Robyn Astaire

American jockey, the first female to ride professionally with her first race on 12/05/1969. Four years later, on 3/01/1973, she became the first woman to win a major stakes race and the first to ride three winners in one day. Robyn's history remains one that has shades of doubt. She relates that she was "sold as a baby," and went through a lot of foster homes. "She said, "If I had a choice of a wonderful childhood or wonderful adulthood, I'd take the adulthood." Originally a Hollywood aspirant in 1968, she learned to ride with first working as an exercise girl. Alfred Vanderbilt took an interest in her career and helped her get a start. After their separation, she met Fred Astaire, 46 years her senior, for the first time on 1/01/1973. Three years later she moved to Los Angeles and they began to see each other. She filled a place for Astaire that had been empty since his wife died. They married 6/24/1980 when she was 35 and he, 81. She was widowed on 6/22/1987 and well provided for; her inheritance included a $3 million home in which she still resides. She did not date or remarry, but remained protective of her married life with Astaire, keeping pictures and memories close. She lived as a recluse, modestly, with one new hobby, that of taking flying lessons. Fiercely private, she does not grant interviews. Slender and intense, she keeps her 110 lb weight by daily running. Holding sole rights to the film image of her late husband, she was asking $150,000 per minute of footage. Legal roadblocks were overcome by MGM to show clips of Astaire dancing in the special, "That's Entertainment III." Stating that she was following Astaire's wishes, Robyn was nonetheless embroiled in controversy about the way she handled the estate. When he was shown dancing with a cleaning tool in an technically enhanced commercial, the criticism deepened.