Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop

Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop, standing next to “Bright Gem” with jockey Jack Sollars

Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop (October 5, 1920 – December 27, 2004) was an American horse trainer.[1] In 1954, Bishop became the first female African American to train Thoroughbreds in the United States when the West Virginia Legislature authorized her with the license for training racehorses.[2][3] Between 1987 and 2000, Bishop's horses won 44 races, earning a total of US$166,633.[4]

Biography

Born on October 5, 1920, in Charles Town, West Virginia, United States, Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop was the daughter of James H. and his wife Barbara Snowden Rideout.[3] Since her childhood, Bishop showed love for horses and hanged around the Charles Town horse tracks and stables.[3] At the age of 17, she quit school and became a horse trainer in a male dominated world of horse race industry in the 1940s and 1950s.[2][4][3]

During her 60 years long career in horse racing, she trained about 200 steeds for the track primarily for the Charles Town race track.[5] Her clients included Nelson Bunker Hunt, a Texas oil baron; Edward L. Stephenson, a real estate investor, and Tyson Gilpin.[5][3] She retired in 2000 citing worsening arthritis.[2]

She was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Charles Town Races.[2]

She died on December 27, 2004, in Charles Town, West Virginia.[2][4][3]

References

  1. ^ Jefferson County Black History Preservation Society Inc. (September 18, 2012). African Americans of Jefferson County. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. NA. ISBN 978-1-439-62279-7. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e Perks, Doug (April 30, 2020). "Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop – "Lady Horse Trainer"". spiritofjefferson.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Sylvia Bishop". africanamericanhorsestories.org. africanamericanhorsestories.org. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Sylvia Bishop, African American Race Horse Trainer". lizditz.typepad.com. lizditz.typepad.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Sylvia Rideout Bishop". horsecountrycarrot.com. horsecountrycarrot.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.