Eva Ring

Eva Ring (1911–1989) was among the first female jockeys to ride and train winning race horses in Canada in the 1930s–1940s. It was a time in North American history when women were not permitted to obtain a jockey license or ride in flat races alongside their male counterparts, but Ring was a trailblazer and managed to overcome many of the obstacles of her time. Discrimination was not a situation unique to North America; rather, it was a global issue in the male dominated sport of Thoroughbred racing, the "Sport of Kings". In 2026, Ring was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame as a "Legend", marking the association's "50th year of honouring the best in Canadian racing". Ring's early photographs serve as a testament to her disguise. Ring competed as a female jockey at venues where a jockey license was not required, such as bush track races, county fairs, and local recreational parks and exhibition centers where female jockeys were the exhibit. Some of those venues sported a grandstand and the semblance of a race oval but without a starting gate, such as the South Side Athletic Park in Edmonton. Ring was considered "well-known to horse and racing fans", She attracted the attention of racehorse enthusiast Bill Little, a hotel owner in Rosetown, Saskatchewan. He was an up-and-coming breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses, and owned a large breeding operation known as Swift Water Stud. Little hired Ring as his trainer sometime around 1946, and considered her and his stable manager, Fred Jones, to be "a winning combination". Ring was not only training his horses to run, Little said "she breaks them and gallops them" and "does about everything but ride in the races." Whenever Ring arrived at a race with Pussy Boots and Liberty Boy in Little's string of racehorses, it attracted media attention.

Background From 1937 to 1941, Canada was struggling through The Great Depression and the start of World War II, but it did not stop people from attending horse races. It was inexpensive entertainment if one could resist trips to the betting window and simply watch the races. For religious reasons, there were no races held on Sunday. In the U.S., state governments saw horse racing as a potential "honey pot" to replenish their shrinking coffers. They increased taxes on racing revenues in exchange for legalized betting, which in turn, enticed business investors and increased the number of race tracks by 70%. Female jockeys did not benefit from that growth because, at the time, they were barred from obtaining a jockey license and competing in the same high stakes races as their male counterparts. That didn't change until 1968.

Discrimination against female jockeys was not unique to Canada; rather, it has been a global issue for centuries. In Britain, Jockey Club rules banned women from riding in races until 1972, at which time a series of flat races had been approved for female jockeys but were restricted to female riders only. The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 in Britain afforded Alex Greaves the opportunity to become the first female jockey to ride in the prestigious 1996 Epsom Derby (at 500-1 odds), but it came decades after the act was passed.

In 1939, Anna Lee Aldred at age 18 was reluctantly granted a jockey's license to race at Agua Caliente Racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico, making her the first licensed female jockey to compete despite the failed attempts by racetrack officials to find a rule to prevent it. Aldred was given a small wooden badge that represented a jockey's license. In 1968, Kathy Kusner became the first female jockey in the U.S. to be granted a standard flat track jockey's license from a major racing jurisdiction, but only after she filed a lawsuit against the Maryland Racing Commission that resulted in a year-long legal battle. In September 1968, Circuit Judge Ernest A. Loveless overturned the commission's denial. On that same day at Florida Downs, Diane Crump achieved her first race win. Crump was the first female in the U.S. to compete as a professional jockey in a pari-mutuel race, "despite boycotts, hecklers and a dubious society". She was also the first female jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby. Francine Villeneuve acquired her jockey's license in 1987, and became the first female to ride and place in the Queen's Plate, Canada's oldest and most prestigious race. Chantal Sutherland raced in the US and Canada but it wasn't until the year 2000 that she began her career as a licensed jockey. She was another trail blazer who loved the sport, and helped pave the way for other women to become licensed jockeys.

It wasn't until the early 21st Century that female jockeys were given opportunities to compete globally in the most prestigious races with large purses, such as the 10 million Dubai World Cup. There has been noticeable progress for female jockeys over the years, but they are still facing many of the same issues the earliest female jockeys were facing during Eva Ring's time. They are still being discriminated against despite research that has demonstrated women ride as well as men. Some have also been subjected to sexual harassment and bullying. But not all victories end with a victory celebration, as evidenced by the seventh race of the meet. There were no starting gates at South Side racetrack; therefore, at the start of each race, jockeys had to ride their horses up to the designated starter and get underway. Ring was astride outsider Lord Avondale and broke at the start to gain four lengths on the field in what became the "disputed seventh race". Race fans booed with disapproval and threw cushions onto the track because the horse Dawn Breeze was blocked at the start and lost any chance of winning. The favored horse Budover passed Lord Avondale to win the race, while Voltear gained ground from behind and placed second to Lord Avondale's third-place finish. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police moved in after the race and stated that changes had to made for Saturday's program to which track manager, Jimmy Smith, responded: "We'll have good starts if the horses have to be standing stock still when the race bell rings."

Ring also garnered attention in 1941 as one of the out-of-town riders competing in both the Powder Puff Derby and the Beaux and Belles race held in Calgary. In the Sports section of the Calgary Herald, Ring was introduced as the out-of-towner who had "gained such a reputation as a rider that many patrons bet on her mounts simply because she is in the saddle." On August 20, 1941, Chinook Park racetrack in Calgary hosted the Beaux and Belles feature race, distance six furlongs, with a field of 8 horses, each to be ridden by one of 8 jockeys consisting of 4 regulars (males) and 4 females. The females were given a 13-pound advantage. The owners of the horses remained unaware of which jockey would be mounted on their respective horses until post time. Mrs. Ring should be right at home here, too...She has always been racing against regular jockeys and, in the past at the South Side track, she has been probably the best of all the riders present...If she draws a horse that can run, she will have a good chance of winning the Beaux and Belles' event. ~ Ken McConnell, From the Sports Mill The race was a thrilling one from start to finish and brought about considerable surprise to the fans who had overlooked the lady riders when buying their pari-mutuel tickets. Russian Bank, a noted heavy track performer, returned $11.50. Cave Boy came in for a heavy play but was a badly beaten third. ~Bob Mamini, Sports Editor

Ring and a few other Canadian female jockeys were considered "well-known to horse and racing fans". Most competed in the annual "Calgary Town Plate", more commonly known as the "Powder Puff Derby", that was first held in 1940, but Ring did not compete that year. The Calgary Herald published a rather controversial cartoon montage that depicted female jockeys as blonde bimbo types rather than portraying them as serious professionals competing in a what some may consider an extreme and very dangerous sport.

Ring was one of seven qualifiers competing in the 1941 Powder Puff Derby, and was included in the group picture that was published in The Calgary Herald, and a few days later in the Edmonton Journal with the headline "Edmonton's Mrs. E. Ring to Compete in Powder Puff Derby at Chinook Park Today". Ring's horse for the Derby was Tab's Bid. The Calgary Herald published a short clip about the race which began as follows: "They pickle peaches and preserve jam in their spare time - when they have any - but most of them have a calendar as crowded as a debutante's. Running a home, looking after one or two children in some cases, and participating in sports of many kinds keeps them as busy as the proverbial bee." ~ Calgary Herald, 'Powder Puff' Riders All Set For Big Race The featured riding events included harness racing, a musical demonstration of horsemanship skills, "jumping with blanket only", and "pair jumping" that Ring and her teammate Ruth Stevenson placed 2nd in. The Powder Puff Derby was won by Neta Robbins.

In 1943, Ring qualified out of twelve entries to compete in the Powder Puff Derby 6-horse field in Calgary. The race was held at Victoria Park, Calgary, and was restricted to "lady riders" and "Thoroughbred and half-breds who have never raced on a major race course." Some Star ridden by Mrs. A. Finch won the race by a length ahead of Little Barb with Mrs. Joan Hawes astride. Edna S. ridden by Mrs. C. Simpson was 3rd. In September that same year, Ring attended the Edmonton Saddle Club's Gymkana, and placed in various horse races and jumping events.

Licensed Thoroughbred trainer In the late 1940s, after Ring retired as a jockey, she became notable as one of few women trainers on the western circuit in Canada. She trained Thoroughbred race horses for Bill Little, a hotel owner in Rosetown who at the time was an up-and-coming Thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder. He owned Swift Water Stud, a large Thoroughbred breeding establishment in Saskatchewan, which means "swift water", and his racing colors consisted of a blue jacket and red cap. Little considered Ring and his stable manager Fred Jones to be "a winning combination". Ring not only trained his horses to run, Little added that "she breaks them and gallops them" and "does about everything but ride in the races." A few of the notable horses that Ring trained for him included Pussy Boots by Yankee Doodle out of Double Foot, and Liberty Boy by Lynnwood out of Goddess of Liberty in the string of seven that raced in 1947–1948. It spread quickly to Barn B were 35 head of horses were stabled awaiting the start of the race that day, including Pussy Boots and several others Ring was hauling. She and Jones were among the first to see the fire and start freeing horses. One of the horses they freed was 4-year-old High Bluff, a top Thoroughbred in the K and K stable.