Women’s History Month is here, and Keeneland’s 2026 Spring Meet is on its way. Let’s combine the two.
Here are two remarkable people who made history in the Horse Capital of the World:
A quick history lesson
But before we get to Lexington, let’s look at the women who paved the way.
Despite being selected for the US Olympic Equestrian Team in 1962, Kathryn Kusner’s application for a professional jockey license was denied five years later. After her rejection from the Maryland Racing Commission, she mounted a legal defense, and was granted her license soon after.
An injury following the historic decision prevented Kusner from riding against male jockeys. Enter: The late Diane Crump, the first woman to ride in a professional horse race in 1969. She notched another achievement later that year as the first woman to compete in the Kentucky Derby.
The floodgates were open.
Keeneland looked pretty different back then. | Photo via UK Digital Commons
Breaking through at Keeneland
Soon after, Kaye Bell became the first woman to win at Lexington’s storied race track, doing so in 1972. Not only did she break the gender barrier, but she did it in style, riding 17-1 longshot Nashota to victory at the Spring Meet.
If that’s not cool enough, Bell was born in Lexington.
Reaching the summit
Four decades later, Rosie Napravnik cranked it up a notch. She won the leading rider accolade at Keeneland, achieving the feat at both the 2013 Fall Meet, and the 2014 Fall Meet. That’s the award given to the jockey with the most wins at a meet.
She remains the only woman to win leading rider at the track, and a woman is yet to win the award at a Spring Meet.
That could change this year. We’ll be previewing the 2026 Spring Meet as the event approaches, so make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for free to prepare for the action.
