Melancon (pronounced Ma-lawn-son) was born in
Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. He began racing horses at age nine at local
bush tracks and at age sixteen obtained his jockeys license. He rode his first winner on September 28, 1971, at
Jefferson Downs Race Track in the
New Orleans suburb of
Kenner, Louisiana. The following year he won one hundred and eighty two races, the most of any apprentice jockey in the United States.
During his long career, Larry Melancon won numerous
Graded stakes races and of his four appearances in the
Kentucky Derby, his top result was a fourth in the
1976 edition aboard Amano.
Melancon retired from riding in 2010 having won 2,857 races and more than $60 million in purses. He died in
Louisville, Kentucky.[1]