Overview
- Crump's daughter, Della Payne, said in a New Year's Day GoFundMe post that her mother died peacefully surrounded by family and friends.
- Crump was diagnosed in October 2025 with glioblastoma and entered hospice care on December 31 after a period of palliative treatment.
- She broke racing's gender barrier by riding professionally in 1969 and became the first woman to compete in the Kentucky Derby in 1970, finishing 15th.
- Across 1,682 starts, she recorded 228 wins and more than $1.2 million in earnings, then founded Diane Crump Equine Sales and volunteered in animal-assisted therapy.
- Churchill Downs honored her as an iconic trailblazer in an official statement offering condolences to her family and friends.