Diane Crump

Diane Crump, born in Milford, Connecticut on 18 May 1948 and died on 1 January 2026, was an American jockey and horse trainer who broke the barrier against women in United States racing. She applied for a licence in 1968 after Kathryn Kusner had won hers by suing the Maryland Racing Commission, and on 7 February 1969 she rode Bridle 'n Bit at Hialeah Park, the first woman to compete as a jockey in a pari-mutuel race in the country, finishing ninth of twelve under a police escort through a hostile crowd. Two weeks later she rode her first winner. In 1970 she became the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby. She retired briefly in 1985 to train, returned to the saddle, rode professionally until 1999 and ran an equine sales business.