Bookmaking’s in the blood for Jo Borger

LOCAL “bookie” Jo Borger has been fielding at the local horses for the past two years.

Bookmaking is in her blood.

Her Mum Kerrie was a bookie for 30 years and was the first female to be registered with the NSW Bookmakers’ Co-op.

Jo remembers going to the races from the age of five.

When old enough to be licensed, she “pencilled” and swung the change bag for her Mum and other bookies before gracing the stand herself.

“I didn’t have much chance of doing anything else, given I started going to the races at the age of five and with Mum’s history at the track,” Jo told News Of The Area.

She now fields at the Port Macquarie races, Taree, Wauchope, Kempsey and other venues if there’s a big meeting.

Jo has seen many changes in betting on the horses.

The biggest change has been the dramatic drop-off in crowds at race meetings, leading to smaller turnovers.

The inception of TAB betting off-course also reduced betting at the track.

Then there was the rise of corporate betting companies, who let punters bet via their mobile phones, which also took money away from the tracks.

Jo remembers the days of handwritten betting tickets when she wrote a thousand tickets at one meeting.

Jo has never matched this feat with the now computer-generated tickets.

Like a lot of racegoers, she misses the big crowds at the track and the atmosphere they create.

She looks forward to the News Year’s Day meeting at Port Macquarie and the Boxing Day meeting at Wauchope where there is a glimpse of the good old days.

By day, Jo works in NSW TAFE admin.

She believes bookmaking is no longer a viable business and now regards it as a hobby and social event.

By Bill HARROW