Greyhound jockey

Greyhound jockeys or monkey jockeys are capuchin monkeys trained to ride racing dogs for sport over a 5⁄16-mile (500 m) course.

The use of monkeys as jockeys in greyhound races was recorded in Sydney at the Shepherd's Bush Race course in Mascot, in Sydney, Australia, in 1927.[1] and 1928.[2] Monkey jockeys were still being used in greyhound races in Victoria, Australia, in 1938.[3]

In the United States, monkey greyhound racing is claimed to have begun as a fad in Palm Beach, Florida, in 1930, conceived by Loretta and Charlie David. The couple obtained 12 female capuchin monkeys and over a period of two years trained them to ride greyhound racing dogs in specially designed saddle harnesses. The craze continued in America until the late 1930s before the public lost interest.[4]

References
  1. MONKEY JOCKEYS. (1927, December 19). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 11. Retrieved June 9, 2018
  2. National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3308231
  3. Argus, 11 May 1938, p.3
  4. Joan Dillon, "Racing for Peanuts; Monkey Jockeys of the ’30s" http://greytarticles.wordpress.com/historical/racing-for-peanuts/
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