LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Central Kentucky woman turned a hobby she started during the height of the pandemic, into a thriving small business.

“It’s a pandemic hobby gone wild,” said Katy Jones, the owner of Riders Up Custom Cavaliers.

It’s a small business birthed out of her garage, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jones designs and crafts jockey figures.

“I painted my first jockey during the pandemic. You know I wanted one and painted it and people responded quickly with orders,” Jones said. 

In a little over a year, Jones has painted – by hand – more than 40 individual jockeys for customers across the state of Kentucky. And she said while the finished product is great to see, she spends a lot of time perfecting each design.

“I would say I spend as much time prepping them as I do painting them. Honestly, to get them down to a really smooth finish before they start getting color on them, so no big holes in their face, no rough edges. Then once they're completely done, they get a very good, clear coat to protect them from UV and water,” Jones said.

Jones works full time as a marketing director for a local mortgage company, but said her after-work pandemic hobby has turned into a passion project for her that is truly thriving.

"I’m humbled. honestly, that people trust me to create something for them for their families, that they see the time and true like care that I put into them you know, I'm not pulling them and slapping paint on them and getting them out as quick as I can, you know, I really spend a lot of time with these guys. And I want people to be able to look at them and the detail that I do and not find sloppy lazy mistakes,” Jones explained.

Each of the personalized jockey costs start at about $500 and that covers the Jockey, prepping, painting, and sealing.