Robyn Smith Astaire (born August 14, 1944) is an American retiredjockey. Active from 1969 to 1980, Smith accumulated 247 wins in California andNew York race tracks, and became the first female jockey to win a stakes race in 1973.

Smith is largely evasive about the details of her early life.^[2] She toldSports Illustrated in her 1972 cover profile that she was born inSan Francisco,California on August 14, 1944, but the journal could find no birth record of a Robyn Caroline Smith for several years around that time.^[3] Claims that she had attendedStanford University as an English major, and that she was under contract withMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer were similarly debunked.^[3] In 1997, she told theLos Angeles Times that she was "sold" as an infant, and went through a series offoster homes.^[4]

In April 1969,Kjell Qvale agreed to let Smith ride one of his horses,^[3] and on April 3, Smith became the first female jockey in Northern California, finishing second at a race atGolden Gate Fields upon Swift Yorky.^[5] When Money Road finished last at the same track a week later, however, the decision to grant her an apprentice jockey license came into question. The decision of whether or not to award her the license was dependent uponAl Shelhamer, who had not seen Smith ride in person and would have to consult film of her first two Golden Gate races.^[6] Her license was granted, and in her first race as a licensed jockey, Smith and Swift Yorky finished in ninth place at Golden Gate Fields on April 16, 1969.^[7] The next year, Smith secured her first New York victory atop Hill Cloud atAqueduct Racetrack inQueens.^[8]

Smith's early victories in New York and California were seen as an inspiration to future woman riders.^[9] In 1973, leading up to the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match, Smith challengedBobby Riggs to a horse race, while joking that he would turn down the challenge because "He doesn't want to get himself killed."^[10] While many Thoroughbred owners were reluctant to lend their horses to a female rider, Smith found an ally inAlfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr., the chairman of theNew York Racing Association during her jockey career.^[11] Their business connection led to rumors of a romantic involvement between Vanderbilt and Smith.^[12]

Smith appeared on the cover ofSports Illustrated on July 31, 1972.^[3] Shortly afterwards, it was announced that she would become the first female rider to be honored by the New York Turf Writers Association inSaratoga Springs, New York.^[13] Retired textile executive Nathan Isaacs named a filly, Ramblin Robyn, after Smith, and she rode the horse to victory at Aqueduct in December 1973.^[14]

After starting her 1973 racing season with a spill atop Faithville Ruler atSanta Anita Park,^[15] on March 1, 1973, Smith became the first female jockey to win astakes race, winning the $27,450Paumonok Handicap atAqueduct Racetrack on the back of North Sea.^[16] On October 3, 1975, Smith became the first female jockey to win three races in one afternoon at a major New York track. She turned three victories atBelmont Park, riding Lead Line, Slink, and Togs Drone.^[17]

By 1978, Smith's career had largely come to a standstill, recording only one victory in 55 races, and struggling to find trainers.^[18] Most of her income was provided by television endorsement deals.^[19] After a final ride at Saratoga on July 30, 1980,^[20] Smith announced her official retirement from the sport on August 9.^[2]

On January 1, 1973, a friend introduced Smith toFred Astaire at Santa Anita.^[21] She went on to marry Astaire on June 24, 1980, at the Astaire home inBeverly Hills,California.^[22] At the time of their marriage, Astaire was 81 and Smith was 35.^[23] After Astaire's death in 1987, Smith became embroiled in a series of legal battles over the use of her late husband's image. Most notably, Smith prevented theJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts from using video footage of Astaire during its 1992 televised tribute to his longtime Hollywood collaboratorGinger Rogers.^[24][25] In 1997, Smith agreed to a deal which resulted in commercials in which old footage was digitally altered such that Astaire appeared to dance withDirt Devil brand mops and vacuum cleaners, over the objections of Astaire's daughter Ava.^[26] In 1998, theU.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Smith in a decision over whether an instructional videotape manufacturer could usepublic domain footage of Astaire in the filmsSecond Chorus andRoyal Wedding to teach dance steps.^[27]

Following Astaire's 1987 death, Smith took upaviation, earning pilot certification in a series of airplanes and helicopters.^[28]

• Career statistics from Equibase

• 1944 births
• Living people
• Sportspeople from San Francisco
• Jockeys from California
• American female jockeys
• Fred Astaire
• Aviators from California

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from March 2021