Here's how it works.
The Frog Jockey takes her/his entrant and dips it in warm water to liven it up. Then (s)he gently drops the contestant on a lillie pad circle. Both feet must be on the pad for a legal start.

Ready? Go!

The Jockey tries to launch the frog. The Jockey can jump, stomp, blow air, shout, and try very hard to make a fool of him/herself, but during the three leaps that will be measured to win, it's hands off the amphibian--no touching!

Frog Jockeys take their sport very seriously and they treat their jumpers kindly.

Underneath the stage is a quiet, cool, dark, "corral" with nice, moist containers in which leapers rest awaiting the big moment.

"Did I tell you?" Monkey asks, "It's traditional to kiss your frog for good luck. Tongue is considered in bad taste, however."

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JUMP! Carn sarn it; jump you addlepated answer for an amphibian!

But sometimes a frog's not interested no matter what antics its wrangler wrangles.

"There was this lady," Opice recalls, "with a frog named Louie-Louie. She tried to make it jump 10 times and every time it came her turn to try again, that critter sat there like it was sunnin' itself on a pond's lillie pad. Even the stage announcer thought it funny and made a big deal, 'Ok everyone. You know the name!' and everyone in the audience shouted Louie-Louie!"

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Mark Twain published The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Other Sketches in 1867.
....
"Now, if you're ready, set him alongside of Dan'l, with his fore-paws just even with Dan'l, and I'll give the word." Then he says, "One -- two -- three -- jump!" and him and the feller touched up the frogs from behind, and the new frog hopped off, but Dan'l give a heave, and hysted up his shoulders -- so -- like a Frenchman, but it wan't no use -- he couldn't budge; he was planted as solid as an anvil, and he couldn't no more stir than if he was anchored out. Smiley was a good deal surprised, and he was disgusted too, but he didn't have no idea what the matter was, of course.

The man with the cane isn't resting. He's marking the official spot where the frog touched down after three leaps. A tape measure gets strung from the center of the lillie pad "gate" to the finish point.

The biggest problem Frog Jockeys have is direction. Contestants have a horrible tendencyNOT to jump in straight lines. Often they'll triangulate right back to where they started the contest--and lose.