The Women Behind the Kentucky Derby
By Charlotte Madden
The popular and exciting Kentucky Derby takes place at the beginning of May. The weekend of the derby is full of meticulously planned events. Every year, there are a countless number of celebrities who attend the famous event. The derby itself takes place at the beautiful Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. There are so many outstanding women who have competed and trained for the derby. By the 1940’s, it was common for women to own the competing horses. Though no female jockey has finished first in the famous race, many inspiring women have run horses in the race including May Hirsch and Shelley Riley. One of the top female jockeys in history, Kathy Ritvo, finished 3rd with her horse Mucho Macho Man in the 2011 Kentucky Derby and went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2013, making her the first female trainer to win a Breeders’ Cup Classic race. Though there have not been many women to place in the top places in the derby, each year more and more women are getting involved and will continue to become more successful.
The 2018 French Open
By Chloe Cornell
As the 2018 French Open approaches, excitement is building from the spectators as well as the players, looking forward to another incredible tournament. In last year’s French Open, Jelena Ostapenko, the unseeded 20-year old, was responsible for one of the greatest Grand Slam Tennis tournament upsets when she beat third seeded Simona Halep to win her first major title. Because of last year’s upset, the women’s tournament this year, which begins on May 27th, is going to be all the more intense.
Serena Williams’s recent pregnancy has raised lots of commotion as to whether she’ll be participating in this year’s French Open. Before going on maternity leave last year, she won her 23rd Grand Slam title at the 2017 Australian Open. However, she did not compete in this year’s tournament. According to her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, she will be ready and fit for this year’s French Open. Since giving birth in September, she’s played with her sister Venus Williams in a Fed Cup Doubles Match and most recently in the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. Losing both, Mouratoglou admits that it’s going to take time for her to adjust and return to her number 1 spot. Recovering from the emergency C section and her recent embolism, it’s going to be a challenge for Serena, but with three more major tournaments left this year, she feels prepared to take on the 2018 French Open.
Becky Hammon: First Female Assistant Coach in NBA
By Chloe Cornell
Former WNBA star Becky Hammon is making history as the first female assistant coach in the NBA. Back in 2014, Hammon was brought onto the San Antonio Spurs by coach Gregg Popovich, making her “the first full-time female coach in big-time American men’s sports.” Just recently, she earned the position of assistant coach on the San Antonio Spurs and is seen as the person most likely to shatter the NBA’s glass ceiling. After Hammon was promoted to assistant coach, Lebron James welcomed Hammon and commented on how he’d feel about playing for a female coach in the future. “I mean, if she knows what she’s doing, we’ll love it. I mean, listen, at the end of the day, basketball… it’s not male or female. You know the game, you know the game.” Read more about Becky Hammon breaking convention here.
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May 2018 issue
