Racing Against the Odds: The Inspiring Legacy of Wantha Bangs Davis
From the windswept plains of Kansas to the racetracks of North America, Wantha Bangs Davis carved out a groundbreaking career in horse racing during a time when women were rarely seen on the track. Racing over 1,000 times across three decades, Wantha defied gender barriers. Though denied access to the sport’s most prestigious races, her fearless determination and undeniable skill left a lasting legacy in the world of horse racing.
Wantha Bangs was born in 1917 in Liberal, Kansas, the oldest of four children in a hardworking family. In her youth, she became intrigued with racing while attending fairs and local tracks. In 1934, after graduating high school, she followed her dream of working with horses. While the United States was in the grips of the Great Depression, she boarded a train. At only 17 and traveling alone, Wantha left Kansas for Texas. This decision began a remarkable 30-year career in horse racing.
For the rest of the '30s, Wantha traveled the racing circuit to fairgrounds and tracks in Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and other western states. While in Nebraska, Wantha was hired to ride for Oklahoma rancher Lendol Davis. She won the races, and she won Lendol. They were married in 1939.
Wantha competed in over 1,000 races across the western United States, Mexico, and Canada. She was the first woman jockey in many places she raced. Breaking barriers in a men-dominated sport. In one of her most famous victories, she defeated celebrated jockey Johnny Longden at a race in Tijuana in 1949. After crossing the finishing line, Longden threw down his gear and refused to shake her hand. He called the race a farce. Headlines of newspapers read, "Housewife beats Longden."
Despite her achievements, Wantha faced significant roadblocks. Many state racing commissions denied her a jockey license. This prevented her from competing in the sport's most significant events, like the Kentucky Derby. The reasoning? It would be an inconvenience. Noting tracks had a single dressing area designated for male jockeys. In an interview, Wantha shared that she also converted her horse trailer into a dressing room.
During the '40s, while living in Kentucky, Davis earned income by exercising horses for $1 each. While she could exercise horses at Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, she was never allowed to race at the track. Wantha's natural ability to read horses and determination earned her the respect of many in the racing world.
Wantha rode her last race in 1956. She transitioned her focus to training horses in Oklahoma. A little over a decade after she retired, in 1968, courts ruled women jockeys were allowed to race. Ushering in a new generation of female riders. Over the years, the light of Wantha's legacy dimmed. Then, in 2004, the National Cowgirl Museum honored her by inducting her into their Hall of Fame, giving her the recognition she rightly deserved. Wantha passed away in 2012 at the age of 95, a pioneer who paved the way for future generations of women in horse racing. Despite her family's efforts, the National Racing Hall of Fame has not recognized or inducted her.
Hear Wantha's story directly for her: Interview with Wantha Davis
Sources: "Long Shot for the Hall of Fame," Austin American-Statesman, Austin, Texas Dec. 22, 2002
"Wantha Davis jockeyed for a spot in a man's world," Lexington Herald-Leader,
Lexington, Kentucky Dec 01, 2002
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