Diane Nelson (jockey)

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.

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. She would go on to graduate from Sachem High School.^[2] In her youth, she was a competitive swimmer, but stopped after receiving a horse from her parents. 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. In 1986, Diane and Robert moved to New York to continue their careers working for Dominick Imperio at Old Westbury Farm.^[3] They later married at the farm on Long Island.^[2][4]

After moving from Florida, Nelson would gallop racehorses for free for trainers just for the opportunity to get a ride.^[5] 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.^[6] Shortly after her start, 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.^[7][8] Nelson then returned to New York where she became a fixture as one of the few female jockeys competing on he New York circuit.^[3][9] While racing in New York, Nelson signed with Ford Modeling Agency.^[7] Nelson was considered tall for a jockey at 5'6''.^[10]

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.^[11] 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.^[5][12] Nelson, Gyarmati and Nelson's father James Bissett Jr. would have further success racing and claiming horses.^[13]

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.^[14][15] In 1992, Dominick Imperio, whom the Nelsons were working for 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. died under mysterious circumstances at age 49.^[18]

In 1999, Julie Krone, the most successful female jockey in the United States and one of Nelson's inspirations retired from the sport.^[19] Krone's departure resulted in a even slimmer field of female jockeys. 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.”^[5]

In 1997, Nelson received the Governor’s Award as a distinguished woman in racing. In 2000, she was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame.^[20] 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.^[21]

In 2007, after 21 years as a professional jockey Nelson retired from racing after suffering repeated back problems.^[22] She rode her final race at Aqueduct on January 20, 2007.^[7] Nelson would end her professional racing career with 1,095 wins from 9,905 mounts.^[7] She became the sixth female jockey in the United States to record over 1,000 wins.^[10] In all, her horses would win $19,106,392. In her career she would win eight graded stakes races.^[7]

A private person, little is known about Nelson's life after racing.

On July 5, 2017 Nelson died unexpectedly at age 51 at home in Goshen, Connecticut.^[7][23]

• 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.