Irene Ryan loved to bet the ponies

However, it wasn't a problem!

February 18, 2025, 11:41AM By MeTV Staff

CBS Television Distribution

Of all the so-called vices in American life, sports betting has increasingly become the most acceptable. Seldom does anyone crash their car because they've bet too much. While over-indulging has financial penalties, we're happy to let people make their own decisions. In 2018, the Supreme Court overturned a federal ban on sports betting. In the five years that followed, Americans lost a collective $220 billion.

However, betting on horses, when done in moderation, can be a fun way to pass an afternoon. It's perfectly legal, and in 1970, depending on which state you were in, it was a fine way to spend one's time.

Irene Ryan, Granny on The Beverly Hillbillies, loved betting on horses. An August 1970 article in The Ogden Standard-Examiner says the actress could often be found at the Hollywood Park racetrack, where many of the regulars and employees knew her well.

Allegedly, she showed great restraint with her gambling and never took great risks. She admitted to avoiding higher-stakes bets like the track's "daily double."

"I have trouble enough trying to pick one horse," said Ryan, who rarely bet even $5 at a time.

According to the interview, Ryan was intensely loyal to her previous favorites at the track.

"I have a lot of old friends," she said of her hooved choices.

While she loved spending her time at the track, Ryan had no interest in owning horses. She was very deliberate in stating that she wasn't hooked on ponies. Irene Ryan was able to relax at the track without compulsively betting.