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Diane Crump, First Woman to Ride in the Kentucky Derby, Dies at 77

Her daughter said she died in hospice in Winchester, Virginia, months after a glioblastoma diagnosis.

Overview

  • Della Payne announced her mother's death on Jan. 1 via a GoFundMe update, confirming the 2025 brain cancer diagnosis and hospice care.
  • Crump broke U.S. racing’s gender barrier in 1969 by riding professionally at Hialeah Park after securing a jockey license.
  • Her Hialeah debut unfolded under security protection as several male jockeys refused to ride, highlighting the resistance she faced.
  • She rode Fathom in the 1970 Kentucky Derby and finished 15th, and only a few women have competed in the race since.
  • Across 1,682 starts she won 228 races and earned over $1.2 million, later running an equine sales business and volunteering with therapy dogs as Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum led tributes.