Jack Fires was 21 years old and only 5 years into his career as a jockey when a riding accident left him paraplegic in 1977. Fires is a PDJF beneficiary as well as a board member, having been named to the board in 2006. He represents the PDJF at numerous fundraising events across the country.
Owner of Lane’s End Farm, Will Farish was a founding member of the Breeders’ Cup; served as chairman of Churchill Downs; was a steward and vice chairman of The Jockey Club; and is a trustee at Keeneland. He received the Eclipse Award of Merit in 2009. Former ambassador to Great Britain, Farish has generously contributed to PDJF’s general operations and endowment fund and has been a board member since 2009.
Actress, humanitarian, and businesswoman, Bo Derek has been a PDJF board member since 2009. She was a member of the California Horse Racing Board from 2008-2015. Derek, an avid horsewoman, is active in both human and animal causes and has been a vocal opponent of horse slaughter in the U.S.
Since beginning his riding career in 1980, jockey Jon Court has tallied over 4000 victories. He has served as secretary to the Jockeys’ Guild and has been a PDJF board member since 2006. Court was honored with the George Woolf Memorial Award in 2007 and the Mike Venezia Memorial Award in 2015.
G.R. Carter is the all-time leading Quarter Horse jockey by wins and purse earnings. He is a four-time winner of the All-American Futurity and 10-time AQHA national champion jockey. Carter has served on the PDJF board of directors since 2006.