Wantha Davis facts for kids

Wantha Davis (born January 3, 1917 – died September 18, 2012) was an amazing American female jockey. She was famous for racing Thoroughbred horses. Wantha became a true pioneer in a sport mostly dominated by men.

Wantha Davis: Early Life and Racing Start

Wantha Lorena Bangs was born near Liberal, Kansas. After finishing high school, she took a freight train to Texas. There, she found work helping out in the stables at a horse racetrack. A year later, she returned to Kansas. This is where she began her exciting career as a jockey.

Wantha raced for more than twenty years. During this time, she won over one thousand races! This was especially impressive because, back then, women were often not allowed to get official racing licenses.

Beating the Best Jockeys

Wantha Davis was so successful that many important sports writers thought she was one of the best jockeys in the whole United States.

In 1949, she even beat the famous jockey Johnny Longden. This happened in a special race at Agua Caliente Racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico. Longden was so surprised, he immediately asked for a rematch! A few months later, in April 1950, Wantha won another special race. This time, she defeated Jack Westrope, who would also become a Hall of Fame jockey.

A Place in History

In 2004, Wantha Davis was honored for her achievements. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the National Cowgirl Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. This showed how important her contributions were to horse racing and to women in sports.

Wantha Davis passed away peacefully on September 18, 2012. She was surrounded by her family.