Spotlight on Associates
Banana Derby begins 8th Season How'd you get in the Monkey Biz, is
a question Phil Hendricks has been asked many times. The simple an- swer is, he used to be a Lawyer, ran away and joined the circus, and end- ed up with a group of monkeys, who he has been taking care of for the last decade. Growing up in the suburbs of Chica-
Associate Members Annie, Symona Gilligan, and Phillip Hendricks with Banana Derby at the Pensacola Interstate Fair
go Phil had an insatiable passion for the circus, reading anything and everything he could find on the cir- cus, and attending every Circus, Fair, or Carnival he could visit. His plan to join the circus upon his graduation from High School was derailed by his
mother's plan that he be a Lawyer, like his father and brother. Graduat- ing from the John Marshall Law School in 1988, Phil became a prose- cutor in Dupage County IL, for five years, followed by 5 years as a de- fense attorney working with his father and brother. His interest in the circus never disappeared, and in 1998, Phil gave up the practice of law and literally and figuratively ran away and joined the circus. Ringmas- ter, legal adjuster, dog trainer, and manager are a few of the jobs he held in the decade he spent on the sawdust trail. The highlight of his circus career was meeting the girl of his dreams, Aneliya, a beautiful
acrobat on the Sterling & Reid Bros Circus in in 2003. That's when the monkey business began, they started to take care of a group of capuchin monkeys. The monkeys (Gilligan, BoBo,& Burt) were ex- pets and the original plan was to train them as service animals, but that did not work out. One day BoBo climbed on the family dog George, and started rid-
ing around on his back. Some friends saw BoBo riding the dog and suggested making a dog riding monkey show, that was in 2007. In 2008 the Banana Derby was born,the only show of its kind. For the last 7 years Hendricks, his wife, daughter, monkeys & hounds, have been traveling across the country playing State and County Fairs. While not billed as an educational show, there is quite a bit of infor- mation that the fair goers can learn about these interesting monkeys. Capuchin Monkeys, best associated has the organ grinder monkey of yesteryear, are some of the smartest primates, and enjoy interact- ing with people. The real draw of the show seems to be the teaming up of the monkeys, with the dogs, mans's closest relative and man's best friend. "The success if the show exceeded everyone's wildest expectations" states Hendricks. "I'm truly a blessed man, living my dream, traveling with my family, and sharing my animals with the public."
https://www.fairsandexpos.com
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