Penny Ann Early

In 1968, Penny Ann Early became one of the pioneering women attempting to break into professional horse racing in the United States. Early wanted the opportunity to ride against male jockeys at major American racetracks, including Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. When she was scheduled to ride at Churchill Downs, male jockeys boycotted races in protest of her participation.

Early's efforts came during a period when women throughout the United States were challenging longstanding barriers in professional sports. Although other women were also fighting for opportunities as licensed jockeys, the controversy surrounding Early attracted national attention.

Barbara Jo Rubin would ultimately become the first woman to win a race against male jockeys in the United States. Early nevertheless continued pursuing her own racing career and later won the Lady Godiva Handicap at Suffolk Downs on April 19, 1969, a race featuring seven female jockeys.

At the height of the controversy surrounding Early's attempt to compete as a jockey, the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association signed her to a contract in November 1968.

The signing was largely a publicity stunt connected to the attention Early was receiving at Churchill Downs. At approximately 5'3" and 112 pounds, Early had no background as a professional basketball player and was dramatically smaller than the other players in the ABA.

Colonels head coach Gene Rhodes was reportedly unhappy with the situation and initially had no intention of playing Early. Team management, however, wanted her to appear in an actual ABA game.

On November 27, 1968, the Kentucky Colonels played the Los Angeles Stars in Louisville. Early dressed for the game and wore number 3, symbolizing the three races at Churchill Downs that had been affected by jockey boycotts.

During the first half, Rhodes sent Early to the scorer's table and she officially entered the game. Early took possession of the ball out of bounds and inbounded it to Kentucky guard Bobby Rascoe. Rascoe immediately called timeout and Early was removed from the game.

Her appearance lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to put her into the record books. Early became the first woman to appear in a major men's professional basketball league in the United States.

The crowd of more than 5,000 reacted with a mixture of cheers and boos, and Early reportedly signed hundreds of autographs afterward. She never appeared in another professional basketball game.

Because Early entered the game only long enough to inbound the ball before Kentucky called timeout, official statistical records credit her with one game played but zero minutes and no recorded statistics.

After her brief basketball appearance, Early returned to horse racing. She competed in a small number of races over the next several years. Her most notable victory came on April 19, 1969, when she won the $10,000 Lady Godiva Handicap at Suffolk Downs.

Maintaining the low weight required of a jockey proved difficult, and Early eventually moved away from racing. She later worked with horses as a trainer and remained involved with them for much of her life.

Early's basketball career consisted of a single appearance and one inbounds pass, but her place in professional basketball history is unique. The Kentucky Colonels' decision to sign her was unquestionably a publicity stunt, yet her appearance also came at a time when women were challenging barriers throughout American sports.

At 5'3", Early was also extraordinarily short by men's professional basketball standards. Her listed weight of roughly 112 to 114 pounds made her one of the lightest players ever to appear in the ABA or NBA.

Penny Ann Early's appearance with the Colonels remains one of the strangest and most memorable moments in ABA history. What began with a controversy in horse racing resulted in Early making history on a professional basketball court.