[Women] [JOCKEY] DIANE CRUMP - 5 Original Press Photos - : First Female Jockey

First Female Jockey

In the midst of the women's rights movement of the 1960s, there was one feminist pioneer who was making inroads not in the office or as part of a protest, but on the track. It was Diane Crump, who on Feb. 7, 1969, climbed aboard a finely tuned Thoroughbred, and exploded out of a starting gate in a sanctioned competition against men, putting a torch to centuries of racing's dusty rules.

War-protesting bell-bottomed youth were spilling onto bicoastal American streets, waving signs and shouting, "Hell no, we won't go!" Outraged women, in increasing numbers, were demanding equity in pay and opportunity. More than just the first woman jockey, Crump was also the first woman of only six to date to compete in the Kentucky Derby, a milestone that elicited relatively respectful mention from gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson in his classic piece "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved." Crump turned racing completely on its head with a rapid-fire series of firsts, achieved over the span of 15 months.

Things have gotten better since then in the world of horse racing; there are now several dozen female jockeys competing professionally in North America, and while that may seem like little compared to the couple hundred men, the sport might not be so far along as it is had Crump not been insistent in her desire to continue racing. "The mentality in the 1960s was that women weren't smart or strong enough to be jockeys. But I proved that a woman could do the job. "I like to think I was a little footprint on the path to equality."

N.p.: N.p., 1970. 6 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches. Original, black & white AP wire, press photo of a 21- year old Diane Crump, on the threshold of racing history as the first female to ride a horse in the Kentucky Derby. Cut-out of original article, holograph notes and date stamped on verso. Very good.

"DIANE CRUMP COMBINES BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE: Not Only Wins Purse, But Gets Mudpack Facial" N.p.: N.p., 1970. 6 3/4 x 8 1/2 inches. Original, black & white AP wire, press photo. Cut-out of original article, holograph notes and date stamped on verso. Very good.

"MUD IN HER EYES" Hialeah, Florida: N.p., 1969. 8 x 11 inch, AP Wirephoto of Diane Crump, first woman jockey to compete in a regular race at a U.S. thoroughbred race course. Slight curling with date stamped on verso. Crump rode Bridle 'n Brit to finish 10th in the mile and one eighth event. Very good.

"DIANE CRUMP GETS 1ST VICTORY A CHURCHILL" Louisville, Kentucky: N.p., 1969. 8 X 11 inch, AP Wirephoto of Diane Crump kisses her horse Tou Ritzi, after winning the second race at Churchill Downs. This was her fifth win as a jockey and the first at Churchill. Slight curling with date stamped on verso, else very good.

"DIANE TELLS OF THE BIG RACE"
Louisville, Kentucky: N.p., 1970. 8x 11 inch, AP Wirephoto of Diane Crump telling of her experience in riding Fathom in the Kentucky Derby, making history as the first woman to ride a horse in the classic. Slight curling with date stamped on verso, else very good.