Penny Ann Early facts for kids

Penny Ann Early (born May 30, 1943 – died June 23, 2023) was an amazing American athlete. She made history twice! Penny was the first woman to get a license to ride horses in professional races. She was also the first woman to play in a men's professional basketball league in the 1960s.

Breaking Barriers in Sports

In 1968, Penny Early became one of the first female jockeys in the United States. This was a big deal! When she was supposed to race at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, the male jockeys protested. They all refused to ride in her first few races. They did not want her to compete.

During this time, the Kentucky Colonels, a professional basketball team, signed Penny. They were part of the American Basketball Association. Penny had never played basketball before. She was also very small for a basketball player, only 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 112 pounds. This made her the smallest pro basketball player ever.

The team owners, Joseph and Mamie Gregory, told their coach, Gene Rhodes, to play Penny in a game. Coach Rhodes was not happy about this and argued with the owners.

Penny's big moment happened on November 27, 1968. The Colonels were playing against the Los Angeles Stars. Penny wore a miniskirt and a turtleneck sweater with the number 3 on it. The number 3 was for the three horse races she couldn't ride in. She warmed up with the team and sat on the bench.

During the first half of the game, Coach Rhodes sent Penny to the scorer's table. She officially checked into the game. She took the ball out of bounds and passed it to her teammate, Bobby Rascoe. He quickly called a timeout. The Colonels then took Penny out of the game. The crowd of 5,345 people cheered and booed. After the game, Penny signed many autographs for her fans. She had made history once again!

Life After the Spotlight

Penny Ann found it hard to keep her weight low enough for horse racing. She also struggled to get enough chances to ride. So, she decided to quit racing and become a horse trainer instead.

In 1974, when she was 30, Penny tried to make a comeback as a jockey. She worked hard to lose weight. However, her comeback was short. She had a bad accident during a race. She broke her arm, ankle, wrist, and some ribs.

After her injuries, Penny continued to work with horses. She worked in California and later in Shelbyville, Tennessee. She worked with horses until she passed away in June 2023.