Horse Gambling Fans Love Bo Derek's Passion
For anyone who thought meetings of the California Horse Racing Board were dry, boring sessions where sleep was the only escape, make a note: those days are over. This week, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed actress and all-around gorgeous gal Bo Derek as a commissioner of the board.
Derek took her place on the seven member committee, which governs the state racing industry and enforces rules and regulations.
Derek has been advocate for years in campaigns to save wild horses in the American west from slaughter, is considered likely to press issues concerning safety of the animals in both racing and training conditions.
Derek showed she was in tune with other board members as they unanimously voted to eliminate anabolic steroids from legitimate training methods. The Breeders' Cup in October will be the first race run under the new rule.
The board and Derek also voted to end heel-nerving, which involved severing a nerve to reduce pain.
California had long been among the worst states as far as animal deaths involved in racing; in 2005 alone the state saw 320 horses killed or put down. Now, measures are being designed to make the state a leader in safety regulations and methods.
Shwarzenegger stated that when he named Derek, he did so because he likes to include a variety of viewpoints in his administration. But Bo seems to be right in step with the majority on the need to reduce equine deaths and injuries, and if she finds someone who disagrees... well, a few notes of Ravel's Bolero should have him eating out of her hand.
