Jockeys deal with the regal thoroughbred on a daily basis but a group of Sydney riders has joined forces with a different kind of animal royalty for charity.

Josh Parr, Luke Dittman, Anthony Cavallo, Paul Hammersley and Sam Clipperton have stripped down for a photo shoot with pure-bred show dogs with the pictures to be used in a calendar to raise money for the NSW Cancer Council.

The fund raising effort is the brainchild of Sydney photographer Ffiona Erskine who is also working on a documentary and coffee table book to help assist with research into all types of cancer.

Parr, who brought his own photogenic boxer Maggie to the shoot, said he was happy to help out for such a worthy cause.

"Everyone has had some experience with cancer in their lives," Parr said.

"My uncle died of pancreatic cancer recently not long after being diagnosed.

"The Cancer Council is such a worthy cause."

Parr said Maggie had also experienced her own health scare.

"She had a tumour removed from her leg," he said.

"Apparently boxers are susceptible to cancer and it was a great relief that she was OK."

Dittman, the son of champion jockey Mick Dittman, was just 21 months old when his mother Maureen was diagnosed with a brain tumour and told she had just weeks to live.

In fact, the horse trainer lived to see her son grow up, fighting cancer for 16 years before her death in 2009.

Before she became a trainer, Maureen Dittman won many ribbons in the show jumping arena.

The charity her son posed for is called Chasing Satin, highlighting the pursuit of such ribbons in people's lives.

Retired jockey Brian York and his wife Karen, both dog lovers, are supporting Erskine's fund raising efforts and arranged the photo shoot at Randwick Racecourse with the permission of the Australian Turf Club.

It is hoped more jockeys will become involved along with other high-profile sports people and television personalities.