Davy Jones, Horseman and Monkee, Always Wanted to be a Jockey

Davy Jones, who to many fans was always thought of as the cutest of the Monkees, was an enthusiastic horse rider and horse breeder, I learned on CNN the night that he died. Mickey Dolenz, the drummer of the band, talked at some points with tears in his eyes about how much Davy loved riding, and that at one point in his life as a kid in Manchester, England, his goal was to be a jockey. Dolenz said he used to ride with Jones and that he felt like they were brothers…they both shared a lifetime love of horses and horseracing.

Jones owned 13 horses in Florida, said Dolenz, and he spent many hours grooming them, as well as mucking stalls and watching the fillies run. He kept very busy, said his friend, wiping a tear from his eye. Dolenz told Piers Morgan that he was pretty surprised about Jones’ sudden death, since he was a strict vegetarian and kept so fit with all of the work of the ranch. He lived alone with the 13 horses until he married a Spanish singer in 2009. He died when he was visiting them at a ranch near his home in Indiantown Florida.

In a newspaper story out of Stuart, neighbors cited Jones for his friendliness and said that he helped raise $250,000 for scholarships for students by hosting a big event at the horse ranch. He sang some of the old Monkees songs and stayed late to clean up after the guests had left, the story said.