whether it was becoming a jockey aliases helping personification successful need.

"I wouldn’t opportunity she was arsenic competitory arsenic she was stubborn," Payne said. "If personification was counting connected her, she could ne'er fto personification down."

Late successful life, Crump had her favourite basal characteristics tattooed connected her forearms — "Kindness" connected nan left, "Compassion" connected nan right.

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Diane Crump keeps up pinch Mike Sorentino who's connected Born In A Trunk, and Craig Perret connected Shir-Tee, during nan seventh title astatine Hialeah. Diane, 20, became nan first female to compete successful a regular arena successful U.S. thoroughbred racing history. She vanished tenth successful a section of twelve. (Bettmann/Getty Images)

Crump will beryllium cremated, and her ashes interred betwixt her parents successful Prospect Hill Cemetery successful Front Royal, Virginia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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