Julie Krone Made a Name for Herself in Horse Racing

Judi Krone loved horses. That was why she became an equestrian riding instructor after being a Michigan state equestrian champion.

When her daughter, Julie, was only two years old, Judi put her on a horse. Judi was trying to make a point about how gentle the palomino was. The little girl rode the horse as the steed trotted out, then, using the reins, brought the horse right back.

There was no doubt that little Julie loved horses as much as her mother.

"Mom taught me all the ways to introduce a young horse to bridle and saddle, and how to train a horse to want to please a rider, which ultimately creates a positive experience for both horse and rider," Krone wrote in her autobiography, Riding for My Life (2005, Little, Brown). [1]

By the time Krone was five years old, she was winning ribbons at horse shows. Krone had little interest in school. Art and gym were the only classes that were of interest to her. There was room for nothing else in her mind except horses. She almost quit school to join a circus as a trick rider, but decided she wanted to be a jockey instead. She even wrote in her diary, "I'm gonna be the greatest jock in the world because I think I can. I know I can." [1]

Her parents divorced when she was fifteen. Her mother, always supportive of her daughter, fudged her birth certificate by one year older to enable the teenager to work at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. After working there for a few months, she was able to ride in races that summer.

Krone quit school in her senior year to live with her grandparents in Florida. At 4 feet 10 inches tall and barely weighing a hundred pounds, Krone had difficulty convincing the officials at Tampa Bay Downs to give her a job. In a little over a month, Krone won her first race at Tampa Bay Downs.

The Winner's Circle

After that first race, Krone continued winning. She was the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby and the first female winner of a Triple crown race. She rode Colonial Affair to win in the Belmont Stakes.

She won six races in one day at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, one of only three jockeys to do so. She was the first woman to win four races in one day in New York. She was the first woman to win a riding title by winning the most races in one year at a major track: at Monmouth Park she had 130 wins. She won three straight titles at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

On the day she married Matt Muzikar, a television reporter, Krone rode six races at Saratoga and rode six more races the next day.

Big trouble for a little jockey

Other women had ridden as jockeys in the past, but Krone proved to be one-of-a-kind. She was the best female jockey to ride a track by the time she was 25 years old. She had a way with horses that compelled them to respond on the track and win races.

Even though women had proven they could handle a 1,200 pound thoroughbred, male jockeys were still prone to try and intimidate Krone. Krone had no tolerance for such prejudiced behavior and it often cost her. She was fined when she punched jockey Miguel Rujano then hit him with a lawn chair. This was after he had struck her with his whip during a race then pushed her into a swimming pool and held her underwater. Although her actions cost her, they also sent a clear message that this little girl wouldn't be intimated.

But her wild streak would get her into trouble off the track as well. Krone drove a red Porsche and Pimlico Race Course officials found marijuana in her car. She went into drug rehabilitation and face suspension for 60 days.

Injuries also plagued Krone. She suffered a broken back after coming off a horse. Wrist and hand injuries were also common. She suffered a bruised heart and shattered ankle. Krone credits her Christian faith with sustaining her throughout her injuries.

But none of those injuries would stop Krone from riding until she broke both of her hands in 1996 while riding in Florida's Gulfstream Park. She tried to return to race riding six weeks after the accident, but performed poorly. Her confidence was shattered.

Krone retired in 1999. She had won 3,545 races. She also divorced Muzikar that same year and married racing writer Jay Hovdey in 2001. She gave birth to their daughter Lorelei in Sept. 2005. They also have a stepson from Hovdey's previous marriage.

The Comeback Kid

In a surprise turn of events, Krone returned to the race track. She quickly won 20 more races, but setbacks were also quick to follow. At an accident at Santa Ana in 2003, two of her backbones were fractured and three vertebrae were compressed. Within three months, Krone was back on the horse. She went on to ride 49 winners in the Del Mar meeting and was the first woman to win in the Breeder's Cup riding Halfbridled. But, again, Krone had two ribs fractured in a race at Hollywood Park.

Retirement

Although she vowed to return to the track soon after the fractured ribs, Krone didn't ride again. She finished up her career with a total of 3,704 wins and over $90 million in purse winnings.

Krone appeared on the cover of the May 22, 1989 issue of Sports Illustrated. She was ESPN's 1993 Female Athlete of the Year and inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. She was awarded the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award in 2004 from the Women's Sports Foundation for her "perseverance and passion for the sport of horse racing." [2]

In 2000, Krone was inducted into the National Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame. Though she had to stand on a milk carton to reach the microphone, Krone said, "I want this to be a lesson to all kids everywhere. If the stable gate is closed, climb the fence." [3]

Sources:

[1] Riding for My Life (2005, Little, Brown)
[2] National Thoroughbred Racing Association
[3] Answers