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]