Jockey Queen

Roger Peach

doi:10.5771/9781538181584

Summary

The first-ever biography of trailblazing horse racer Lillian Jenkinson Holder, who broke the unwritten rule that women could not be jockeys.

More than four decades before women were allowed to ride as licensed jockeys at recognized, pari-mutuel racetracks, a fearless farm girl turned race rider out of Nebraska was beginning her 47-year jockey career at venues beyond the reach of big-time track rules. Her name was Lillian Jenkinson Holder.

In Jockey Queen: Lillian Jenkinson Holder, Horse Racing’s Fearless Lady, Roger Peach tells the remarkable journey of a woman who never gave up on her dream of racing, despite the obstacles thrown in her path. Kept from riding in major races simply because she was a woman, Jenkinson Holder thrived in the gritty world of no-holds-barred “bush track” racing, ultimately competing in an estimated 10,000 races over almost five decades.

Featuring exclusive interviews with Jenkinson Holder’s surviving relatives and with jockeys who rode against her, as well as behind-the-scenes photos from the family’s collection, Jockey Queen is a fascinating glimpse into the cutthroat world of horse racing and the daring woman who defied all expectations.

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Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2024
ISBN-Print: 978-1-5381-8157-7
ISBN-Online: 978-1-5381-8158-4
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 188
Product type: Book Titles

1. Contents No access
2. Preface No access
3. Acknowledgments No access
4. Chronology No access
1 Ride a Dead Horse No access Pages 1 - 4
2 Queen Finds Her Throne No access Pages 5 - 20
3 Birth of a Reputation No access Pages 21 - 30
4 Bullring No access Pages 31 - 38
5 Loup View Stock Farm No access Pages 39 - 46
6 Lady Lillian No access Pages 47 - 52
7 Keen Boy No access Pages 53 - 58
8 Milk Duds No access Pages 59 - 62
9 All for One, One for All No access Pages 63 - 68
10 Looking Behind the Oz Curtain No access Pages 69 - 78
11 Alpha Women Co-Op No access Pages 79 - 86
12 Savior Beans No access Pages 87 - 102
13 Jay Yarberry No access Pages 103 - 112
14 Just Beans’s Last Race No access Pages 113 - 116
15 Death’s Trifecta No access Pages 117 - 122
16 Chick Catches Lillian’s Eye No access Pages 123 - 130
17 Handled with Care No access Pages 131 - 138
18 Reluctant Mentor No access Pages 139 - 144
19 May 1969 No access Pages 145 - 148
20 Ruins No access Pages 149 - 152
21 Jockey No access Pages 153 - 156
Author’s Note No access Pages 157 - 158
Appendix A: Letter from Kane Brothers to W. J. about Keen Boy (January 30, 1929) No access Pages 159 - 160
Appendix B: Letter from Lizzie to W. J. and Lillian (July 23, 1929) No access Pages 161 - 164
Appendix C: Letter from Lillian to Louise (March 3, 1939) No access Pages 165 - 166
Appendix D: Illinois House Resolution No. 205 (May 21, 1969) No access Pages 167 - 168
Appendix E: The Rick Talley Proposal No access Pages 169 - 174
Appendix F: Just Beans’s Photo-Archived Races (1942–1947) No access Pages 175 - 176
Index No access Pages 177 - 186
About the Author No access Pages 187 - 188