Former jockey Heriberto "Herbie" Rivera Jr., winner of more than 3,200 races during his 23-year career, has been appointed an East Coast regional manager of the 1,300-member Jockeys' Guild.Since retiring from riding, Rivera served as a state steward in Florida for three years and in Michigan for four years. Rivera rode from 1977 to 1999, and was the 83rd jockey to win 3,000 races."He is very highly respected in the racing community, and he brings a great level of credibility to the jockeys and the Guild," said Dwight Manley, Jockeys' Guild national manager."He's a great asset to the Guild because he's recognized and respected everywhere in the country and in the entire industry," Guild chairman John Velazquez said.Manley said Rivera's extensive experience and his bilingual skill will be help the organization make significant progress."I recently met with jockeys in Pennsylvania, and at some tracks 65% or 70% of them speak Spanish," Rivera said. "There was good reaction when I was able to explain issues and the Guild's work in Spanish.
The Guild now has five regional managers. The others are Darrell Haire, who is based on the West Coast; Jeff Johnston, who handles the Midwest; and John Beech and Larry Saumell, who oversee the East and South.