Horse Racing – The Women Who Broke Barriers

All throughout the history of horse racing, female jockeys, and women in general, have made
significant contributions to the growth of the sport and industry.
Below, we celebrate and honour just a few of the women who have contributed hugely to
create the sport we know and enjoy today.

Kathy Kusner
Kathy Kusner was an accomplished Olympic equestrian. In 1968, she became the very first
licensed female jockey.
She competed in Canada as well as on the East Coast, and eventually became the first female
jockey to officially compete in races in Peru, Colombia, Panama, Germany, Mexico, and South
Africa.
What’s more, in 1972 at the Olympic Games in Munich, Kusner became the first female jockey
to win a medal in an equestrian event.

Diane Crump
Diane Crump, among several other accomplishments, in 1970 became the first female jockey to
compete in the famous Kentucky Derby. Crump and her trusted partner Fathom finished in 15 th
place.
A year earlier, Crump paved the way for female jockeys when she became the first female rider
to compete in a pari-mutuel race. She truly was a pioneer for women in horse racing.

Barbara Jo Rubin
After Crump had made straight the way, fellow-rider Barbara Jo Rubin in 1969 became the first
woman to actually win a pari-mutuel race.
On February 22, she pushed Cohesion all the way to a half-length victory at Charles Town, New
York.

Cheryl White
Female jockey Cheryl White not only broke barriers for women in horse racing, but also for Black
women in sports.
In June of 1971, White became the first licensed African American female jockey to compete in
the US in an official capacity.
After a remarkable career as a jockey, White passed the California Horse Racing Board’s steward
examination in 1991. This paved the way for her to serve as racing official at several racetracks

all over the country, with some even sponsored by leading bookmaking brands such as
Ladbrokes Australia.

Julie Krone
Modern-day female jockey Julie Krone, now 59, recalls having decided to follow a career in
horse racing after reading the award-winning autobiography of racing great Steve Cauthen.
Krone made her big breakthrough in 1981, when she rode Tiny Star at Tampa Bay Downs. She
would later go on to become the first female jockey to win a Triple Crown event.
In 2000, she achieved the ultimate accolade when she became the first women to be inducted
into the Racing Hall of Fame.

Rosie Napravnik
Napravnik took the female presence in elite events to a whole new level when in 2013 she
became the first female jockey to compete in all the Triple Crown events in a single season.
During that same year, she also became the highest-placed female jockey in the Kentucky Derby.
She finished in fifth place riding Mylute.

Donna Barton Brothers
At the time of her retirement, accomplished female jockey Donna Barton Brothers was the
second-leading earner among women in horse racing.
Today, Brothers puts her horse racing experience to good use as television journalist for NBC.