Diane Nelson (jockey)
| Diane Nelson | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Diane Bissett |
| Occupation | Jockey and model |
| Born | September 26, 1965 Rockville Centre, New York |
| Died | July 5, 2017 (aged 51) Goshen, Connecticut |
| Spouse | Robert Nelson (married 1987-1989) |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Weight | 110 lb (50 kg; 7 st 12 lb) |
| Career winnings | $19,106,392 |
| Career wins | 1,095 |
| Honours | |
| Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame | |
Diane J. Bissett Nelson (September 26, 1965 – July 5, 2017) was an American jockey and model. Over the course of a racing career that would last 21 years, Nelson would have 1,095 race wins and her rides would earn nearly $20,000,000. Nelson was the sixth woman in the United States to record more than 1,000 race wins.
Biography
[edit]Early life
[edit]Nelson was a native of New York and grew up on Long Island.[1] She was born in Rockville Centre, and raised in Holtsville, on her father James J. Bissett Jr.'s plant nursery, as the youngest of six children.[2] She would go on to graduate from Sachem High School.[3] In her youth, she was a competitive swimmer, but stopped after receiving a horse from her parents.[1]
She went on to pursue a career in the racing industry, moving to New Zealand to learn about breeding and where she took up galloping racehorses. She returned to the United States and moved to Ocala, Florida to work on a farm managed by Robert Nelson, a newly-established racing trainer.[4] In 1986, Diane and Robert moved to New York to continue their careers working for Dominick Imperio at Old Westbury Farm.[5] They married at the farm on Long Island the following year.[3][6]
Professional jockey
[edit]After moving from Florida, Nelson would gallop racehorses for free for trainers just for the opportunity to get a ride.[7] On February 27, 1986, Nelson rode her first race at Aqueduct Racetrack. At the time, female jockeys were rare and just beginning to feature on American racetracks.[8] She initially found the New York circuit too competitive for a new jockey, so she and Robert moved operations to New England. There, Nelson began to attract national attention while riding as an apprentice jockey at New Hampshire's Rockingham Park. In 1987 she recorded 209 race wins at Rockingham Park and Suffolk Downs, becoming the country's leading apprentice rider and second-leading female rider.[9][10] While racing in New Hampshire, Nelson had a serious accident and broke her vertebrae, putting her out of commission for three months to recover. It would be the first of several back injuries to haunt her racing career.[2]
After becoming a leading rider in New England, Nelson returned to New York where she soon became a fixture as one of the few female jockeys competing on he New York circuit.[5][11] After appearing in a racing advertisement, Nelson was discovered by a modelling agent and signed with Ford Modeling Agency.[9] Nelson was considered tall for a jockey at 5'6'', but her height suited her for modelling.[12] Nelson preferred racing over modeling, later quitting when she found her modeling roles got in the way of racing.[2]
Challenges and later career
[edit]As a woman jockey, Nelson would face a number of hardships and biases at the track. While Nelson was riding, few female jockeys were riding at American racetracks.[13][14] Nelson and her husband Robert divorced in the winter of 1988-1989.[2] In the early 1990s, trainer Dominick Imperio, whom the Nelsons had worked for and whom had encouraged Nelson to pursue her racing license, fell on financial difficulties.[15] In 1992 he was indicted for money laundering and suspected ties to organized crime. Old Westbury Farm was acquired by the government and sold.[16][17]
In 1996, Nelson suffered an additional tragedy when she discovered the body of racing trainer John J. Lenzini Jr. when she went to ride his horses. Lenzini Jr., who was also Nelson's boyfriend at the time, and whom also trained horses for Nelson's parents, died under mysterious circumstances at age 49.[18][2]
In 1999, Nelson rode Flippy Diane to a win at the $100,000 Maryland Million Distaff Handicap. Flippy Diane was trained by Nelson's friend Leah Gyarmati.[19] It would be the first time an all-female team of a trainer and a jockey would win a stakes race in the United States.[7][20] Nelson, Gyarmati and Nelson's father James Bissett Jr. would have further success racing and claiming horses.[21] That year, Julie Krone, the most successful female jockey in the United States and one of Nelson's inspirations retired from the sport.[22] Krone's departure resulted in a even slimmer field of female jockeys.
In 2000, Nelson was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame.[23] In 2001, she described the difficulties faced by women jockeys, “It is a shame that in this day and age, there are not more girls making it at the top level. But it is just such a struggle to get there.”[7]
In 2006, Nelson would have to take time out of racing to have back surgery. At the time she stressed that at age 40, she was not ready for retirement.[24]
Retirement and legacy
[edit]In 2007, after 21 years as a professional jockey Nelson retired from racing after suffering repeated back problems.[25] She rode her final race at Aqueduct on January 20, 2007.[9] Nelson would end her professional racing career with 1,095 wins from 9,905 mounts.[9] She became the sixth female jockey in the United States to record over 1,000 wins.[12] In all, her horses would win $19,106,392. In her career she would win eight graded stakes races.[9]
A private person, little is known about Nelson's life after racing.
On July 5, 2017 Nelson died at age 51 at home in Goshen, Connecticut.[9][26]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Durso, Joseph (November 15, 1998). "A Woman and a Jockey and She Doesn't Flinch From Either Role". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Toby Jacobson and Valerie Anthony, Scooter, ed. (1999). Great Women In The Sport of Kings (1st ed.). New York: Syracuse University Press.
- ^ a b "Former jockey Diane Nelson dead at 51". www.drf.com. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ "Robert Nelson". www.equibase.com. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
- ^ a b Finn, Robin (February 6, 1989). "New Aqueduct Jockey Starts To Make Her Way to Front". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ "Historic L.I. Stables on the Auction Block". Daily News. January 15, 1995. p. 1014. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ a b c Siverson, Amy (August 31, 2001). "Horse racing still a man's world". Saratogian. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ Beecher, Dr David (October 11, 2020). "Right To Ride, Presented By The Kentucky Derby Museum: The Racing World Reacts To Female Jockeys". Paulick Report | Latest news and commentary from the horse racing and equine world. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Snierson, Lynne (July 10, 2017). "Jockey Diane Nelson Dies". www.bloodhorse.com. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ "It's Ladies' Day at Remington". The Oklahoman. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ Shottenkirk, Jerry. "May Best Woman Win". The Oklahoman. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ a b "Correction: Obit-Diane Nelson story". AP News. July 14, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ Tribune, Chicago (August 16, 1990). "JOCKEY RIDING HARD TO ERASE SEX BIAS". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ "`GIRLS` OF RACING BEAT THE ODDS TO WIN, PLACE AND SHOW". Chicago Tribune. August 25, 1991. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ "Rich Stakes Sting Losing Finish". Daily News. January 15, 1995. p. 725. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
- ^ "Former trainer Dominick Imperio dies at age 78". www.drf.com. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ Garcia, Gilbert. "Divorced From the Mob". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ "John J. Lenzini Jr., 49, Race Horse Trainer". The New York Times. November 15, 1996. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ "Still one in a Million: Maryland's day at the races continues in spite of Covid - Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred". midatlantictb.com. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ "The Chief's most ardent disciple - and her journey to fulfilment | Topics: Jimmy Jerkens, Leah Gyarmati, Saratoga Race Course, H. Allen Jerkens". Thoroughbred Racing Commentary. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ "Finley: Hard to outsmart". ESPN.com. November 30, 2000. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ "Krone is retiring after her last ride April 18". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ joelando (February 7, 2018). "Nelson, Diane". Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ "Nelson out following back surgery". www.drf.com. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ Godfrey, Nicholas (July 13, 2017). "Death of former leading female rider Diane Nelson". www.racingpost.com. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ^ "Diane Nelson, 51; noted jockey built career at Suffolk Downs, Rockingham - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. July 12, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Letter from E. Thomas Kearney to Michelle Lane, March 12, 1990. Concerning the attached information about Diane Nelson, a female jockey who has interest in being a client of IMG's. Attachments include Nelson's resume, a letter about an upcoming television conference with Nelson, and photocopied photographs. University of Massachusetts Amherst Collection.