Monkeys Jockey Atop Dogs in the Banana Derby at the Fair
JACKSON, Tenn. – Rain at the opening day of the West Tennessee State Fair did not keep fair goers away thanks to the new attraction, the Banana Derby. Phillip Hendricks is the founder of the event and said it is so successful because people are intrigued by monkeys. “I think there’s a connection between man and monkey. And dogs are man’s best friends! You put the monkey on a dog and your bound to have a good time,” he said. For the first time in the fair’s 158 year history, the fair will play host to the Banana Derby. Monkeys jockey their way to victory atop dogs. Hendricks said this derby is unlike any other in the world and fair goers agree. Cade Cable, 8, and Reed Cooper watched the event and said they were amazed. “It was so cool!,” Cooper said. “It was just so awesome and funny,” Cable said. But it was not just kids enjoying themselves. “I think it’s awesome! This is the first time the fairs had something really neat for families and kids and for everybody to see so it was awesome,” Eric England said. The fair uses Capuchin monkeys that Hendricks said he has trained for nearly a decade. He said the training is not easy but worth it to bring people together with animals they would not normally encounter. “[People] shake hands with a monkey at the fair. That’s something they’ll tell their kids about 30 years from now,” he said. Many fair goers said they hope this monkey business is here to stay. “I think its real neat! I never seen anything like this before in my life,” Joe Paul Pettigrew said. The Banana Derby will be going on every night until Sunday, the final day of the fair.
