Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey (b. circa 1987) is a

white-faced capuchin White-faced capuchin, or white headed capuchin, can refer to either of two species of gracile capuchin monkey: * ''Cebus imitator'', the Panamanian white-faced capuchin, also known as the Panamanian white-headed capuchin or Central American whi ...

monkey known for riding a

Border Collie The Border Collie is a Scottish breed of herding dog of medium size. Widely considered to be the most intelligent dog breed, they are descended from landrace sheepdogs once found all over the British Isles, but became standardised in the Angl ...

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...

s across the United States.

Biography

Early life

Animal trainer Animal training is the act of teaching animals specific responses to specific conditions or stimuli. Training may be for purposes such as companionship, detection, protection, and entertainment. The type of training an animal receives will vary ...

Tommy Lucia purchased Whiplash as a baby from the widow of an animal enthusiast in

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

. As Lucia raised the young monkey, he introduced him to balancing on a

saddle The saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not kno ...

, then to the family's dogs. Over time, the dogs became used to carrying the capuchin.

Career

Whiplash has been riding since age two and travels with Kenny Petet, appearing at

s in North America and Europe. Since 2004, he has starred in a series of television advertisements for the fast-food chain

Taco John's Taco John's International, Inc. is an American fast food restaurant founded in 1969 by John Turner. The chain serves Cuisine of Mexico#Mexican cuisine outside of Mexico, Mexican-inspired fast-food, fast food (which it calls "West-Mex") as well a ...

. He has also appeared on ESPN, ''Good Morning America'', and ''The Today Show''. On January 29, 2009, Whiplash was knighted in

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...

, by the St. Paul Winter Carnival royalty at Tom Reid's Hockey City Pub near the

Xcel Energy Center Xcel Energy Center (also known as "The X") is a multipurpose arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Completed in 2000, it is named for its locally based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 17,954, the arena has four ...

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control 1987 animal births Individual monkeys People from Weatherford, Texas Individual primates in the United States